Lost Wanderer Podcast: 4/6/25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:17):
No, not anywhere.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'm talking of my breast even up behind into the stars.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Thout the central reason.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Of a central on the space n too now.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
With the stars and the still.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Long down.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
Friends and family. On this score, story of the center
me on the station.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
At the Starza and the seas is not sewn.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
On the station of the center, of.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
The station.

Speaker 4 (01:54):
At the Starza and the US.

Speaker 5 (02:04):
Time for this nation to take a clearly leading role
in space achievement, which in many ways may hold the
key to our future on Earth.

Speaker 6 (02:16):
H on all fair for man.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
On Bia.

Speaker 6 (02:39):
Today is a day from morning and remember Nancy and
I are gained to the core, but the tragedy of
the Shuttle challenge.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
The following program may contain food, language, adult teens, and
bad attempts of human listener discretion. As avides, what is

(03:10):
President Trump's goal? What is his vision? He wants to
put an American flag on Mars.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
Briffin Anguality based here the ankle have landed.

Speaker 5 (03:35):
I am your host Jelef also known as a Cosmic
Bard over on Twitter slash x and this is the
Lost Wonder podcast for April sixth, twenty twenty five. Happy
Sunday evening to everyone and welcome aboard the ACS serenade.
Well most of us, and by most of us, I
mainly mean me spent the past week arguing over whether

(03:58):
Pluto should be reinstated as a planet again. We had
four astronauts who were very busy circling Earth, not east
to west like here you know, your average orbital overachievers,
but this time north and south. Yeah, I apologize about that.

(04:59):
That is so where we it got self muted again,
so I'm gonna go back just a little bit. Sorry
if I repeat myself. So the mission, and I'm hoping
you guys can hear me now, was fram two, a
historic SpaceX mission that launched on March thirty first and
just wrapped up with a splashdown off the coast of

(05:20):
Ocean Side, California on April fourth. And yes, that's the
first time SpaceX returned a crew from the Pacific Ocean
East coast splashdowns that's so so so last season. But
this mission wasn't just about the dramatic landings our fancy
new flight pass. It was a first of its kind journey,

(05:41):
a fully privated crewed mission that took so off the
beaten longer scenic rout around the planet, threw both poles
on a so called polar orbit, the kind of orbit
where you don't just wave to your hometown as you
zip passed, you wave to sort of everybody's hometown, Antarctica included.

(06:04):
And if you're wondering who signs up for a trip
like that, well how about we meet the crew.

Speaker 4 (06:08):
That did this.

Speaker 5 (06:10):
The mission was led and funded by Schuon Wang, a
billionaire entrepreneur and cryptomogul from Malta who doubled as mission commander.
A man who clearly believes the best way to promote
decentralized finances by decentralizing gravity. His personal space resume now
includes being one of the first private astronauts to fly
a polar orbit, which I got to face face it,

(06:32):
it does sound a lot cooler than say, just being
a CEO or something. And second command was Nicki Michelson,
a Norwegian filmmaker and polar explorer who served as vehicle commander.
She's no stranger to extreme environments and once shot a
document or documentary in the Arctic, and now, in addition
to her normal id IMDb bio, she can head orbited

(06:56):
the Earth via both poles and I know what you're thinking,
Jeff orbiting the Earth via both poles, where's the gagody.

Speaker 4 (07:04):
We're gonna save the geggays for later.

Speaker 5 (07:08):
Then we had Rabia milschmith Koroga, a German robotics researcher
and mission pilot, and Eric Phillips, an Australian polar guide
who took on dual roles as both medical officer and
the kind of guy you definitely went with you in
the capsule, you know, accidentally do orbits stay somewhere near
an iceberg?

Speaker 3 (07:28):
Together?

Speaker 5 (07:28):
This team of adventurers weren't just along for the ride.
They were part of an ambitious late of science experiments,
also riding a board for HM two. So hey, while
we're here, let's talk a loads RAM two wasn't just about,
you know, proving that polar orbits were actually doable. It
was actually a floating laboratory conducting twenty two scientific experiments
in microgravity. And they weren't your garden variety how do

(07:51):
plants grow in space experiments?

Speaker 4 (07:53):
Either?

Speaker 5 (07:54):
Well, hold on, what's that ep Okay, I'm being told
they did grow some plants sort of.

Speaker 6 (08:04):
Now.

Speaker 5 (08:04):
One of these stand out experiments was charmingly called Mission mushroom,
Yes with a V and an attempt to grow oyster
mushrooms in space. Why because mushrooms are protein rich, require
minimal resources, and have the potential to become a sustainable
food source for future deep space missions. Also, they don't

(08:27):
scream when you harvest them, which is a nice side effect.
Then there was space x ray, which aimed to capture
the first ever X ray images of humans in space.
Think cosmic tests scans, But now for science, understanding how
microgravity affects MoveOn density and internal organs is actually going
to be crucial if we do want to get to

(08:48):
Mars and have the pioneers to make it. You know,
past season one, including real time monitoring of auroras from
an angle, we rarely get directly above the poles, and

(09:09):
I know I'm feeling the same way Antarctica. I've been
quite neglected being monitored above my poles too lately. Now
this offered scientists new data on how solar activity interacts
with Earth's magnetic field, which affects everything from satellite systems too,
you know, not frying or power grid, which is a benefit.

Speaker 4 (09:29):
That said, the scientific.

Speaker 5 (09:30):
Breakthroughs weren't the only drawl dropping part of the missions,
the views. If you haven't seen the views, oh my god,
they are seriously next level. And as the crew circled
the Earth in this unique trajectory, the captured rare, pristine
images of Antarctica from space, something even seasoned astronauts don't
typically get to see.

Speaker 4 (09:50):
Now.

Speaker 5 (09:50):
Commander Chung Wang shared one particular poetic reflection during the flight, quote,
allow Antarctica, unlike previously anticipated, from four hundred and sixty
kilometers above, it is only pure weight. New human activity
is visible. You notice he didn't mention alien activity. A

(10:10):
sorry veering here. Now that's not just a scenic description.
It's a profound reminder of Earth's mostly untouched wilderness viewed
from the very edge of our domain. From four hundred
and sixty kilometers up, humanities footprints actually disappear. It's quite
humbling and a little bit haunting. It's well exactly why
we should keep sending people up there in the first place.

(10:38):
After three and a half days and fifty five orbits,
the crew dragon resides capsule rendered Earth's atmosphere is flashed
down on the Pacific at first for SpaceX as human flags. Now,
I did not do the research and I'll have to
do this later. The fifty five orbits, you know, with
the east west orbital rotation, you know, the sunrise and sunset,
so that the astronauts experience are different. I wonder how

(11:03):
a north and south polar orbit is even more different.

Speaker 4 (11:07):
I would love to find out more on that.

Speaker 5 (11:10):
But normally all Dragon capsules have returned to the Atlantic
or Golf of Mexico or America, whichever country you want
to give right to. But with fram two, SpaceX opened
up the new recovery corridor on the West coast. And
it's not really just a cool map update. It actually
has some real operational advantages for future flights and more
flexible launch and return profiles. And with that successful flashdown

(11:33):
and four to thirty pm Eastern daylight time on April fourth,
ram To officially closed the chapter on its high flying odyssey.
That said, the stories are going to be far from over.
The data, the images, and the experiments brought back will
ripple into future missions, most likely both public and privately.
And Form two it wasn't just a detour over the polls.

(11:56):
It was a proof of concept for a whole new
class of privates sh or not missions.

Speaker 4 (12:01):
One that don't just go to.

Speaker 5 (12:04):
Space, but do it differently by flying this unique orbital path,
conducting innovative science, and opening up the West coast splashdown.
RAM two has kind of rewrote what's possible in commercial
space flight playbook, and it did it without a government badge,
without a Space Agency patch, and without any astronauts named

(12:24):
Steve from Euston. This was sort of an exploration two
point zero, all backed by private funds, steered by international citizens,
and the aim at breaking barriers that aren't just necessarily
technological but philosophical. Who gets to go to space? What
do we do once we're there? And where exactly are

(12:47):
we headed next? If RAM two is any sign of
things to come, the answer might just be everywhere, even.

Speaker 4 (12:56):
The top and the bottom. Just how like some of
us really like it?

Speaker 2 (13:03):
Now?

Speaker 5 (13:03):
That said, wef RAM two gave us sweeping views of
Antarctica and mushrooms and microgravity. SpaceX also made time for
something a little more dare we say cloak and dagger,
because nothing says we've made it like celebrating your nineteenth birthday,
which means they're legal. By launching a classified spy satellite
into orbit on March twenty fourth, SpaceX launched a mission

(13:28):
for the US National Reconnaissance Office dubbed NROL sixty nine.
Nice a name that sounds like it belongs either in
a porno or a Cold War thriller, or maybe even
in Netflix's Conspiracy doc. But this was a top secret
payload part of the nation's ever growing network of reconnaissance satellites.
This was, you know, kind of an interesting What was

(13:54):
the top secret payload? Was it part of the nation's
ever growing network of reconnaissance satellites? What exactly was in
the capsule? Well, we have an answer for that classified.

Speaker 4 (14:04):
Where was it going? Do you have an answer for
that too classified? Is it watching us? Right now?

Speaker 5 (14:11):
Let's just say maybe we don't want to go top
and bottoms just yet. No I said that launch. It
did lift off from Ordi's backyard in Vanderburg's Space Force
Base in California and around seven thirty am Pacific, cutting
through the West Coast signature morning miss like it had
something to prove, which, to be fair, it probably did.

(14:33):
This mission marked a fural circle moment for SpaceX, taking
place in the nineteenth anniversary of their very first launch
attempt nineteen years ago. They were blowing up rockets over
the Pacific, kind of like the Chinese still are now
they're basically the go to taxi for both billionaire explorers
and national security payloads. And of course, the rocketed choice

(14:55):
was a Falcon nine. And because SpaceX never misses an
opportunity to flex its reusability muscles, this booster nailed its
forth landing, touching down just eight minutes after launch on
landing Zone four at Vandenberg. There were no fanfare, no fireworks,
just a clean surgical touchdown from a booster that's clearly
got this routine kind of on lock. Now, while we

(15:18):
don't know the exact contents of the NROL sixty nine
payload nice because you know spy stuff, what we do
know is it fits into a larger strategy from the
NRO they've seen building out a proliferated architecture of smaller,
faster deploying satellites, kind of a resilient web that can
adapt to threats and say operational even in hostile conditions. Basically,

(15:40):
it's the orbital version of don't put all your eggs
in one basket. This network isn't just about watching Earth
from above, It's about staying one step ahead in a
world where space is no longer just for science and exploration,
it's it's now a competitive strategic domain. And SpaceX, well
they've planted themselves in the middle of it, supporting commercial clients,

(16:02):
government agencies, and basically everyone in between. So in the
same months they helped private astronauts gaze down at Antarctica,
they also help the NRO keep a sharper eye on
the rest of the world. So one small step for
Falcon nine, one giantly for multipurpose launched logistics. And you know,
it's kind of crazy to think somewhere a SpaceX mission

(16:26):
planner just cracked to open a red bull and just
got back to work, because well, the sky's our crowded,
the launch calendar is full, and apparently spy satellites wait
for no one.

Speaker 6 (16:41):
Now.

Speaker 5 (16:41):
While while we did have SpaceX being busy launching spy
stilts and those private astronauts, fine fine folks at DARPA,
do you hear me, DARPA, I'm not your enemy. The
fine folks over at DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,
were eavesdropping on the atmosphere and stumbled upon something unexpected.
The fiery re entry of a SpaceX Falcon nine Moro kit.

(17:05):
So here's the scoop on this. DARPA's atmos Sense program
is designed to study how sound waves and electromagnetic frequencies
traveled through Earth's atmosphere. The goal that goal is to
use these waves as a global sensor network capable of
detecting disturbances things like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or you know,

(17:25):
in this case, a rocket screening back to Earth. And
during a series of experiments involving controlled explosions in New Mexico,
because let's face it, let's just how DARPA parties, they
noticed something peculiar. Amid the expected data from the terrestrial fireworks,
there was an unanticipated blip. Turns out they had inadvertently

(17:47):
detected the atmospheric disturbance caused by a Falcon nine re
entering the atmosphere that very same day. Michael Nayak, the
atmos Sense program manager, explained the phenomenon with a simple analogy,
and imagine a stream of electrons flowing through the atmosphere
like water from a hose. If you put your fist
in front of the hose, you'd see its significant drop

(18:08):
and water volume coming out. Similarly, the re entering rocket
created a noticeable dip in electron content, effectively sticking its
fist into the atmospheric hose. Now, this accidental discovery revealed
a new technique for identifying objects entering Earth's Atomshere and

(18:29):
Raptor I agree it might can be also be used
for UAPs. It's like realizing your metal detector can also
pick up buried treasure while you're just scanning for loose
change on the beach. The implications are significant. By monitoring
these atmospheric electron flows, atmost, sense could potentially detect and
trap objects of interest, say to national security, such as

(18:51):
an incoming missile, or say.

Speaker 4 (18:53):
You know what we're gon we're gonna politely call unauthorized
re entries.

Speaker 5 (18:58):
It's a bit like having an atmo spheric trip wire
that alerts you to disturbances without relying solely on traditional
radar systems. Now, let's at DARPA plans to share these
findings in an upcoming virtual workshop bullshit, aiming to explore
potential applications to collaborate with both the scientific and defense communities. So,
while we have SpaceX continuing to make headlines with their

(19:22):
launches and landings. It's worth noting that even their re
entries are providing some unexpected insights something sometimes in ways
no one could even have anticipated, and the kind of
grand tavistory of space exploration and defense. It seems truly
every reaction has a reaction, and sometimes these reactions open

(19:42):
doors to entirely new realms of understanding. And just when
you thought SpaceX or of it couldn't extend any further,
turns out it may soon include the top job at NASA. Isaacman,
the billionaire tech mogul and private astronaut who once bought

(20:03):
an entire SpaceX mission or four, you know, like most
people buy a we can get away, is now slated
for a Senate confirmation hearing on April ninth to become
the next NASA administrator. Isaacman, best known for commanding the
inspiration for a mission in twenty twenty one, the first
all civilian orbital flight, was nominated by President Donald Trump

(20:25):
back December. And this isn't some ceremonial nod. If confirmed,
he would be steering the agency at a time of well,
let's just call what it is some turbulence. We have
potential budget cuts staff reductions and you know, the somewhat
controversial shuddering of some NASA offices depending on your point
of view. But Isaacman, he's not just another suit with opinions.

(20:50):
He's the man behind the Polaris program, which included polaristow
on the mission that pulled off the world's first private
space walk just in September. So when he talks about
the future of human's spaceflight, it's not coming from a whiteboard,
it's coming from, you know, actually being there. And supporters
of the nomination, including former NASA chief Jim Brittenstein, also

(21:13):
are leaning into that experience. Brittenstein even said Eric Eisaman
could be the quote the most consequential NASA administrator of
this new era, given his first hand insight into public
private space partnerships. Still, the nomination hasn't come without turbulence.
Isaacman's deep ties to private aerospace, particular Elon Musk and SpaceX,

(21:37):
has raised some eyebrows over potential conflicts of interest. To that,
He's responded with what you'd expect from someone aiming for
a public leadership role, a promise to pause his Polaris
missions and divest from overlapping business ventures if confirmed. Now,
the Avery ninth hearing, which will be chaired by Senator
Ted Cruz, is expected to be closely watched not just

(21:58):
by lawmakers, but also of the entire space community, because,
if confirmed, Issamin won't just be the guy who paid
his way into orbit, he'll be the guy asked with
deciding where we all go next. And this is not
the only NASA news we have, but we have a

(22:18):
bit of a welcome course correction from the amazing folks
over at NASA. After years of watching the Artist program
get wrapped up in press releases about identity first and
science second, NASA has finally made a quiet but meaningful
update to its public messaging. As of this week, the
agency has removed language from its Artemis web pages that

(22:41):
previously emphasize landing quote the first woman and first personal
caller unquote on the Moon. Instead, the focus has now
returned to what it always should have been in the
first place, exploration, scientific discovery, and preparing for human mission
to Mars. Now this update didn't go exactly noticed. Critics

(23:01):
from legacy media were quick to pounce, see what I
did there? It's not the right pouncing this time. I
get I should get kudo points in chat for that
claiming NASA was backing away from quote progress. But let's
be honest, if you need a diversity tagline to get
excited about returning to the Moon, you're probably missing the
whole fucking point of space flight in the first place. Now,

(23:25):
a NASA spokesperson confirmed that this shift in language was
made to realign with recent executive order signed by President Trump,
which directs federal agencies to eliminate DEI programs in messaging,
and while the change in phrasing was noticeable, NASA has
emphasized that the Artemis's two crew, featuring both Christina Coke
and Victor Glover, well, that actually hasn't changed. So, yes,

(23:48):
we're still sending a capable and diverse crew to the Moon,
but now we're you know, we're talking about them for
the right reasons, their actual skill, their actual experience in
the objectives, not what demographic box they check off on
a government form. Now, this move signals something important that maybe,

(24:11):
just maybe, the US space program is getting back to
the business for exploration over identity, achievement over agendas, and
science over slogans, because let's face it, the Moon and
Mars don't exactly care what color of your spacesuit is,
and neither should we.

Speaker 4 (24:34):
And it looks.

Speaker 5 (24:36):
It looks like we have one space freighter's trip now
kind of didn't make it to the launch pad now,
as it has officially counseled the upcoming Sickness n G
twenty two cargo mission to the ISS, after the spacecraft
was damaged during transport to the launch site. Can you
imagine you spend years designing and assembling a high tech

(24:59):
orbital delivery truck and it gets dinged before you even
see the launch tower. It's kind of like buying a
jeep six months ago and the engine losing compression and
you having to take it to the fucking shop.

Speaker 4 (25:13):
And that might have been a little too personal for me. Now.

Speaker 5 (25:15):
The Sickness spacecraft, but by Northrope Grimman, was scheduled to
deliver food, fuel and gear and scientific experiments to the
crew aboard the ISS this June. But back in early March,
the shipping container housing spacecraft took on some damage and
a route to Florida's space coast, and unfortunately, upon inspection,
the damage wasn't limited to the container. The cargo module

(25:35):
itself was impacted NASA's official line is they're working with
Northrop Grimman to evaluate whether the spacecraft can be salvaged
for future mission.

Speaker 4 (25:46):
But that's of now.

Speaker 5 (25:47):
N G twenty two is off the books now. To
their credit, NASA, I know, Hoop, you're sitting down for this.
NASA wasn't called flat footed. They've already made arrangements to
shift some of the critical supplies over to an upcoming
SpaceX cargo flight schedule for April. And it's kind of

(26:08):
a solid backup move because you know, let's face it,
when you've got a space station flowing two hundred and
fifty miles above your head with a hungry crew on board,
plan be better get ready to launch asap. A list
now puts the spotlight on the next plan, the sickness
mission n G twenty three, which is targeting no earlier
than this ball. In the meantime, Norser Grumman will regroup

(26:30):
and assess what can be salvaged, both physically and reputation wise.
And while this isn't exactly a disaster, you know, it's
not a crash or a systems failure that really would
ground them. It's a reminder that space flight lot logistics
start long before the countdown. Sometimes the biggest risk aren't
even in orbit. They're rolling down the highway in a shape.

(26:53):
Shipping crate space is hard, and apparently so is shipping.
And while one cargo ship to the ISS got sidelined
before a liftoff, we'd go over to what of our
favorite stories of twenty twenty five. Boeing's crew capsule Starliner.

(27:15):
It's still working through its own return to flight checklists
and I'm not even kidding. And that checklist, though, just
got longer after last year's high stakes test flight, where,
of course, astronauts Wilmore and Williams wrote star Liner to
the ISS. NASA and Boeing are now looking at the
calendar and quietly penciling in early twenty twenty six as

(27:39):
the likely date for its next crude mission. Not for
those keeping score, I'm glad you are, I'm a little jealous,
I'm little pissed. Wilmore and Williams were originally stated for
a week long stay aboard the station. Instead they got
a nine month extension. Usually those nine months extensions are
resulting something different, not because you know, they were enjoying
the view, but because star Liner's propaution system had issues.

(28:00):
You know, we're talking multiple helium leaks and thrust. Their
failures had those. They have little blue pills that we
sometimes advertise here on this network, the kind of bugs
you really don't want to find in your ride home.
Fortunately they didn't have to use it before they did
use the crew Dragon.

Speaker 4 (28:16):
Now there is some good.

Speaker 5 (28:17):
News sort of maybe both astronauts have said they're willing
to fly star Liner again. Now granted star Liner got
them there, they did not say they'd want star Liner
to bring them home. That was the silent part that
was left out, just saying it's saying, which means, despite
you know, the technical snacks, they still believe in the hardware,

(28:38):
and from everything we're hearing, that belief is backed up
by Boeing and NASA, you know, spending the better part
of twenty five running propaution system tests and working through
every variable that contributed to the mission's delay. So as
of now, next star Liner flight isn't scheduled until late
twenty five at the earliest, with now the early twenty
twenty six looking more realistic, and that will put a

(29:01):
bit of pressure on Boeing, which is still playing catch
up to SpaceX in the Commercial Crew Game, a game
Boeing was supposed to dominate back when this whole thing started. Still,
this is a spacecraft, not software updates. There are no shortcuts.
And if this extended timeline leads to safer, more reliable
crew vehicle and a second one on top of it,

(29:22):
I ultimately do believe it will be worth it if
they can find their problems and fix it. So, while
SpaceX continues stacking milestones, Boeing's taking the long road back.
Let's hope that load road does eventually lead to a
launch pad and her safe return and not just another
press release in eight episodes of loutch Wonder making fun

(29:43):
of them. Now, over at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a
much bigger beast is coming together, and the one that
is going to take us back to the Moon, or
or for some of you in the audience, back to
the Moon for the first time. Ornamus two is looking
more real by the day. After months of prep the

(30:07):
Space Launch System rocket, that big, ugly orange skyscraper of
fire and fury, has now had its core stage stacked
with its solid rocket boosters. That's the kind of milestone
you don't undo unless something's gone catastrophically sideways. Now NASA's
target is sending four astronauts on a lunar fly by,
not a landing yet, but the first crew return turned

(30:29):
to the Moon's neighborhood since nineteen seventy two. We've got
Commander Reed Weisman, pilot Victor Glover, micheline specialist Christina Coke,
and miche michell specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.
Hanson will become the first non American astronaut to travel

(30:51):
beyond low Earth orbit. And let's us face it, that's
no small thing. This mission itself is a proven ground
testing out life support and navigation, deep space can munications
and giving this crew a high speed, high stakes drive
run for what Artemis three will attempt.

Speaker 4 (31:07):
Not to be clear.

Speaker 5 (31:08):
Artemis two hasn't slipped or has slipped a few times
on the calendar. A current indicator suggests that NASA is
on a solid trajectory to make the next window, which
is sometime in twenty twenty six. Our technicians are deep
in checkout mode, resolving remaining issues and triple verifying every
subsystem before buttoning up the Orion capsule and getting it

(31:28):
mated to the rocket stack. Now, this is the kind
of progress we've been waiting to see, not speeches, not timelines,
but hardware actually coming together. It's one thing to promise
a return to the Moon. It's another thing entirely to
build the rocket and strap in the crew. And this
time it's going to be a statement we're going back.

(31:50):
And this time we're not turning around at the edge
of lunar orbit. We're paving the way to.

Speaker 4 (31:54):
Stay with that. Let's take about three little over three
minute breakdown.

Speaker 5 (32:00):
Stretch out your legs, top off your beverage, and maybe
they stare wistfully at the Moon at your window, or
we have more news that it's coming up.

Speaker 7 (32:12):
M m h.

Speaker 6 (32:18):
M hm.

Speaker 8 (32:26):
M hmm.

Speaker 3 (32:35):
You from the cape in the dead of the night,
who's just burning bright? Not a niche? And in sight
we're ghosting the orbit.

Speaker 9 (32:42):
No flags and no spine, just scavengers climbing the Garmen
line dash no ground.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
From the edge of time, through the shadows, dots, tracking rays.
I jacked the stream where the satellites graze.

Speaker 8 (33:28):
Payloads vanished, and no one can't sign a trace of
cold left at the Carmen line, equipted and God project unknown, welcome.

Speaker 3 (33:41):
To the fronts here where sun swing with the beads
of the let's spot.

Speaker 9 (33:56):
The Carmen line says that weird go send the grid,
but asking the lost pross.

Speaker 3 (34:05):
What we actually did.

Speaker 9 (34:12):
That side with the flavor the line, raise the dish,

(34:38):
hoist the sail, leave your low books in the trail,
We ride the winds, swear the.

Speaker 3 (34:48):
Soul of flair shine.

Speaker 7 (34:52):
But in.

Speaker 3 (34:55):
On Norman line.

Speaker 5 (35:30):
Welcome back aboard. We hope you had the time to
recharge your gravity coils, or at least grab a snack or,
in case of already finished the burger he was eating.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
Now.

Speaker 5 (35:41):
While Artemis is looking to return humanity to the Moon,
US Spaceports is thinking several moves ahead, because in the
chest game of orbital strategy, they're now They're not working
on building a launch pad in space. Enter the orbital Carrier,
a new spacecraft concept being developed in partnership with company

(36:03):
called Gravatics. The idea well preposition a modular platform in
orbit that can quickly deploy, maneuverble satellites on demand without
waiting for a ground based rocket to get scheduled, stacked
and launch. Colin Dohan CEO of Gravatics called it a

(36:24):
game changer, and for once that label might actually apply
to something. This is less about flashy missions and more
about tactical flexibility, having the ability to respond to real
time threats in orbit with speed and precision. Instead of
launching a satellite when trouble arises, you already have a
space barrier carrier waiting in orbit. Let it with smaller

(36:44):
craft that can be dispatched instantly to strategic positions. It's
a bit like having an aircraft carrier but floating silently
in low Earth orbit above the fray, ready to act.
And of course the military implications are obvious. Besides the
wonderful popcorn popping, the timing really couldn't be more relevant.

(37:07):
Adversaries are rapidly deploying anti satellite capabilities and the old
model of launch, respond repeat probably won't cut it in
a conflict that could play out in hours, not weeks.
With the orbital carrier, the Space Force is effectively saying
we want persistent presents, not just temporary missions. It's a

(37:31):
move toward treating orbital space like territory to be secured,
not just visited. Now that said development is still underway,
and their launch date has been announced yet, but the
message is clear. Space it isn't just for exploration anymore.
It's a domain to be defended. And now, of course

(37:56):
we've got this possibility of a launch pad floating in
space somewhere. The next question becomes, who's going to deliver
the goods? Well, the US Space Force just announced it's
bringing in some fresh contenders to compete for national security launches.
Names you might not expect if you're only tracking the
big players. Enter rocket Lab and Stoke Space, And I

(38:19):
know it's probably the first time you're hearing of space.
It's okay, so I won't say me too, but basically
me too. But both were officially selected for Phase three,
Lane one of the National Security Space Launch Program. Translation,
they're now in the running to support some of the
nation's most sensitive payloads. A Rocket Lab, best known for

(38:40):
its small electron rockets and stylish black carbon fiber launches
out of New Zealand, is now working on something bigger
than neutron rocket Designed to be reusable and able to
carry heavier payloads, its rocket Labs leap from kind of
a boutique launch service to the heavyweight category, and in
their Stoke Space a newer name, but it is one

(39:03):
that's gaining attention fast, and their goal is also a
fully reusable rocket system from booster to upper stage. If
they can pull it off, they'll be joining an elite
club and shaking up an industry that until recently didn't
exactly reward.

Speaker 4 (39:18):
Innovation at this scale.

Speaker 5 (39:20):
Now, each company gets a five million dollar task order
to demonstrate their capabilities and undergo an official government risk assessment.
If they pass, they'll then be eligible to compete for
full national security launch missions. In short, if they can
get the minor leagues are over, season's over, it's late
in the MLB season, they might get that call up

(39:41):
they've been dreaming of.

Speaker 6 (39:44):
Now.

Speaker 5 (39:44):
Spaceports leadership, including Brigadier General Kristen Panzenhagen, has emphasized that
these partnerships are about diversifying options and injecting innovation into
the launch ecosystem and.

Speaker 4 (39:58):
Let's be real.

Speaker 5 (39:59):
Relying on one or two legacy providers it works, but
it's not a real strategy. It can end up being
a bottleneck, especially if one of them can't get their
ship back to Earth anyway. By bringing companies like rocket
Lab and Stoke into the mix. The Space Force is
betting on competition, flexibility, and rapid technological growth to keep
America's edge in orbit. And this is this is what

(40:21):
the modern space race looks like, not just between countries anymore,
but also between companies. I know already, I already, I'm sorry,
no no Morgan news this week. But that said, the
finish line, it's whenever the next strategic asset needs to
be placed in orbit, preferably ahead, we will now have
some more competition, you know. And speaking speaking of you know,

(40:48):
crowded orbits and sketchy agendas, that brings us to the
beloved segment here on the Lost Wonder Or podcast, you know,
one that makes probably makes the diplomats sweat a little
and the fans of the show lean in just just
a little bit closer and.

Speaker 3 (41:09):
Now assholes in space.

Speaker 4 (41:34):
So usually usually we're busy watching this guy's over Beijing.

Speaker 5 (41:40):
For this little bit of a segment. But this time
the crown of orbital mischief is going to pass over
to Mother Russia.

Speaker 6 (41:48):
We're back.

Speaker 5 (41:48):
On February second, Russia launched a trio of military satellites
Cosmos two five eight one eight two and two five
eight three. These were not commercial payloads or even weathers.
These were launched from the Plusitesque Cosmodrome, a military facility,
and they came with next to no public explanation. Now

(42:12):
fast forward from March eighteenth, and surprise, surprise to everybody,
one of these satellites did something weird. The US based
forts confirmed that a new object had suddenly detached from
the Russian formation. A mysterious, mysterious satellite was released. And
how they folks, Just like that, We're back in the

(42:33):
Cold War eraic cloak and dagger, but making it orbital instead.
Ain't that special? Don't we just love that? Now, to
be clear, this isn't the first time Russia has done this.
Back in twenty fourteen they launched a satellite that suddenly
came to light and started maneuvering close to other spacecraft.

(42:55):
And in twenty twenty they practically tailed a us B
satellite and a very let's just say our satellite had
the rave whistle ready. And now here we are again,
another mystery object with no declared purpose, no flight plan,
and no clear explanation, which means we're left to speculate.
Is it an inspection satellite? Is a test bed for

(43:18):
anti satellite tech. Is it just Russia being Russia and
flexing in space because they can't afford.

Speaker 4 (43:24):
To do it here on Earth.

Speaker 5 (43:27):
Whatever it is, it's part of a pattern and basically
increasingly aggressive one quiet launches on disclosed payloads objects maneuvering
in ways that make even harden space analysts raise an eyebrow.
The bottom line, when countries start treating orbits like a
covert battlefield, ignore the previous story from you know, SpaceX.
The risk of miscalculation goes up, in way up. If

(43:50):
you think the breed fields from satellite collisions are bad,
now wait until someone gets twitchy with a classified payload
creeping up behind them. So once again we add Russia
to the Ashos in Space Wall of Fame, right next
to their buddies in Beijing. Because whether it's secrecy, surveillance
or straight up provocation, some folks, some folks just can't

(44:10):
seem to play nice in that little sandbox at his
space in space, Well it really is the biggest sandbox
of all. So we have Russia out here playing cloak
and dagger in orbit.

Speaker 4 (44:21):
Europe.

Speaker 5 (44:23):
Europe just tried to make history, and let's just say
their attempt at making history was briefly spectacular. On March thirtieth,
German startup Asar Aerospace attempt at the first ever orbital
rocket launch from European soil. The launch took space at
Andoya Spaceport in New and Norway, a remote site above

(44:46):
the Arctic Circle that's hoping to become a hub for
European small launch vehicles. The rocket in question was the Spectrum,
a sleek twenty eight meters two stage vehicle designed to
deliver small and medium satellites to orbit. Unfortunately, the Spectrum,
much like their cable named partners, didn't quite get a
chance to stretch his leg. And I know they're not
officially partners, but when Spectrum comes in mind, you don't

(45:08):
exactly think reliability. Now that said, just eighteen seconds in
the flight, rocket did suffer an anomaly, had veered off course,
lost control and came crashing back to Earth, ending in
a fiery explosion that looked kind of more like Hollywood
than a rocket launch. Now that said, you'd expect that

(45:28):
kind of failure to come with a wave of disappointment,
But let's eyes, our aerospace isn't actually calling it a
failure at all. They're kind of treating it as a
partial success. That really really is which if you've been
following startup rocket launches for any amount of time, this
is kind of the norm. Their target for their first
flight was thirty seconds, with the real goal being data collection,

(45:50):
not orbital insertion. And then on that front, let's face it,
they lasted me longer with eighteen seconds than I did
on prom night. So I mean that's winning right now,
let's fight the explosion. They now have real world telemetry
and vehicle performance data from the first few seconds of
powered flight, something no computer model or static fire tests

(46:12):
can fully replicate. Now, this is all part of a
much bigger picture for Europe. For decades, the continent has
relied on French canny or outsourced rides on American, Russian,
and now even Indian rockets. You know, the people Europe
calls for tech support beat them to space. I'm just saying,

(46:34):
just saying, guys, you may want to rethink a whole
bunch of things that you're encountering one of yourselves there Europe,
but they are looking to build independent launch capacity, and
startups like Isar Aerospace are leading that charge with support
from the ESA and private investors who know full well
that rocketree is a game of patients and perseverance. The

(46:56):
spectrum is designed to service the booming market for small
satellite launch is aiming to offer fast, flexible rides to
low Earth orbit. And while this flight didn't make it
to the stars, it is a pattern of a familiar
sort test, explode, learn, repeat until eventually it flies. Because
in space, blowing up is just the first step to

(47:17):
actually towards getting it right. And frankly, it's refreshing to
see Europe finally stepping up into the small launcher arena,
even if the first outing ended with a bit of
a thud, And unlike China, we have reports that no
cows were injured at this time, so they're already ahead
of some other countries. Now after watching its first homegrown

(47:43):
orbital launch flame out just eighteen seconds in the flight,
Europe isn't backing down. In fact, they're now doubling down.
The ESSA just announced the European Launcher Challenge, a wide
open competition designed to shake up how Europe gets to space.

Speaker 4 (48:00):
The goal.

Speaker 5 (48:02):
To select entirely new commercial rockets and have one ready
to fly by twenty twenty eight. And it's a bold
mood that essentially will say we've tried depending on arion,
we've borrowed rides from SpaceX, and we've outsourced to French guy.
Any long enough time to build something new and fast,

(48:24):
and the challenge has two tracks. One is about finding
a launch provider who can handle European government payloads starting
as early as twenty twenty six, and the other is
focused on building a next generation launcher, one that pushes
the envelope and can handle heavier, more complex missions with
greater flexibility. Companies from ESA member states and the EEL
at large are invited to pitch their designs, whether they're

(48:45):
industry veterans or garbage borne startups with something to prove.
The stakes nearly one hundred and seventy euro million and
funding for the best ideas. But that said, the timeline
is tight. Initial proposals are due this may. Now, this
isn't really just a technical competition. It really is a

(49:05):
cultural shift, with Europe traditionally leaning on a couple of
large aerospace players. This challenge is cracking the door open
for competition, innovation, and the kind of disruptive thinking we've
seen thrive elsewhere, especially here in the US and They've
made it quite clear at the ESA this isn't about
replacing Arion six or plugging a short term hole. It's

(49:27):
about changing the game entirely. And after watching Spectrum tumble
back to Earth, this might be the rare I call
the continent space community truly needs, because one fiery failure
doesn't mean you stop building a rocket. That means you
just simply build better ones. And while Europe is now

(49:48):
finally opening the floor to new contenders, the United States
has just given the official nod to one of its
own heavy hitters. After months of anticipate, patient and review,
the US based Force has officially certified the Vulcan Centaur
rocket or National Security Launches. That means the newest rocket

(50:09):
from United Launch Alliance, the Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture.
And I'm thinking they lean longley or strongly on the
Lockheed Martin I view catch my meeting, mister Frodo. It
is now clear to carry the nation's the most sensitive,
most classified, and most mission critical payloads the orbit. And
this is actually a very big deal. With this certification,
Valkan Centaur now stands alongside space X Falcon nine in

(50:32):
the elite club of rockets trusted to handle top tiered
Department of Defence missions. It also signals the planned retirement
of the long serving at Las five, which really has
been a workhorse for everything from Mars rovers, spy satellites
and the vulcan is ULA's next gen rocket built to
be more powerful, more cost effective, and yes, finally able

(50:56):
to retire that reliance on Russian made rte E engines,
something that frankly has been long long overdue. Now, according
to Space Force leadership, the certification enhances America's launch capacity, resiliency,
and flexibility, especially out of time when space is becoming
more contested and congested than ever. Now with the Bulkan

(51:17):
on the roster, of the US gains more launch diversity,
not just in vehicles, but in strategy, because redundancy is
no longer a luxury and national defense it's a requirement.
So in short, the rocket race is heating up, and
the US just added a new veteran contender to the
launch pad.

Speaker 6 (51:36):
And now.

Speaker 5 (51:38):
Now that we've we're going to leave the Polish launch
pads and pristine contracts behind and we're going to venture
into mercury space lanes. Murkier Murkier Space lines. Never try
to say that word when you have a frog in

(51:58):
your throat. Good, good, God. This next story is fascinating
to me. It's also why I did the song that
I played at the intermission, because, according to recent reports,
the next big threat to orbital security isn't debris, It
isn't solar flares or even faulty thrusters. It's space pirates.

(52:21):
That's right, you heard me right, Space pirates. The idea
that once lived in the dusty corners of cult movies
like The Ice Pirates is now being taken seriously by
think tanks and aerospace. In that analyst, now, we're not
we're sensitive to certain cultures and things. We're not gonna
make any robot frustration jokes here this time. We're just

(52:42):
gonna talk real policy for a little bit. Okay, With
satellites more valuable than ever, orbital infrastructure growing by the month,
and plans for asteroid mining and lunar bases moving from
blueprint to budget, there is a new fear brewing that
bad actors could start treating space like the high Seas
of old. We're talking hijackings, sabotage, digital ransoms, possibly eating

(53:08):
even physical boarding of spacecraft. In other words, somebody cure
the pirates of the Carmen line. Because if there's anything
Jack Sparrow taught us, it's that not all treasure is
silver and gold, mate, some of it is locked in
a starlink relay or floating toward a low Grange point
with a billion dollar payload. That the heart of this

(53:32):
concern is the lack of clear and forceable space law.
The Outer Space Treaty is vague at best when it
comes to orbital crime, and there is no interstellar coast
Guard circling Earth yet, biggest thing there yet. So if
a satellite suddenly goes dark, or a small spacecraft of
beer is a little too close to a competitor's assets.

Speaker 4 (53:54):
Who do you call? And who's got jurisdiction at.

Speaker 5 (53:57):
Five hundred kilometers up? I mean, researchers are pushing for
new international framework all the time, treaties, enforcement protocols, and
of course cyber protections to prevent the future from turning
in to a true reboot of the Ice Pirates, but
with higher stakes and sadly fewer jokes.

Speaker 4 (54:18):
I'll keep trying. I'll keep trying.

Speaker 6 (54:21):
Now.

Speaker 5 (54:21):
The good news is we're still in the early phase,
no one's reported as face cutlass boarding or treasure maps
hidden behind the solar arrageous yet. But as the value
of orbital real estate does climb and the barriers to
accessing them keeps dropping, that clock is ticking. So whether
you're elon musk Esa or just a guy with a
cube sat in a dream, maybe start thinking about shields

(54:44):
and not just the solar kind. Because in the great
Sea of space, some ships fly with a flag you
don't want to see pulling up alongside. So after all
this talk of cosmic piracy and orbital it's called duggery.
Maybe it's time we step off the main deck, pour
something warm or strong and just drift. So settle in

(55:07):
on a quiet patch of night, reel or even imagined,
and lose yourself in the stars for a while, because
for the next three minutes we're not launching payloads or
tracking mystery objects. We're just gonna listen to the rhythm
of the skies. The moon is waxing now, as you
can see on board the ACS serenade for those watching,

(55:28):
brightening a little more each night until she reaches her
full glow on Tuesday, April thirteenth, at exactly eleven, twenty
two pm Eastern. This one, well, it's the full pink moon,
not because it turns some glorious cosmic magenta, but because
it rises during the early bloom of wild ground flocks,

(55:49):
one of the first spring flowers to blanket the fields,
and because my executive producer is an asshole. Among the
Ojewa people, it's called it kigamis the ge gee GISs
or the maple sap boiling moon, and not to the
time when the sap runs sweet and the sugar camps awaken.

(56:13):
The Dakota know it as wooz ohon Wi, the moon
of planting, a sign that is time to prepare the earth,
even if the winds still carry a winter chill. And
the Iroquois Confederacy calls it the only Hrah doka oh
gahra cool Whah, the budding moon, the world's gentle nudge

(56:34):
that life is stirring in the soil. When it rises
on the thirteenth, rising huge and golden just after sunset, just.

Speaker 4 (56:42):
Don't glance at it. Give it a moment.

Speaker 5 (56:47):
This is not a full moon, you see. And no
it's not a they ship either. It's going to be
a memory, a marker, a thread woven through hundreds of
cultures over thousands of years. And for those of you
up before, low in the east around five thirty am,
Saturn is starting to climb back in the view, pale,
steady and quiet, just the way it likes to re

(57:08):
enter the scene. Mars is still visible in the evening dimming,
but slightly and steady, tangled in Gemini, keeping company with
Castor and Folocks. It won't be there forever, so give
the red planet a nod before it slips into the
solar glare. Oriyan is slowly bowing out in the west,
while Leo is now king of the southern sky. Around

(57:30):
ten pm. His backwards question marks the sickle is easy
to spot, and at the base of his tail that's Regulus,
the little king, tracing the ecliptic with ancient authority. We're
in the quiet window now before the Lyrids, which really
won't peek until later this month, but you never know.
Keep your eyes out, keep your eyes open, for sporadics

(57:52):
are still out there. Astrays wanderer, sometimes lost, and this
cosmic flotsam that blays across the sky without warning and
without apology will make you smile. So as you sit
by that fire, digital or real, just know that the
sky above you is still taking away, still telling stories,
and still turning, and you won't even need a telescope,

(58:13):
just your eyes and maybe a warm coat and more importantly,
a willingness to look up. Well that's it for tonight's show.
Thank you for tuning in when however you do, I
do appreciate it. Special thanks to nasaspacexpace dot com, Ours Technica,
NASA's Spaceflight Popular Mechanic, and more for the great information
on the stories tonight. Stay tuned for Sunday Night with

(58:34):
Alan Ray. Thanks to my exec producer as always, for
your help and inspiration. I hope you enjoyed the show,
learned a little bit, and maybe even had a laugh or.

Speaker 4 (58:42):
Two as well.

Speaker 6 (58:45):
It's a pretty big place. It's bigger than anything anyone
who's ever dreamed of before. So if it's just us,
it seems like a waste space.

Speaker 7 (59:03):
Right when I was young, it seemed that life was
so wonderful, a miracle. Oh it was beautiful, magical DT
the birds in the trees, would they'd be singing so happily,
oh joyfully, oh playfully watching me? But the Missabil way

(59:31):
to tea tree ow of peace, sensible logical, oh, responsible, practical.
And then they show me a word where RECOGNI so
deep and able, or clinical, intellectual, cynical.

Speaker 3 (59:51):
There are times