https://obomedia.com/en/podcast/space-disasters-daring-missions
Each episode is one complete, reconstructed story, told without a host standing between you and the record. A skull rides shotgun on Hubble's highest orbit. A 121-pound cap gets bolted onto a spacecraft that still won't reveal where it's leaking. A navigator with no instruments steers by starlight to bring Apollo 13 home. A surgeon performs emergency repairs on a live solar array with no operating room and no second attempt. These are not summaries — they are minute-by-minute accounts built from flight logs, radio chatter, and the private memories of the people who lived through space disasters that never made the headlines they deserved.

The show moves through the full arc of American spaceflight: the astronauts denied their missions for reasons buried in politics, the men who crossed space three times and still never got their wings, the geologists who proved the Moon itself had lied about a mountain's identity. It is NASA history told through the human cost of ambition — the near-misses, the improvised fixes, the decisions made in seconds that took decades to fully explain.

If you want space history that reads like a thriller because it actually was one, subscribe now. New episodes arrive weekly, each one a self-contained descent into a mission that almost didn't make it back.]]>enAstronomyCopyright OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENThttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/04089e5fa83aabef56c58444a03bdc93.jpghttps://obomedia.com/en/podcast/space-disasters-daring-missionsThu, 05 Nov 2026 09:02:43 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTOBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTcreators@obomedia.comSpace has swallowed careers, missions, and men whole, leaving behind bolts, checklists, and a few surviving voices who know exactly how close the silence came. This show digs through NASA archives, mission transcripts, and the quiet testimony of...
Each episode is one complete, reconstructed story, told without a host standing between you and the record. A skull rides shotgun on Hubble's highest orbit. A 121-pound cap gets bolted onto a spacecraft that still won't reveal where it's leaking. A navigator with no instruments steers by starlight to bring Apollo 13 home. A surgeon performs emergency repairs on a live solar array with no operating room and no second attempt. These are not summaries — they are minute-by-minute accounts built from flight logs, radio chatter, and the private memories of the people who lived through space disasters that never made the headlines they deserved.

The show moves through the full arc of American spaceflight: the astronauts denied their missions for reasons buried in politics, the men who crossed space three times and still never got their wings, the geologists who proved the Moon itself had lied about a mountain's identity. It is NASA history told through the human cost of ambition — the near-misses, the improvised fixes, the decisions made in seconds that took decades to fully explain.

If you want space history that reads like a thriller because it actually was one, subscribe now. New episodes arrive weekly, each one a self-contained descent into a mission that almost didn't make it back.]]>false759f1376-1046-5bd3-9479-d9b08db5d294episodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-shuttle-s-timed-orbit-that-left-one-warrant-officer-racing-the-clock--74912556
The Shuttle's Timed Orbit That Left One Warrant Officer Racing the Clock

In this episode, we follow Thomas John Hennen’s long arc from small-town beginnings to a Pentagon role that put a warrant officer on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. We trace the career decisions, program work, and mission parameters that converged on a seven-day, 109-orbit flight - but what did he see from that vantage, and what did it mean?

Person: Thomas John Hennen
Date: November 24, 1991
Location: Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Event: Space Shuttle Atlantis mission (seven days, 109 orbits)
Topic: Army Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) and TENCAP doctrine

- Born August 17, 1952 in Albany, Georgia, Hennen grew up in a military household and entered the Army in 1972 at age 19.
- Early assignments (1973-1981) had him testing sensors and supporting combat units, building practical expertise in what sensors could and could not see.
- At Fort Huachuca (1981-1986) he became a TENCAP project officer, authored Army IMINT training plans, and established himself as the Army’s IMINT subject matter expert.
- In 1986 he moved to the Army Space Program Office in Washington, D.C., managing imagery intelligence systems that bridged national assets and field commanders.
- On November 24, 1991, Chief Warrant Officer Four Hennen rode Atlantis into orbit for a mission explicitly tied to proving the Army’s satellite imagery doctrine.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912556Fri, 06 Nov 2026 09:00:02 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA warrant officer races through Cape Kennedy’s launch countdown as the Shuttle climbs - did he make it in time? The Shuttle's Timed Orbit That Left One Warrant Officer Racing the Clock In this episode, we follow Thomas John Hennen’s long arc...
The Shuttle's Timed Orbit That Left One Warrant Officer Racing the Clock

In this episode, we follow Thomas John Hennen’s long arc from small-town beginnings to a Pentagon role that put a warrant officer on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. We trace the career decisions, program work, and mission parameters that converged on a seven-day, 109-orbit flight - but what did he see from that vantage, and what did it mean?

Person: Thomas John Hennen
Date: November 24, 1991
Location: Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Event: Space Shuttle Atlantis mission (seven days, 109 orbits)
Topic: Army Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) and TENCAP doctrine

- Born August 17, 1952 in Albany, Georgia, Hennen grew up in a military household and entered the Army in 1972 at age 19.
- Early assignments (1973-1981) had him testing sensors and supporting combat units, building practical expertise in what sensors could and could not see.
- At Fort Huachuca (1981-1986) he became a TENCAP project officer, authored Army IMINT training plans, and established himself as the Army’s IMINT subject matter expert.
- In 1986 he moved to the Army Space Program Office in Washington, D.C., managing imagery intelligence systems that bridged national assets and field commanders.
- On November 24, 1991, Chief Warrant Officer Four Hennen rode Atlantis into orbit for a mission explicitly tied to proving the Army’s satellite imagery doctrine.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1269falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-eight-inch-foam-chunk-punched-a-hole-that-left-sixteen-minutes-to-fix--74912554
The eight‑inch foam chunk punched a hole that left sixteen minutes to fix

In this episode, we follow the mission timeline from liftoff through the sixteen-minute window before landing to trace what unfolded aboard Columbia and at mission control. The story centers on the gap between early instrument warnings and the final minutes - what happened during those sixteen minutes that matters.

Person: Kalpana Chawla
Date: January 16, 2003 (foam strike) and February 1, 2003 (sensor failures)
Event: Foam insulation separated from the external tank and struck Columbia’s left wing
Location: Columbia orbiter, left wing leading edge
Status: Four sensors failed in rapid succession sixteen minutes before landing

- An eight-inch piece of foam broke from the external tank 81 seconds after liftoff and struck the left wing at roughly 500 miles per hour.
- The strike occurred on January 16, 2003, during the mission’s first day in orbit and left damage unseen by the crew.
- Over the next sixteen days the shuttle conducted routine experiments and two-shift operations while the damage remained hidden.
- On February 1, 2003, at 8:54 a.m., four sensors inside the left wing failed in rapid succession with sixteen minutes remaining before landing.
- The Debris Assessment Team at Johnson Space Center had seen the foam strike data while the crew continued normal mission activities.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912554Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:00:02 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn eight-inch foam chunk punched a hole in Columbia’s left wing during liftoff - did they make it back in time? The eight‑inch foam chunk punched a hole that left sixteen minutes to fix In this episode, we follow the mission timeline from...
The eight‑inch foam chunk punched a hole that left sixteen minutes to fix

In this episode, we follow the mission timeline from liftoff through the sixteen-minute window before landing to trace what unfolded aboard Columbia and at mission control. The story centers on the gap between early instrument warnings and the final minutes - what happened during those sixteen minutes that matters.

Person: Kalpana Chawla
Date: January 16, 2003 (foam strike) and February 1, 2003 (sensor failures)
Event: Foam insulation separated from the external tank and struck Columbia’s left wing
Location: Columbia orbiter, left wing leading edge
Status: Four sensors failed in rapid succession sixteen minutes before landing

- An eight-inch piece of foam broke from the external tank 81 seconds after liftoff and struck the left wing at roughly 500 miles per hour.
- The strike occurred on January 16, 2003, during the mission’s first day in orbit and left damage unseen by the crew.
- Over the next sixteen days the shuttle conducted routine experiments and two-shift operations while the damage remained hidden.
- On February 1, 2003, at 8:54 a.m., four sensors inside the left wing failed in rapid succession with sixteen minutes remaining before landing.
- The Debris Assessment Team at Johnson Space Center had seen the foam strike data while the crew continued normal mission activities.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1246falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-coolant-leak-that-shrank-their-air-supply-did-they-make-it-out--74912553
The coolant leak that shrank their air supply-did they make it out?

In this episode, we follow Andrew Sydney Withiel Thomas from his childhood cardboard rockets in Adelaide to a long-duration mission aboard Mir. The episode covers the degraded station systems, the decision to go despite known risks, and the unfolding challenges that threaten the crew's air supply.

Person: Andrew Sydney Withiel Thomas
Date: January-June 1998
Location: Mir space station
Event: 130-day long-duration mission
Problem: coolant leaks, electrical fires, collision damage

- A photograph in the 1972 university yearbook shows Thomas at 21, described as hiding "his massive intellect behind a screen of silence and hair."
- Thomas was born in Adelaide on 18 December 1951 and traced a family history of moving toward the edge of the known world.
- After earning a doctorate and U.S. citizenship in December 1986, he was selected as an astronaut candidate in March 1992 and flew his first mission in May 1996.
- By the late 1990s Mir suffered chronic failures: coolant leaks, electrical fires, and a collision that punched a hole in a module, leading engineers to say the station was "dying."
- When Thomas arrived in January 1998, Mir smelled of machine oil, showed condensation patterns, and ran on jury‑rigged workarounds layered over unresolved emergencies.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912553Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:00:02 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn astronaut boards a failing Mir with coolant leaking and jury‑rigged systems-can he keep air flowing long enough to get home? The coolant leak that shrank their air supply-did they make it out? In this episode, we follow Andrew Sydney Withiel...
The coolant leak that shrank their air supply-did they make it out?

In this episode, we follow Andrew Sydney Withiel Thomas from his childhood cardboard rockets in Adelaide to a long-duration mission aboard Mir. The episode covers the degraded station systems, the decision to go despite known risks, and the unfolding challenges that threaten the crew's air supply.

Person: Andrew Sydney Withiel Thomas
Date: January-June 1998
Location: Mir space station
Event: 130-day long-duration mission
Problem: coolant leaks, electrical fires, collision damage

- A photograph in the 1972 university yearbook shows Thomas at 21, described as hiding "his massive intellect behind a screen of silence and hair."
- Thomas was born in Adelaide on 18 December 1951 and traced a family history of moving toward the edge of the known world.
- After earning a doctorate and U.S. citizenship in December 1986, he was selected as an astronaut candidate in March 1992 and flew his first mission in May 1996.
- By the late 1990s Mir suffered chronic failures: coolant leaks, electrical fires, and a collision that punched a hole in a module, leading engineers to say the station was "dying."
- When Thomas arrived in January 1998, Mir smelled of machine oil, showed condensation patterns, and ran on jury‑rigged workarounds layered over unresolved emergencies.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1342falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-oams-thrusters-that-kept-firing-and-thirty-percent-fuel-left--74912552
The OAMS thrusters that kept firing-and thirty percent fuel left

In this episode, we follow the tense hours after Gemini Eight docks with an Agena and an unexpected roll begins. The crew and Mission Control must diagnose why the capsule's OAMS thrusters are firing and what thirty percent fuel remaining really means for the mission.

Date: March 16, 1966
Mission: Gemini Eight
Person: Neil Armstrong; David Scott
Event: Docking with an Agena and subsequent uncontrolled roll
Location: 250 miles above the Pacific Ocean

- The rendezvous and docking were executed precisely; visual contact, station-keeping, and final approach all matched the plan.
- A green light confirmed the docking collar engaged and Scott radioed, "Yes, it's really a smoothie."
- Minutes after docking the combined vehicle executed an unexpected programmed 90° right turn and then began a steady roll.
- Armstrong fired the capsule's OAMS thrusters repeatedly to counter the roll, but the rotation resumed at the same rate and direction.
- The OAMS fuel gauge read thirty percent-far lower than mission events should explain-while the spin climbed toward 296 degrees per second.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912552Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:02 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTNeil Armstrong is docked to an Agena when Gemini begins an uncontrollable spin and thrusters keep firing - did they make it in time? The OAMS thrusters that kept firing-and thirty percent fuel left In this episode, we follow the tense hours...
The OAMS thrusters that kept firing-and thirty percent fuel left

In this episode, we follow the tense hours after Gemini Eight docks with an Agena and an unexpected roll begins. The crew and Mission Control must diagnose why the capsule's OAMS thrusters are firing and what thirty percent fuel remaining really means for the mission.

Date: March 16, 1966
Mission: Gemini Eight
Person: Neil Armstrong; David Scott
Event: Docking with an Agena and subsequent uncontrolled roll
Location: 250 miles above the Pacific Ocean

- The rendezvous and docking were executed precisely; visual contact, station-keeping, and final approach all matched the plan.
- A green light confirmed the docking collar engaged and Scott radioed, "Yes, it's really a smoothie."
- Minutes after docking the combined vehicle executed an unexpected programmed 90° right turn and then began a steady roll.
- Armstrong fired the capsule's OAMS thrusters repeatedly to counter the roll, but the rotation resumed at the same rate and direction.
- The OAMS fuel gauge read thirty percent-far lower than mission events should explain-while the spin climbed toward 296 degrees per second.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1194falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-inward-hatch-froze-shut-and-sealed-three-men-inside-six-seconds--74912551
The inward hatch froze shut and sealed three men inside six seconds

In this episode, we follow the January 27, 1967 plugs-out rehearsal aboard Apollo One and the series of technical warnings, crew complaints, and decisions that set the scene for a catastrophe during a test. What choices, hardware flaws, and environmental factors turned a rehearsal into a deadly emergency?

Person: Virgil Ivan Grissom
Date: January 27, 1967
Location: Pad 34 / Apollo command module (plugs-out rehearsal)
Topic: inward-opening hatch, pure-oxygen atmosphere, cabin fire
Status: crew sealed inside during test

- Grissom hung a lemon on the simulator days before to signal persistent problems he and others called "bushelfuls."
- The command module was delivered with over twenty thousand engineering changes outstanding and known wiring and plumbing faults.
- The hatch opened inward and required rotating ratchet handles taking roughly ninety seconds to operate under ideal conditions.
- The cabin was pressurized with 100% oxygen at 16 psi during the rehearsal, a condition engineers had flagged as accelerating combustion.
- Communication during the plugs-out rehearsal was so unreliable the crew could barely talk with controllers in adjacent buildings.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912551Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:00:03 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTGus Grissom is sealed inside the Apollo command module as a fire erupts-did they make it out before the inward hatch held them shut? The inward hatch froze shut and sealed three men inside six seconds In this episode, we follow the January 27,...
The inward hatch froze shut and sealed three men inside six seconds

In this episode, we follow the January 27, 1967 plugs-out rehearsal aboard Apollo One and the series of technical warnings, crew complaints, and decisions that set the scene for a catastrophe during a test. What choices, hardware flaws, and environmental factors turned a rehearsal into a deadly emergency?

Person: Virgil Ivan Grissom
Date: January 27, 1967
Location: Pad 34 / Apollo command module (plugs-out rehearsal)
Topic: inward-opening hatch, pure-oxygen atmosphere, cabin fire
Status: crew sealed inside during test

- Grissom hung a lemon on the simulator days before to signal persistent problems he and others called "bushelfuls."
- The command module was delivered with over twenty thousand engineering changes outstanding and known wiring and plumbing faults.
- The hatch opened inward and required rotating ratchet handles taking roughly ninety seconds to operate under ideal conditions.
- The cabin was pressurized with 100% oxygen at 16 psi during the rehearsal, a condition engineers had flagged as accelerating combustion.
- Communication during the plugs-out rehearsal was so unreliable the crew could barely talk with controllers in adjacent buildings.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1321falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-orbital-tilt-that-stranded-them-hubble-s-28-5-left-them-21-days-to-live--74912550
The orbital tilt that stranded them: Hubble's 28.5° left them 21 days to live

In this episode, we follow how NASA rewrote its contingency plans after Columbia and why a single orbital inclination created a new, urgent deadline for crews at Hubble. What decisions, calculations, and emergency hardware changed once engineers realized the International Space Station could not be reached?

Person: Rick Husband; William McCool; Michael Anderson; Ilan Ramon; Kalpana Chawla; David Brown; Laurel Clark
Event: Columbia disaster during reentry
Date: February 1, 2003
Location: Texas and Louisiana debris field
Topic: Launch on Need rescue planning and Hubble orbital geometry

- Foam insulation the size of a briefcase struck Columbia’s left wing at ~500 mph during ascent, later causing catastrophic reentry breakup.
- The Columbia Accident Investigation Board expanded the question from cause to contingency: what would NASA do if a crew in orbit had a damaged vehicle?
- NASA established Launch on Need: a second shuttle kept fueled and ready to launch within a fixed emergency window to rescue a stranded crew.
- The International Space Station could host both crews for about 80 days, but that presumes the stranded orbiter could reach the station’s 51.6° inclination.
- Hubble’s 28.5° inclination is unreachable from the station without prohibitive fuel costs, reducing survival consumables to roughly 21 days for a crew stranded there.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912550Sun, 01 Nov 2026 09:00:02 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA shuttle crew stranded at Hubble’s 28.5° orbit have only 21 days of consumables while a rescue shuttle must be prepared - did they make it in time? The orbital tilt that stranded them: Hubble's 28.5° left them 21 days to live In this episode,...
The orbital tilt that stranded them: Hubble's 28.5° left them 21 days to live

In this episode, we follow how NASA rewrote its contingency plans after Columbia and why a single orbital inclination created a new, urgent deadline for crews at Hubble. What decisions, calculations, and emergency hardware changed once engineers realized the International Space Station could not be reached?

Person: Rick Husband; William McCool; Michael Anderson; Ilan Ramon; Kalpana Chawla; David Brown; Laurel Clark
Event: Columbia disaster during reentry
Date: February 1, 2003
Location: Texas and Louisiana debris field
Topic: Launch on Need rescue planning and Hubble orbital geometry

- Foam insulation the size of a briefcase struck Columbia’s left wing at ~500 mph during ascent, later causing catastrophic reentry breakup.
- The Columbia Accident Investigation Board expanded the question from cause to contingency: what would NASA do if a crew in orbit had a damaged vehicle?
- NASA established Launch on Need: a second shuttle kept fueled and ready to launch within a fixed emergency window to rescue a stranded crew.
- The International Space Station could host both crews for about 80 days, but that presumes the stranded orbiter could reach the station’s 51.6° inclination.
- Hubble’s 28.5° inclination is unreachable from the station without prohibitive fuel costs, reducing survival consumables to roughly 21 days for a crew stranded there.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1320falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-peeling-thermal-blanket-that-forced-an-unplanned-fifth-spacewalk--74912548
The peeling thermal blanket that forced an unplanned fifth spacewalk

In this episode, the crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery confronts unexpected insulation failure on the Hubble Space Telescope during a tightly scheduled servicing mission. We follow how the discovery unfolds, the choices engineers and astronauts face, and the improvised measures considered to keep the mission on track.

Date: February 14, 1997
Mission: STS-82
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Object: Hubble Space Telescope
Astronauts: Jerry Harbaugh; Joseph Tanner; Steven Hawley

- Two astronauts on the second spacewalk notice the outer thermal blankets peeling on both sun-facing and velocity-facing surfaces.
- The insulation separation is gradual-cracking and delaminating after more than 36,000 thermal cycles over seven years.
- The scheduled ten-day mission already has five planned EVAs and a tightly packed timeline with over 150 tools and crew aids.
- Ground engineers and exhausted crew must decide in real time whether to add an unplanned fifth excursion and fabricate repair materials aboard the shuttle.
- One astronaut is tasked to manufacture repair materials by hand inside the shuttle while colleagues work outside.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912548Sat, 31 Oct 2026 09:00:15 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTTwo astronauts on a Hubble servicing mission spot peeling thermal blankets 400 miles up - can they improvise a fix in time? The peeling thermal blanket that forced an unplanned fifth spacewalk In this episode, the crew aboard Space Shuttle...
The peeling thermal blanket that forced an unplanned fifth spacewalk

In this episode, the crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery confronts unexpected insulation failure on the Hubble Space Telescope during a tightly scheduled servicing mission. We follow how the discovery unfolds, the choices engineers and astronauts face, and the improvised measures considered to keep the mission on track.

Date: February 14, 1997
Mission: STS-82
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Object: Hubble Space Telescope
Astronauts: Jerry Harbaugh; Joseph Tanner; Steven Hawley

- Two astronauts on the second spacewalk notice the outer thermal blankets peeling on both sun-facing and velocity-facing surfaces.
- The insulation separation is gradual-cracking and delaminating after more than 36,000 thermal cycles over seven years.
- The scheduled ten-day mission already has five planned EVAs and a tightly packed timeline with over 150 tools and crew aids.
- Ground engineers and exhausted crew must decide in real time whether to add an unplanned fifth excursion and fabricate repair materials aboard the shuttle.
- One astronaut is tasked to manufacture repair materials by hand inside the shuttle while colleagues work outside.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1257falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tiny-reserve-of-propellant-that-nursed-the-satellite-back-to-orbit-in-time--74912546
The tiny reserve of propellant that nursed the satellite back to orbit in time

In this episode, we follow the maiden flight of Space Shuttle Challenger and the crisis that unfolded when TDRS‑1 ended up in a wrong, low elliptical orbit. The story tracks the decisions, technical failures, and the burn-by-burn effort that relied on an unexpected propellant margin-could that small reserve save the mission?

Date: April 4, 1983
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Challenger
Payload: TDRS‑1 (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite)
Mass: 2300 kilograms
Cost: $100 million

- Challenger rolled out to Launch Complex 39A on December 8, 1982, as the second orbiter in the Shuttle fleet.
- Pre-flight engine firings in December and January revealed hydrogen leaks and cracked low-pressure ducting, forcing multiple engine removals and replacements.
- A February storm contaminated TDRS‑1 in the Payload Changeout Room, requiring the satellite to be returned for cleaning and delaying the schedule.
- Challenger’s crew-Weitz, Bobko, Peterson, and Musgrave-were on their first shuttle flight, with Musgrave and Peterson slated for the first US spacewalk in nearly a decade.
- After TDRS‑1 deployed and its Inertial Upper Stage ignited, the booster began tumbling and losing attitude, burning propellant off-target while teams on the ground weighed whether a small onboard reserve could salvage the satellite.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912546Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:00:11 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA $100M satellite tumbles into the wrong orbit after Challenger’s launch, and a tiny propellant reserve is the last hope - did they make it in time? The tiny reserve of propellant that nursed the satellite back to orbit in time In this episode,...
The tiny reserve of propellant that nursed the satellite back to orbit in time

In this episode, we follow the maiden flight of Space Shuttle Challenger and the crisis that unfolded when TDRS‑1 ended up in a wrong, low elliptical orbit. The story tracks the decisions, technical failures, and the burn-by-burn effort that relied on an unexpected propellant margin-could that small reserve save the mission?

Date: April 4, 1983
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Challenger
Payload: TDRS‑1 (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite)
Mass: 2300 kilograms
Cost: $100 million

- Challenger rolled out to Launch Complex 39A on December 8, 1982, as the second orbiter in the Shuttle fleet.
- Pre-flight engine firings in December and January revealed hydrogen leaks and cracked low-pressure ducting, forcing multiple engine removals and replacements.
- A February storm contaminated TDRS‑1 in the Payload Changeout Room, requiring the satellite to be returned for cleaning and delaying the schedule.
- Challenger’s crew-Weitz, Bobko, Peterson, and Musgrave-were on their first shuttle flight, with Musgrave and Peterson slated for the first US spacewalk in nearly a decade.
- After TDRS‑1 deployed and its Inertial Upper Stage ignited, the booster began tumbling and losing attitude, burning propellant off-target while teams on the ground weighed whether a small onboard reserve could salvage the satellite.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1147falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fifty-foot-robotic-arm-gripped-zarya-and-the-station-s-fate-ticked-down--74912544
The fifty‑foot robotic arm gripped Zarya - and the station's fate ticked down

In this episode, we follow the tense, technical moment when the shuttle Endeavour attempted the first on-orbit assembly of the International Space Station. It covers the lead-up to the capture of Zarya, the stakes of millimeter-level alignment, and the decisions that had to be flawless in orbit-could one operator bring it home?

Person: Nancy Currie-Gregg
Date: December 7, 1998
Location: Low Earth orbit, ~220 miles above Earth
Event: STS-88 capture and mating of Zarya and Unity
Module: Zarya (first ISS module)

- A fifty-foot Canadarm, operated by one astronaut, had to capture Zarya while both vehicles moved at 17,000 mph.
- Zarya had launched 11 days earlier on a Russian Proton and floated ahead with its docking port aimed at the arm.
- Endeavour closed 4.7 million miles of orbital path over two days to position for the delicate capture.
- The docking required millimeter-level alignment; a single degree off could puncture pressure vessels and scatter debris.
- Nancy Currie-Gregg brought Army helicopter experience, safety and industrial engineering training, and thousands of flight hours to the moment.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912544Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:00:12 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA fifty-foot robotic arm must catch Zarya as it drifts in orbit-one astronaut on the controls; did she make it in time? The fifty‑foot robotic arm gripped Zarya - and the station's fate ticked down In this episode, we follow the tense, technical...
The fifty‑foot robotic arm gripped Zarya - and the station's fate ticked down

In this episode, we follow the tense, technical moment when the shuttle Endeavour attempted the first on-orbit assembly of the International Space Station. It covers the lead-up to the capture of Zarya, the stakes of millimeter-level alignment, and the decisions that had to be flawless in orbit-could one operator bring it home?

Person: Nancy Currie-Gregg
Date: December 7, 1998
Location: Low Earth orbit, ~220 miles above Earth
Event: STS-88 capture and mating of Zarya and Unity
Module: Zarya (first ISS module)

- A fifty-foot Canadarm, operated by one astronaut, had to capture Zarya while both vehicles moved at 17,000 mph.
- Zarya had launched 11 days earlier on a Russian Proton and floated ahead with its docking port aimed at the arm.
- Endeavour closed 4.7 million miles of orbital path over two days to position for the delicate capture.
- The docking required millimeter-level alignment; a single degree off could puncture pressure vessels and scatter debris.
- Nancy Currie-Gregg brought Army helicopter experience, safety and industrial engineering training, and thousands of flight hours to the moment.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1317falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-valve-that-lost-fuel-and-cost-nozomi-its-mars-window--74912542
The Valve That Lost Fuel and Cost Nozomi Its Mars Window

In this episode, we follow the sequence that turned a precise Mars transfer into a multi‑year odyssey. The story covers the launch, the Earth flybys, the valve failure during the bipropellant burn, and the long rescue plan that hinged on gravity assists and surviving deep space - can calculated patience recover what one valve took?

Person: Nozomi
Date: Launch July 4, 1998; planned Mars arrival October 11, 1999
Location: Earth flybys and heliocentric drift en route to Mars
Event: Valve malfunction during Earth flyby bipropellant burn causing uncontrolled fuel loss
Status: Mission trajectory revised to use additional Earth gravity assists and a multi‑year drift

- Launched July 4, 1998, Nozomi carried 540 kg total mass including 282 kg of propellant dedicated to precise burns.
- The mission used two lunar swingbys and an Earth atmosphere skim to build velocity with minimal fuel expenditure.
- During the December 20, 1998 Earth flyby burn a valve in the bipropellant system failed, allowing uncontrolled fuel loss mid‑burn.
- Controllers attempted correction burns on December 21 that consumed additional propellant and left the spacecraft underfueled for the original October 1999 arrival.
- Engineers replanned a rescue using a four‑year heliocentric drift and two more Earth flybys in 2002 and 2003 to rebuild velocity by gravity assists.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912542Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:00:14 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA failed propulsion valve left Nozomi drifting after its missed 1999 Mars window - did controllers make Mars in time? The Valve That Lost Fuel and Cost Nozomi Its Mars Window In this episode, we follow the sequence that turned a precise Mars...
The Valve That Lost Fuel and Cost Nozomi Its Mars Window

In this episode, we follow the sequence that turned a precise Mars transfer into a multi‑year odyssey. The story covers the launch, the Earth flybys, the valve failure during the bipropellant burn, and the long rescue plan that hinged on gravity assists and surviving deep space - can calculated patience recover what one valve took?

Person: Nozomi
Date: Launch July 4, 1998; planned Mars arrival October 11, 1999
Location: Earth flybys and heliocentric drift en route to Mars
Event: Valve malfunction during Earth flyby bipropellant burn causing uncontrolled fuel loss
Status: Mission trajectory revised to use additional Earth gravity assists and a multi‑year drift

- Launched July 4, 1998, Nozomi carried 540 kg total mass including 282 kg of propellant dedicated to precise burns.
- The mission used two lunar swingbys and an Earth atmosphere skim to build velocity with minimal fuel expenditure.
- During the December 20, 1998 Earth flyby burn a valve in the bipropellant system failed, allowing uncontrolled fuel loss mid‑burn.
- Controllers attempted correction burns on December 21 that consumed additional propellant and left the spacecraft underfueled for the original October 1999 arrival.
- Engineers replanned a rescue using a four‑year heliocentric drift and two more Earth flybys in 2002 and 2003 to rebuild velocity by gravity assists.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1190falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-launch-window-shifted-a-single-date-cost-hayabusa-mk-ii-its-flight--74912541
The launch window shifted - a single date cost Hayabusa Mk II its flight

In this episode, we follow the story of a proposed Japanese sample-return mission to dormant comet 4015 Wilson-Harrington and the decisions that stopped it before it was built. We trace the technical plans, international proposal process, and the single timing constraint that defined the mission’s fate - could a launch date decide whether pristine solar system chemistry ever reached Earth labs?

Person: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency engineers
Object: 4015 Wilson-Harrington (1979 VA)
Mission: Hayabusa Mk II / Marco Polo proposal
Date: Launch window 2018; ESA selection decision February 2010; joint proposal submitted June 2007, assessment November 2007
Scientists: more than 400 worldwide

- Engineers designed Hayabusa Mk II as a generational redesign with a larger sample-return capsule and more capable ion engines tailored for a comet surface.
- Wilson-Harrington is a dormant comet whose insulated nucleus could preserve 4.6 billion-year-old molecular chemistry and complex organics.
- JAXA partnered with ESA to submit the Marco Polo proposal to Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 and cleared formal assessment in November 2007.
- The mission’s 2018 launch window was fixed by trajectory calculations, planetary alignments, and engineering timelines documented in hundreds of pages.
- ESA’s Science Programme Committee made its selections in February 2010, a single administrative decision that intersected with Hayabusa Mk II’s critical timing.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912541Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:23 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA badly timed launch window and a single administrative decision put Hayabusa Mk II’s comet sample mission on the line - did they make it in time? The launch window shifted - a single date cost Hayabusa Mk II its flight In this episode, we...
The launch window shifted - a single date cost Hayabusa Mk II its flight

In this episode, we follow the story of a proposed Japanese sample-return mission to dormant comet 4015 Wilson-Harrington and the decisions that stopped it before it was built. We trace the technical plans, international proposal process, and the single timing constraint that defined the mission’s fate - could a launch date decide whether pristine solar system chemistry ever reached Earth labs?

Person: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency engineers
Object: 4015 Wilson-Harrington (1979 VA)
Mission: Hayabusa Mk II / Marco Polo proposal
Date: Launch window 2018; ESA selection decision February 2010; joint proposal submitted June 2007, assessment November 2007
Scientists: more than 400 worldwide

- Engineers designed Hayabusa Mk II as a generational redesign with a larger sample-return capsule and more capable ion engines tailored for a comet surface.
- Wilson-Harrington is a dormant comet whose insulated nucleus could preserve 4.6 billion-year-old molecular chemistry and complex organics.
- JAXA partnered with ESA to submit the Marco Polo proposal to Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 and cleared formal assessment in November 2007.
- The mission’s 2018 launch window was fixed by trajectory calculations, planetary alignments, and engineering timelines documented in hundreds of pages.
- ESA’s Science Programme Committee made its selections in February 2010, a single administrative decision that intersected with Hayabusa Mk II’s critical timing.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1429falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-23-minute-spacewalk-that-shouldn-t-have-ended--74912539
The 23-Minute Spacewalk That Shouldn't Have Ended

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events during Gemini Four's attempt at America's first extravehicular activity and the technical and human choices that defined it. The narrative focuses on the mission's problems in orbit, the stubborn hatch, and the precarious return that turned a celebrated photograph into something more complicated.

Person: Edward White
Person: James McDivitt
Date: June 3, 1965
Event: Gemini Four extravehicular activity
Problem: Hatch resistance and maneuvering failures

- McDivitt considered postponing the spacewalk because White appeared warm and fatigued before the EVA.
- A failed rendezvous with the spent Titan stage drained fuel and altered mission priorities early on.
- The exterior hatch resisted opening, requiring three minutes of effort from both astronauts before it finally swung free.
- White exited with a handheld maneuvering unit and a tether; the gun later ran out of propellant during the EVA.
- After White re-entered, a twenty-minute closing sequence unfolded that escalated the mission's danger during reentry preparations.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912539Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:00:23 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAboard Gemini Four, astronaut Edward White floats free above Earth with a tether-can he get back inside before the hatch and time betray him? The 23-Minute Spacewalk That Shouldn't Have Ended In this episode, we follow the sequence of events...
The 23-Minute Spacewalk That Shouldn't Have Ended

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events during Gemini Four's attempt at America's first extravehicular activity and the technical and human choices that defined it. The narrative focuses on the mission's problems in orbit, the stubborn hatch, and the precarious return that turned a celebrated photograph into something more complicated.

Person: Edward White
Person: James McDivitt
Date: June 3, 1965
Event: Gemini Four extravehicular activity
Problem: Hatch resistance and maneuvering failures

- McDivitt considered postponing the spacewalk because White appeared warm and fatigued before the EVA.
- A failed rendezvous with the spent Titan stage drained fuel and altered mission priorities early on.
- The exterior hatch resisted opening, requiring three minutes of effort from both astronauts before it finally swung free.
- White exited with a handheld maneuvering unit and a tether; the gun later ran out of propellant during the EVA.
- After White re-entered, a twenty-minute closing sequence unfolded that escalated the mission's danger during reentry preparations.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1077falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-go-board-that-marked-a-deadline-and-forced-him-to-stay-in-orbit--74912537
The Go board that marked a deadline - and forced him to stay in orbit

In this episode, we follow Koichi Wakata from his first shuttle mission through the moments when a simple, approved Go board became a deliberate statement of intent in orbit. The episode traces the decisions, missions and engineering choices that set the path for his long career in space and asks how one small gesture can shape a lifetime of missions.

Person: Koichi Wakata
Date: January 9, 1996
Location: Space Shuttle Endeavour middeck, 270 miles above the Pacific
Event: STS-72 Go Space game aboard shuttle; later STS-92 and STS-119 missions
Topic: deliberate mission planning linking cultural gesture to long-term astronaut career

- He packed a specially designed microgravity Go set, approved and manifested for STS-72, before his first spaceflight.
- At 32, a structural engineer and JAL stress analyst, Wakata used the Go board as a planned cultural statement, not a pastime.
- On STS-92 in 2000 he operated the robotic arm to install the Z1 truss and PMA-3, performing hands-on ISS assembly work.
- The Z1 truss he helped install remains a load-bearing part of the station, connecting his engineering work to long-term infrastructure.
- On STS-119 in 2009 he stayed aboard the ISS when the shuttle undocked, shifting from shuttle crew to long-duration station presence.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912537Sun, 25 Oct 2026 09:00:17 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Japanese engineer brings a Go board into orbit as a deliberate marker while Endeavour circles Earth-will his plan secure a longer stay in space? The Go board that marked a deadline - and forced him to stay in orbit In this episode, we follow...
The Go board that marked a deadline - and forced him to stay in orbit

In this episode, we follow Koichi Wakata from his first shuttle mission through the moments when a simple, approved Go board became a deliberate statement of intent in orbit. The episode traces the decisions, missions and engineering choices that set the path for his long career in space and asks how one small gesture can shape a lifetime of missions.

Person: Koichi Wakata
Date: January 9, 1996
Location: Space Shuttle Endeavour middeck, 270 miles above the Pacific
Event: STS-72 Go Space game aboard shuttle; later STS-92 and STS-119 missions
Topic: deliberate mission planning linking cultural gesture to long-term astronaut career

- He packed a specially designed microgravity Go set, approved and manifested for STS-72, before his first spaceflight.
- At 32, a structural engineer and JAL stress analyst, Wakata used the Go board as a planned cultural statement, not a pastime.
- On STS-92 in 2000 he operated the robotic arm to install the Z1 truss and PMA-3, performing hands-on ISS assembly work.
- The Z1 truss he helped install remains a load-bearing part of the station, connecting his engineering work to long-term infrastructure.
- On STS-119 in 2009 he stayed aboard the ISS when the shuttle undocked, shifting from shuttle crew to long-duration station presence.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1202falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bag-s-pepper-spray-ate-colleen-s-eyes-did-she-make-the-bus--74912536
The bag's pepper spray ate Colleen's eyes - did she make the bus?

In this episode, we follow the hours and decisions leading up to a pre-dawn confrontation at Orlando International Airport. It covers what the astronaut packed, the distances she drove, and the personal losses and relationships that preceded that night - what drove her to prepare this way?

Person: Lisa Nowak
Date: February 5, 2007
Location: Orlando International Airport shuttle bus
Event: Confrontation involving pepper spray and a bag of weapons
Mission: STS-121 aboard Discovery

- She drove roughly nine hundred miles to be on that shuttle bus at 3:28 AM, arriving with a tan trench coat and a black wig.
- Her bag contained a BB pistol, ammunition, an eight-inch folding knife, a drilling hammer, latex gloves, large amounts of pepper spray, cash and foreign currency, and unidentified orange pills.
- Seven months earlier she operated the shuttle and ISS robotic arms on STS-121, carrying personal items including her grandmother’s engagement ring into orbit.
- Years earlier she served as casualty assistance officer for Laurel Clark after the Columbia disaster, working twelve to fourteen hour days while grieving.
- In January 2007 her husband and she separated, her expected flight assignment was reassigned, and William Oefelein told her he was seeing Colleen Shipman.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912536Sat, 24 Oct 2026 09:00:18 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA NASA astronaut in a tan trench coat boards an Orlando shuttle at 3:28 AM with a bag full of weapons and pepper spray - did she make the bus? The bag's pepper spray ate Colleen's eyes - did she make the bus? In this episode, we follow the hours...
The bag's pepper spray ate Colleen's eyes - did she make the bus?

In this episode, we follow the hours and decisions leading up to a pre-dawn confrontation at Orlando International Airport. It covers what the astronaut packed, the distances she drove, and the personal losses and relationships that preceded that night - what drove her to prepare this way?

Person: Lisa Nowak
Date: February 5, 2007
Location: Orlando International Airport shuttle bus
Event: Confrontation involving pepper spray and a bag of weapons
Mission: STS-121 aboard Discovery

- She drove roughly nine hundred miles to be on that shuttle bus at 3:28 AM, arriving with a tan trench coat and a black wig.
- Her bag contained a BB pistol, ammunition, an eight-inch folding knife, a drilling hammer, latex gloves, large amounts of pepper spray, cash and foreign currency, and unidentified orange pills.
- Seven months earlier she operated the shuttle and ISS robotic arms on STS-121, carrying personal items including her grandmother’s engagement ring into orbit.
- Years earlier she served as casualty assistance officer for Laurel Clark after the Columbia disaster, working twelve to fourteen hour days while grieving.
- In January 2007 her husband and she separated, her expected flight assignment was reassigned, and William Oefelein told her he was seeing Colleen Shipman.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1407falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-glove-s-forty-two-minutes-ran-out-did-they-finish--74912535
The glove's forty‑two minutes ran out - did they finish?

In this episode, we follow Richard Linnehan from New Hampshire farm kid to a NASA mission specialist tasked with hands‑on work on the Hubble Space Telescope. The episode traces how skills from zoo and marine mammal medicine translated into methods for operating where instruments can’t speak, and asks what precision looks like in vacuum.

Person: Richard Linnehan Linnehan
Date: March 1, 2002
Location: 200 miles above Earth
Event: Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission spacewalk
Background: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; former chief clinical veterinarian, U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program

- Trained in animal sciences and microbiology, Linnehan built parallel fluency in behavior and internal systems.
- As a zoo and marine mammal vet he learned to diagnose nonverbal patients from posture, breathing, and subtle signs.
- In 1989 he joined the Army Veterinary Corps and led anesthesia and pharmacokinetics work for cetaceans and pinnipeds.
- Selected by NASA in March 1992, he moved from payload and avionics integration roles into flight missions.
- On his fourth Hubble servicing mission he had 42 minutes of useful gloved dexterity to work inside the observatory’s most expensive instrument.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912535Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:00:21 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA zoo veterinarian floats two hundred miles up and reaches into the Hubble-did the spacesuit vet finish the delicate repair? The glove's forty‑two minutes ran out - did they finish? In this episode, we follow Richard Linnehan from New Hampshire...
The glove's forty‑two minutes ran out - did they finish?

In this episode, we follow Richard Linnehan from New Hampshire farm kid to a NASA mission specialist tasked with hands‑on work on the Hubble Space Telescope. The episode traces how skills from zoo and marine mammal medicine translated into methods for operating where instruments can’t speak, and asks what precision looks like in vacuum.

Person: Richard Linnehan Linnehan
Date: March 1, 2002
Location: 200 miles above Earth
Event: Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission spacewalk
Background: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; former chief clinical veterinarian, U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program

- Trained in animal sciences and microbiology, Linnehan built parallel fluency in behavior and internal systems.
- As a zoo and marine mammal vet he learned to diagnose nonverbal patients from posture, breathing, and subtle signs.
- In 1989 he joined the Army Veterinary Corps and led anesthesia and pharmacokinetics work for cetaceans and pinnipeds.
- Selected by NASA in March 1992, he moved from payload and avionics integration roles into flight missions.
- On his fourth Hubble servicing mission he had 42 minutes of useful gloved dexterity to work inside the observatory’s most expensive instrument.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1100falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-capcom-headset-that-could-have-stopped-challenger-seventy-three-seconds--74912533
The CAPCOM Headset That Could Have Stopped Challenger-Seventy-Three Seconds

In this episode, we follow Frederick Drew Gregory’s path from combat rescue pilot to astronaut to the CAPCOM console where he heard Challenger’s disaster in real time. We trace how that seventy‑three‑second loss propelled him into leading NASA’s safety office and ask what choices he made next.

Person: Frederick Drew Gregory
Event: Challenger breakup, 73 seconds after launch
Date: January 28, 1986
Role: CAPCOM at Mission Control; former Challenger pilot

- Flew 550 combat rescue missions in Vietnam across more than fifty aircraft types before joining NASA.
- Nephew of Charles Richard Drew, who developed wartime blood banking systems; family built institutions in education and medicine.
- Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978 at age 37 with 7,000 flight hours; first shuttle flight aboard Challenger in April 1985.
- On January 28, 1986, he was on duty at the CAPCOM console and heard the Challenger break apart in real time.
- Instead of leaving NASA, he stayed and was later appointed to lead the newly created Office of Safety and Mission Control.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912533Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:00:18 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA CAPCOM at Mission Control hears Challenger break apart - can the astronaut who once flew that orbiter fix the safety failures before they repeat? The CAPCOM Headset That Could Have Stopped Challenger-Seventy-Three Seconds In this episode, we...
The CAPCOM Headset That Could Have Stopped Challenger-Seventy-Three Seconds

In this episode, we follow Frederick Drew Gregory’s path from combat rescue pilot to astronaut to the CAPCOM console where he heard Challenger’s disaster in real time. We trace how that seventy‑three‑second loss propelled him into leading NASA’s safety office and ask what choices he made next.

Person: Frederick Drew Gregory
Event: Challenger breakup, 73 seconds after launch
Date: January 28, 1986
Role: CAPCOM at Mission Control; former Challenger pilot

- Flew 550 combat rescue missions in Vietnam across more than fifty aircraft types before joining NASA.
- Nephew of Charles Richard Drew, who developed wartime blood banking systems; family built institutions in education and medicine.
- Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978 at age 37 with 7,000 flight hours; first shuttle flight aboard Challenger in April 1985.
- On January 28, 1986, he was on duty at the CAPCOM console and heard the Challenger break apart in real time.
- Instead of leaving NASA, he stayed and was later appointed to lead the newly created Office of Safety and Mission Control.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1242falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-orbiter-boom-found-gap-fillers-could-they-land-in-time--74912531
The Orbiter Boom found gap fillers - could they land in time?

In this episode, we follow Discovery's Return to Flight mission as the crew uses the newly built Orbiter Boom Sensor System to inspect the orbiter after foam shed from the external tank. The episode covers the launch anomalies, the inspection procedures and the discovery of gap fillers - the question is whether the team can assess and act fast enough to protect reentry.

Mission: STS-114
Date: July 26, 2005 (launch); August 1, 2005 (boom deployment)
Person: Commander Eileen Collins; Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson; Soichi Noguchi
Location: Space Shuttle Discovery; external tank (PAL ramp); orbiter underside
Tool: Orbiter Boom Sensor System (50-foot boom with visual and laser range imager)

- Launch reached orbit after a scrubbed attempt on July 13 and a T‑0 liftoff at 10:39 on July 26, 2005, following 907 days of grounding after Columbia.
- Cameras and sensors were increased across the stack; at 127 seconds a 36×11×6.7 inch foam piece detached from the PAL ramp but did not strike Discovery.
- NASA grounded the fleet the next morning while Discovery remained in orbit, shifting the mission focus from ISS supply to in‑space inspection.
- On August 1 the crew deployed the 50‑foot Orbiter Boom Sensor System to perform frame‑by‑frame visual and laser mapping of the thermal protection tiles.
- During the slow underside survey the team identified two strips of ceramic‑impregnated cloth gap fillers woven into the tile array, prompting new questions about reentry risk.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912531Wed, 21 Oct 2026 09:00:21 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA shuttle crew sends an Orbiter Boom to scan Discovery's heat shield - can the inspection finish before reentry? The Orbiter Boom found gap fillers - could they land in time? In this episode, we follow Discovery's Return to Flight mission as the...
The Orbiter Boom found gap fillers - could they land in time?

In this episode, we follow Discovery's Return to Flight mission as the crew uses the newly built Orbiter Boom Sensor System to inspect the orbiter after foam shed from the external tank. The episode covers the launch anomalies, the inspection procedures and the discovery of gap fillers - the question is whether the team can assess and act fast enough to protect reentry.

Mission: STS-114
Date: July 26, 2005 (launch); August 1, 2005 (boom deployment)
Person: Commander Eileen Collins; Mission Specialist Stephen K. Robinson; Soichi Noguchi
Location: Space Shuttle Discovery; external tank (PAL ramp); orbiter underside
Tool: Orbiter Boom Sensor System (50-foot boom with visual and laser range imager)

- Launch reached orbit after a scrubbed attempt on July 13 and a T‑0 liftoff at 10:39 on July 26, 2005, following 907 days of grounding after Columbia.
- Cameras and sensors were increased across the stack; at 127 seconds a 36×11×6.7 inch foam piece detached from the PAL ramp but did not strike Discovery.
- NASA grounded the fleet the next morning while Discovery remained in orbit, shifting the mission focus from ISS supply to in‑space inspection.
- On August 1 the crew deployed the 50‑foot Orbiter Boom Sensor System to perform frame‑by‑frame visual and laser mapping of the thermal protection tiles.
- During the slow underside survey the team identified two strips of ceramic‑impregnated cloth gap fillers woven into the tile array, prompting new questions about reentry risk.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1482falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-stopped-a-tumbling-satellite-with-his-hands--74912529
The Man Who Stopped a Tumbling Satellite with His Hands

In this episode, we follow NASA’s STS-51A mission as it attempts an unprecedented orbital salvage. The crew faces the challenge of rendezvousing with two dead, tumbling communications satellites and the question becomes: can a human in a spacesuit stop a spinning machine in frictionless vacuum?

Person: Joseph Allen
Date: November 16, 1984
Event: STS-51A space salvage attempt
Location: Low Earth orbit, 212 miles above Earth
Case: Recovery of Palapa B-2 and Westar VI

- Two communications satellites, Palapa B-2 and Westar VI, misfired their Payload Assist Modules and were stranded in low, useless orbits.
- The insurers paid claims and the satellites became the property of insurance companies, but engineers still considered retrieving them.
- NASA assigned Discovery’s crew for STS-51A, with Joseph Allen selected as a mission specialist to perform an external capture.
- Mission planners had to match altitude, velocity, position, and rotation precisely to rendezvous with a slowly tumbling, unpowered object.
- There was no existing procedure or training for manually stopping a rotating satellite in open space; the effort would define a new kind of operation.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912529Tue, 20 Oct 2026 09:00:23 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA physicist reaches out to stop a tumbling satellite two hundred and twelve miles above Earth - did he make it in time? The Man Who Stopped a Tumbling Satellite with His Hands In this episode, we follow NASA’s STS-51A mission as it attempts an...
The Man Who Stopped a Tumbling Satellite with His Hands

In this episode, we follow NASA’s STS-51A mission as it attempts an unprecedented orbital salvage. The crew faces the challenge of rendezvousing with two dead, tumbling communications satellites and the question becomes: can a human in a spacesuit stop a spinning machine in frictionless vacuum?

Person: Joseph Allen
Date: November 16, 1984
Event: STS-51A space salvage attempt
Location: Low Earth orbit, 212 miles above Earth
Case: Recovery of Palapa B-2 and Westar VI

- Two communications satellites, Palapa B-2 and Westar VI, misfired their Payload Assist Modules and were stranded in low, useless orbits.
- The insurers paid claims and the satellites became the property of insurance companies, but engineers still considered retrieving them.
- NASA assigned Discovery’s crew for STS-51A, with Joseph Allen selected as a mission specialist to perform an external capture.
- Mission planners had to match altitude, velocity, position, and rotation precisely to rendezvous with a slowly tumbling, unpowered object.
- There was no existing procedure or training for manually stopping a rotating satellite in open space; the effort would define a new kind of operation.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-hasselblad-s-shutter-opened-did-the-film-reach-earth-in-time--74912527
The Hasselblad's shutter opened - did the film reach Earth in time?

In this episode, we follow the moment a Hasselblad 500 EL on Apollo 17 captured the full disk of Earth and the months of processing and choices that followed. The episode traces the camera, the crew, the film, and the editorial decisions that turned one frame into the image the world remembers - but leaves the key questions unresolved.

Person: Eugene Cernan; Ronald Evans; Harrison Schmitt
Event: Photograph of full Earth disk from Apollo 17
Camera: Hasselblad 500 EL
Film: Kodak SO-368
Date: December 7, 1972 (photo taken five hours and six minutes after launch)

- The crew launched December 7, 1972 on Apollo 17, the final crewed lunar mission, aware it was the last flight.
- At 29,400 km and with the sun behind them, someone aboard lifted a Hasselblad and exposed one frame for 1/125th of a second.
- The Hasselblad was loaded with Kodak SO‑368 film and mounted at a spacecraft window; the original frame showed Antarctica at the top.
- Film processing returned in January 1973 with dozens of frames, including frame AS17‑148‑22727 that showed the full illuminated disk centered on Africa.
- Technicians rotated, cropped, and color‑adjusted the frame before publication, creating the familiar image now known as The Blue Marble.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912527Mon, 19 Oct 2026 09:00:18 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTFive hours into Apollo 17 a Hasselblad shutter clicked - who aboard pressed it, and did the film make it back intact? The Hasselblad's shutter opened - did the film reach Earth in time? In this episode, we follow the moment a Hasselblad 500 EL...
The Hasselblad's shutter opened - did the film reach Earth in time?

In this episode, we follow the moment a Hasselblad 500 EL on Apollo 17 captured the full disk of Earth and the months of processing and choices that followed. The episode traces the camera, the crew, the film, and the editorial decisions that turned one frame into the image the world remembers - but leaves the key questions unresolved.

Person: Eugene Cernan; Ronald Evans; Harrison Schmitt
Event: Photograph of full Earth disk from Apollo 17
Camera: Hasselblad 500 EL
Film: Kodak SO-368
Date: December 7, 1972 (photo taken five hours and six minutes after launch)

- The crew launched December 7, 1972 on Apollo 17, the final crewed lunar mission, aware it was the last flight.
- At 29,400 km and with the sun behind them, someone aboard lifted a Hasselblad and exposed one frame for 1/125th of a second.
- The Hasselblad was loaded with Kodak SO‑368 film and mounted at a spacecraft window; the original frame showed Antarctica at the top.
- Film processing returned in January 1973 with dozens of frames, including frame AS17‑148‑22727 that showed the full illuminated disk centered on Africa.
- Technicians rotated, cropped, and color‑adjusted the frame before publication, creating the familiar image now known as The Blue Marble.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1186falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-four-month-clock-that-forced-apollo-8-to-fly-without-a-lunar-module--74912526
The four-month clock that forced Apollo 8 to fly without a lunar module

In this episode, we follow the compressed decision-making, technical work, and personal stakes that forced NASA to pivot Apollo 8 from an Earth-orbit test to a lunar mission in four months. What choices, risks, and shortcuts shaped the path to December 1968?

Person: Frank Borman
Person: Jim Lovell
Person: Bill Anders
Date: December 1968
Event: Apollo 8 lunar-orbit mission decision

- Intelligence that the Soviet Union might launch a crewed lunar flyby in December 1968 compressed NASA’s schedule.
- George Low proposed skipping the planned test flight and sending the command module to lunar orbit without a lunar module.
- Deke Slayton asked Borman if he wanted the mission; Borman accepted before the question was finished.
- Engineers added a redesigned three-second hatch and 1,500 pounds of hardware after the Apollo One fire, affecting mass and testing needs.
- Julian Scheer and others began scripting what the crew would say from lunar orbit, including a suggestion to read from the Book of Genesis.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912526Sun, 18 Oct 2026 09:00:20 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThree astronauts race against a four-month clock to send Apollo 8 to the Moon without a lunar module - did they make it in time? The four-month clock that forced Apollo 8 to fly without a lunar module In this episode, we follow the compressed...
The four-month clock that forced Apollo 8 to fly without a lunar module

In this episode, we follow the compressed decision-making, technical work, and personal stakes that forced NASA to pivot Apollo 8 from an Earth-orbit test to a lunar mission in four months. What choices, risks, and shortcuts shaped the path to December 1968?

Person: Frank Borman
Person: Jim Lovell
Person: Bill Anders
Date: December 1968
Event: Apollo 8 lunar-orbit mission decision

- Intelligence that the Soviet Union might launch a crewed lunar flyby in December 1968 compressed NASA’s schedule.
- George Low proposed skipping the planned test flight and sending the command module to lunar orbit without a lunar module.
- Deke Slayton asked Borman if he wanted the mission; Borman accepted before the question was finished.
- Engineers added a redesigned three-second hatch and 1,500 pounds of hardware after the Apollo One fire, affecting mass and testing needs.
- Julian Scheer and others began scripting what the crew would say from lunar orbit, including a suggestion to read from the Book of Genesis.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1293falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-failed-relay-box-stopped-hubble-and-a-spare-launch-bought-minutes--74912525
A failed relay box stopped Hubble - and a spare launch bought minutes

In this episode, we follow the lead-up to the cancelled-then-reapproved Hubble servicing mission and the tense months that followed. It covers the technical, political, and procedural choices that brought astronauts back to a telescope circling Earth - and asks how close Hubble truly came to staying silent forever.

Person: John Grunsfeld
Person: Sean O'Keefe
Person: Michael Griffin
Event: Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit failure
Date: September 27, 2008

- Hubble carried a basketball belonging to Edwin Hubble sealed inside the telescope since launch.
- After Columbia, NASA required shuttles to reach the International Space Station as a safe haven, a rule incompatible with Hubble’s orbit.
- Administrator Sean O’Keefe cancelled the fifth servicing mission in January 2004 because a Telescope to Hubble couldn’t divert to the ISS.
- Michael Griffin, O’Keefe’s successor, ordered a review and approved a crewed mission with a second shuttle kept on the pad as a lifeboat.
- On September 27, 2008, Hubble’s SCI data handling unit failed, silencing the telescope and forcing a last-minute decision about the already-trained crew.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912525Sat, 17 Oct 2026 09:00:22 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA failed relay box left Hubble silent in orbit while a shuttle crew races to repair it - did the STS-125 servicing mission make it in time? A failed relay box stopped Hubble - and a spare launch bought minutes In this episode, we follow the...
A failed relay box stopped Hubble - and a spare launch bought minutes

In this episode, we follow the lead-up to the cancelled-then-reapproved Hubble servicing mission and the tense months that followed. It covers the technical, political, and procedural choices that brought astronauts back to a telescope circling Earth - and asks how close Hubble truly came to staying silent forever.

Person: John Grunsfeld
Person: Sean O'Keefe
Person: Michael Griffin
Event: Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit failure
Date: September 27, 2008

- Hubble carried a basketball belonging to Edwin Hubble sealed inside the telescope since launch.
- After Columbia, NASA required shuttles to reach the International Space Station as a safe haven, a rule incompatible with Hubble’s orbit.
- Administrator Sean O’Keefe cancelled the fifth servicing mission in January 2004 because a Telescope to Hubble couldn’t divert to the ISS.
- Michael Griffin, O’Keefe’s successor, ordered a review and approved a crewed mission with a second shuttle kept on the pad as a lifeboat.
- On September 27, 2008, Hubble’s SCI data handling unit failed, silencing the telescope and forcing a last-minute decision about the already-trained crew.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1363falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-five-minute-scrub-that-stole-their-one-day-window--74912524
The five‑minute scrub that stole their one‑day window

In this episode, we follow the tense eight days around STS-74 as two former rivals attempt a one-way hardware commitment in orbit. The story covers the launch scrub, the robotic-arm transfer, and the split‑second tolerances that governed every decision - could they meet the one‑day timing and the five‑inch margin?

Mission: STS-74
Date: 1995
Location: Atlantis; Mir (200 miles above Earth)
Person: Chris Hadfield
Event: five-minute launch scrub

- Atlantis rolled to Pad 39A with a Russian docking module strapped in the payload bay and a crew trained for thirteen months.
- Launch was scrubbed at T‑5 minutes because Atlantic abort landing sites were below weather limits, forcing a 24‑hour slip.
- Mir’s Kristall module required a fifteen‑foot extension to move the American docking interface away from Spektr’s solar arrays to avoid shadowing.
- Hadfield alone would operate the shuttle’s robotic arm to place the module within a critical five‑inch final gap before docking.
- The module was delivered one-way: Atlantis would hand it to Mir, dock to it, and leave the adapter permanently attached.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912524Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:29 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Russian-built docking module waits in Atlantis’s payload bay as a five-minute scrub threatens a one-day window to bolt it onto Mir. The five‑minute scrub that stole their one‑day window In this episode, we follow the tense eight days around...
The five‑minute scrub that stole their one‑day window

In this episode, we follow the tense eight days around STS-74 as two former rivals attempt a one-way hardware commitment in orbit. The story covers the launch scrub, the robotic-arm transfer, and the split‑second tolerances that governed every decision - could they meet the one‑day timing and the five‑inch margin?

Mission: STS-74
Date: 1995
Location: Atlantis; Mir (200 miles above Earth)
Person: Chris Hadfield
Event: five-minute launch scrub

- Atlantis rolled to Pad 39A with a Russian docking module strapped in the payload bay and a crew trained for thirteen months.
- Launch was scrubbed at T‑5 minutes because Atlantic abort landing sites were below weather limits, forcing a 24‑hour slip.
- Mir’s Kristall module required a fifteen‑foot extension to move the American docking interface away from Spektr’s solar arrays to avoid shadowing.
- Hadfield alone would operate the shuttle’s robotic arm to place the module within a critical five‑inch final gap before docking.
- The module was delivered one-way: Atlantis would hand it to Mir, dock to it, and leave the adapter permanently attached.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1097falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-stuck-rocket-stage-that-trapped-heat-and-killed-laika-before-dawn--74912521
The stuck rocket stage that trapped heat and killed Laika before dawn

In this episode, we follow the compressed, frantic buildup to a rapid Soviet orbital mission and the early hours of a flight monitored by live telemetry. The episode traces the decisions, the hardware, and the window between the recorded data and the public story-what happened during those critical hours?

Person: Laika
Date: November 3, 1957
Location: Baikonur Cosmodrome / orbit
Engineer: Sergei Korolev
Veterinarian: Vladimir Yazdovsky

- Khrushchev ordered a live launch timed for the November 7 anniversary, giving engineers less than four weeks to prepare.
- Korolev proposed a dog capsule because Sputnik 3 wasn’t ready and return technology did not exist.
- Laika, a three-year-old Moscow mongrel, was chosen ten days before liftoff for her calm temperament and small size.
- The capsule was still being built while Laika was fitted and included oxygen generation, CO2 absorbers, a temperature-activated fan, and gel food.
- The Block A core stage failed to separate, compromising thermal insulation and allowing heat to build inside the cabin.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912521Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:00:27 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Moscow stray is launched into orbit for propaganda; telemetry goes silent - did ground control get to her in time? The stuck rocket stage that trapped heat and killed Laika before dawn In this episode, we follow the compressed, frantic buildup...
The stuck rocket stage that trapped heat and killed Laika before dawn

In this episode, we follow the compressed, frantic buildup to a rapid Soviet orbital mission and the early hours of a flight monitored by live telemetry. The episode traces the decisions, the hardware, and the window between the recorded data and the public story-what happened during those critical hours?

Person: Laika
Date: November 3, 1957
Location: Baikonur Cosmodrome / orbit
Engineer: Sergei Korolev
Veterinarian: Vladimir Yazdovsky

- Khrushchev ordered a live launch timed for the November 7 anniversary, giving engineers less than four weeks to prepare.
- Korolev proposed a dog capsule because Sputnik 3 wasn’t ready and return technology did not exist.
- Laika, a three-year-old Moscow mongrel, was chosen ten days before liftoff for her calm temperament and small size.
- The capsule was still being built while Laika was fitted and included oxygen generation, CO2 absorbers, a temperature-activated fan, and gel food.
- The Block A core stage failed to separate, compromising thermal insulation and allowing heat to build inside the cabin.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1305falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-thruster-command-that-found-the-tank-empty-and-cost-them-the-window--74912517
The thruster command that found the tank empty and cost them the window

In this episode, we follow the sequence of decisions, maneuvers, and improvisations that kept an aging spacecraft alive and aiming for a comet decades after its launch. What happened when a crowdfunded effort met an empty propellant tank, and could the team still make the window?

Person: Robert Farquhar
Date: July 8, 2014
Location: L1 halo orbit / lunar flybys
Event: Retasking ISEE-3 / ICE for comet science
Topic: thruster command, empty nitrogen tank

- Engineers and volunteers sent a thruster command into deep space on July 8, 2014 and received a response from the spacecraft.
- The spacecraft was spinning at 19.76 rotations per minute while its instruments still broadcast data despite a battery failure decades earlier.
- ISEE-3 launched August 12, 1978, settled into a halo orbit at L1 on November 20, 1978, and survived a 1981 battery failure that limited it to sunlight operations.
- Robert Farquhar and others planned a sequence of burns and five lunar gravity assists between June 10, 1982 and December 22, 1983 to redirect the probe toward the Moon and beyond.
- On September 11, 1985, redesignated ICE, the spacecraft crossed a comet’s plasma tail 7,800 km from the nucleus, returning the first in-situ measurements of a cometary plasma environment.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912517Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:00:17 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA volunteer sent a thruster command to a decades-old spacecraft and heard only the silence of an empty tank - did they lose their final window? The thruster command that found the tank empty and cost them the window In this episode, we follow...
The thruster command that found the tank empty and cost them the window

In this episode, we follow the sequence of decisions, maneuvers, and improvisations that kept an aging spacecraft alive and aiming for a comet decades after its launch. What happened when a crowdfunded effort met an empty propellant tank, and could the team still make the window?

Person: Robert Farquhar
Date: July 8, 2014
Location: L1 halo orbit / lunar flybys
Event: Retasking ISEE-3 / ICE for comet science
Topic: thruster command, empty nitrogen tank

- Engineers and volunteers sent a thruster command into deep space on July 8, 2014 and received a response from the spacecraft.
- The spacecraft was spinning at 19.76 rotations per minute while its instruments still broadcast data despite a battery failure decades earlier.
- ISEE-3 launched August 12, 1978, settled into a halo orbit at L1 on November 20, 1978, and survived a 1981 battery failure that limited it to sunlight operations.
- Robert Farquhar and others planned a sequence of burns and five lunar gravity assists between June 10, 1982 and December 22, 1983 to redirect the probe toward the Moon and beyond.
- On September 11, 1985, redesignated ICE, the spacecraft crossed a comet’s plasma tail 7,800 km from the nucleus, returning the first in-situ measurements of a cometary plasma environment.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1373falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-paint-flake-fooled-the-star-sensor-could-mariner-4-make-mars-on-time--74912515
A paint flake fooled the star sensor - could Mariner 4 make Mars on time?

In this episode, we follow the final weeks of the Mariner 4 mission as engineers race against a closing launch window and a ticking clock. The crew at JPL confronts hardware compromises, failed tests, and a navigation system being tricked by debris - but will the spacecraft arrive with its cameras correctly pointed?

Mission: Mariner 4
Date: November-December 1964
Location: Jet Propulsion Laboratory / en route to Mars
Event: Star sensor failures and navigation challenges
Status: Eight-month voyage in progress

- Engineers hand-colored the first low-resolution image of Mars by filling numbered squares while the computer finished processing.
- Mariner 3 failed on launch when its payload shroud failed to jettison, prompting a three-week crash redesign of the shroud material and tests.
- Mariner 4 launched Nov 28, 1964 with a spare tape recorder pressed into service because of time constraints.
- The navigation system used Canopus as a single-star reference and began repeatedly acquiring and losing other bright stars during flight.
- Paint flakes and dust near the star sensor created false bright points that intermittently fooled the lock algorithm, affecting camera orientation.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912515Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:00:27 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA paint flake fooled Mariner 4's star sensor into locking the wrong star - can the spacecraft still point its camera at Mars? A paint flake fooled the star sensor - could Mariner 4 make Mars on time? In this episode, we follow the final weeks of...
A paint flake fooled the star sensor - could Mariner 4 make Mars on time?

In this episode, we follow the final weeks of the Mariner 4 mission as engineers race against a closing launch window and a ticking clock. The crew at JPL confronts hardware compromises, failed tests, and a navigation system being tricked by debris - but will the spacecraft arrive with its cameras correctly pointed?

Mission: Mariner 4
Date: November-December 1964
Location: Jet Propulsion Laboratory / en route to Mars
Event: Star sensor failures and navigation challenges
Status: Eight-month voyage in progress

- Engineers hand-colored the first low-resolution image of Mars by filling numbered squares while the computer finished processing.
- Mariner 3 failed on launch when its payload shroud failed to jettison, prompting a three-week crash redesign of the shroud material and tests.
- Mariner 4 launched Nov 28, 1964 with a spare tape recorder pressed into service because of time constraints.
- The navigation system used Canopus as a single-star reference and began repeatedly acquiring and losing other bright stars during flight.
- Paint flakes and dust near the star sensor created false bright points that intermittently fooled the lock algorithm, affecting camera orientation.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1281falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-frozen-hydrazine-line-stalled-the-thrusters-and-doomed-the-burn--74912514
The frozen hydrazine line stalled the thrusters and doomed the burn

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events on 22 August 2014 when a Soyuz launch left two Galileo satellites in the wrong orbit. The episode covers the Fregat MT’s design, the multi-burn profile, and the unnoticed thermal bridge that chilled hydrazine lines-what decisions and design assumptions led to that coast-phase failure?

Date: August 22, 2014
Event: Soyuz VS09 launch carrying two Galileo satellites
Stage: Fregat MT upper stage (S5.92 engine)
Propellant: Hydrazine (attitude thrusters) and hypergolic main propellants (UDMH and dinitrogen tetroxide)
Target orbit: 17,500 kilometers circular

- Liftoff occurred at 12:27:11 from Kourou, French Guiana on a Soyuz ST-B carrying Europe’s Galileo satellites
- Fregat MT used a multi-burn profile: an initial burn, a ballistic coast, then a second engine ignition to insert satellites into their precise orbit
- Hydrazine attitude-control lines ran alongside cold helium pressurant lines on a shared support bracket during the coast
- Thermal conduction via the bracket allowed cold helium temperatures to freeze hydrazine in the lines, halting two thrusters mid-coast
- With attitude control lost before the second burn, Fregat’s engine fired while pointed at the wrong piece of sky

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912514Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:00:29 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA frozen hydrazine line on a Fregat upper stage stopped the thrusters-did the Galileo satellite make the second burn on time? The frozen hydrazine line stalled the thrusters and doomed the burn In this episode, we follow the sequence of events...
The frozen hydrazine line stalled the thrusters and doomed the burn

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events on 22 August 2014 when a Soyuz launch left two Galileo satellites in the wrong orbit. The episode covers the Fregat MT’s design, the multi-burn profile, and the unnoticed thermal bridge that chilled hydrazine lines-what decisions and design assumptions led to that coast-phase failure?

Date: August 22, 2014
Event: Soyuz VS09 launch carrying two Galileo satellites
Stage: Fregat MT upper stage (S5.92 engine)
Propellant: Hydrazine (attitude thrusters) and hypergolic main propellants (UDMH and dinitrogen tetroxide)
Target orbit: 17,500 kilometers circular

- Liftoff occurred at 12:27:11 from Kourou, French Guiana on a Soyuz ST-B carrying Europe’s Galileo satellites
- Fregat MT used a multi-burn profile: an initial burn, a ballistic coast, then a second engine ignition to insert satellites into their precise orbit
- Hydrazine attitude-control lines ran alongside cold helium pressurant lines on a shared support bracket during the coast
- Thermal conduction via the bracket allowed cold helium temperatures to freeze hydrazine in the lines, halting two thrusters mid-coast
- With attitude control lost before the second burn, Fregat’s engine fired while pointed at the wrong piece of sky

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1233falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-spring-seat-he-built-oscillated-would-it-stop-their-bone-loss-in-time--74912513
The spring-seat he built oscillated - would it stop their bone loss in time?

In this episode, we follow William Edgar Thornton’s sixteen-year path from physicist and engineer to physician and astronaut as he designs and tests instruments to measure and counteract bone and muscle loss in space. We look at the devices he built, the ground tests he volunteered for, and the stakes of launching those tools aboard Challenger at night - but did they work when it mattered?

Person: William Edgar Thornton
Date: August 30, 1983
Location: Kennedy Space Center / Challenger
Event: Night launch carrying self-built medical instruments
Test: SMEAT 56-day Skylab simulation

- He combined degrees and careers in physics, electronics engineering, and medicine to tackle human physiology in space.
- He solved the measurement problem by designing a spring-seat that determines mass from oscillation period rather than weight.
- He volunteered as a subject in SMEAT, a 56-day sealed Skylab simulation, using the instruments he helped create.
- He built exercise and countermeasure approaches alongside measurement tools to address rapid muscle and bone loss in microgravity.
- He launched his instruments and himself into orbit aboard Challenger’s first night launch to test sixteen years of engineering in flight.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912513Sun, 11 Oct 2026 09:00:30 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA fifty-four-year-old astronaut straps into a spring-seat he built to measure mass in microgravity - can his oscillating device stop bone loss? The spring-seat he built oscillated - would it stop their bone loss in time? In this episode, we...
The spring-seat he built oscillated - would it stop their bone loss in time?

In this episode, we follow William Edgar Thornton’s sixteen-year path from physicist and engineer to physician and astronaut as he designs and tests instruments to measure and counteract bone and muscle loss in space. We look at the devices he built, the ground tests he volunteered for, and the stakes of launching those tools aboard Challenger at night - but did they work when it mattered?

Person: William Edgar Thornton
Date: August 30, 1983
Location: Kennedy Space Center / Challenger
Event: Night launch carrying self-built medical instruments
Test: SMEAT 56-day Skylab simulation

- He combined degrees and careers in physics, electronics engineering, and medicine to tackle human physiology in space.
- He solved the measurement problem by designing a spring-seat that determines mass from oscillation period rather than weight.
- He volunteered as a subject in SMEAT, a 56-day sealed Skylab simulation, using the instruments he helped create.
- He built exercise and countermeasure approaches alongside measurement tools to address rapid muscle and bone loss in microgravity.
- He launched his instruments and himself into orbit aboard Challenger’s first night launch to test sixteen years of engineering in flight.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1221falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-wreckage-reassembly-that-bought-time-and-saved-future-crews--74912512
The wreckage reassembly that bought time - and saved future crews

In this episode, we follow Bryan O'Connor’s shift from pilot to investigator as he leads the meticulous reassembly of Space Shuttle Challenger’s wreckage and steps into NASA’s safety apparatus. We trace how that work redirected his career and ask how translating debris into decisions might change the fate of future crews.

Person: Bryan O'Connor
Event: Space Shuttle Challenger disaster debris reassembly
Date: January 28, 1986 (disaster); March 1986 (reassembly completed)
Role: Assistant for Operations to the Space Shuttle Program Manager; Chairman of the Space Shuttle Safety Panel
First flight: November 26, 1985 (STS-61-B, Atlantis)

- He logged over 5,000 flight hours across more than 40 aircraft types before joining NASA in May 1980.
- After serving in simulators, CAPCOM, and support roles, his first shuttle flight was as pilot on STS-61-B, which completed 108 orbits.
- Following Challenger, NASA tasked him with recovering every piece of the orbiter, bringing wreckage to a hangar and placing parts where they had been before breakup.
- The reassembly work took place on the hangar floor at Cape Canaveral, cataloguing wreckage into a ghost of the spacecraft by March 1986.
- His debris work led to dual roles: Assistant for Operations to the Shuttle Program Manager and the first Chairman of the newly created Space Shuttle Safety Panel.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912512Sat, 10 Oct 2026 09:00:25 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA veteran astronaut reassembles Challenger wreckage in a Florida hangar - and future crews' safety hangs on what he finds. Did they make it in time? The wreckage reassembly that bought time - and saved future crews In this episode, we follow...
The wreckage reassembly that bought time - and saved future crews

In this episode, we follow Bryan O'Connor’s shift from pilot to investigator as he leads the meticulous reassembly of Space Shuttle Challenger’s wreckage and steps into NASA’s safety apparatus. We trace how that work redirected his career and ask how translating debris into decisions might change the fate of future crews.

Person: Bryan O'Connor
Event: Space Shuttle Challenger disaster debris reassembly
Date: January 28, 1986 (disaster); March 1986 (reassembly completed)
Role: Assistant for Operations to the Space Shuttle Program Manager; Chairman of the Space Shuttle Safety Panel
First flight: November 26, 1985 (STS-61-B, Atlantis)

- He logged over 5,000 flight hours across more than 40 aircraft types before joining NASA in May 1980.
- After serving in simulators, CAPCOM, and support roles, his first shuttle flight was as pilot on STS-61-B, which completed 108 orbits.
- Following Challenger, NASA tasked him with recovering every piece of the orbiter, bringing wreckage to a hangar and placing parts where they had been before breakup.
- The reassembly work took place on the hangar floor at Cape Canaveral, cataloguing wreckage into a ghost of the spacecraft by March 1986.
- His debris work led to dual roles: Assistant for Operations to the Shuttle Program Manager and the first Chairman of the newly created Space Shuttle Safety Panel.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1193falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-spacesuit-radio-kept-broadcasting-did-the-batteries-last--74912511
The spacesuit radio kept broadcasting-did the batteries last?

In this episode, we follow the flight of a decommissioned Orlan spacesuit given a second life as SuitSat-1 and released from the ISS. It traces the decisions, engineering and human story behind turning surplus hardware into a drifting transmitter - and asks what the ninety-minute broadcast meant to the man who let it go.

Date: February 4, 2006
Person: Valery Ivanovich Ivanovich
Location: International Space Station, 140 miles above Earth
Device: Orlan-M spacesuit number 117
Project: SuitSat-1 collaboration between NASA, Russian Federal Space Agency and AMSAT

- Engineers repackaged a retired Orlan suit with batteries and a radio transmitter instead of returning it to Earth.
- The suit’s helmet contained a recording of greetings spoken in six languages intended for amateur radio listeners.
- Amateur radio operators on the ground tracked and logged the suit’s transmissions across continents for roughly ninety minutes.
- Ivanovich, a cosmonaut from Kapustin Yar who trained for the Buran program, physically released the suit from an airlock during Expedition Twelve.
- The suit had been retired because its certification expired, leaving program planners to decide between costly return or creative disposal.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912511Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:00:28 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA retired Orlan spacesuit is jettisoned into orbit - will its batteries keep transmitting long enough for listeners to track it? The spacesuit radio kept broadcasting-did the batteries last? In this episode, we follow the flight of a...
The spacesuit radio kept broadcasting-did the batteries last?

In this episode, we follow the flight of a decommissioned Orlan spacesuit given a second life as SuitSat-1 and released from the ISS. It traces the decisions, engineering and human story behind turning surplus hardware into a drifting transmitter - and asks what the ninety-minute broadcast meant to the man who let it go.

Date: February 4, 2006
Person: Valery Ivanovich Ivanovich
Location: International Space Station, 140 miles above Earth
Device: Orlan-M spacesuit number 117
Project: SuitSat-1 collaboration between NASA, Russian Federal Space Agency and AMSAT

- Engineers repackaged a retired Orlan suit with batteries and a radio transmitter instead of returning it to Earth.
- The suit’s helmet contained a recording of greetings spoken in six languages intended for amateur radio listeners.
- Amateur radio operators on the ground tracked and logged the suit’s transmissions across continents for roughly ninety minutes.
- Ivanovich, a cosmonaut from Kapustin Yar who trained for the Buran program, physically released the suit from an airlock during Expedition Twelve.
- The suit had been retired because its certification expired, leaving program planners to decide between costly return or creative disposal.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1219falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-thumb-steadied-a-porthole-and-bought-them-the-last-breaths--74912510
A thumb steadied a porthole and bought them the last breaths

In this episode, we follow the crew aboard Mir after a Progress resupply collision disables the station’s systems and sends it tumbling. The episode lays out how Michael Foale and his crewmates improvised to measure attitude and buy time, and asks whether their improvised method could save the station.

Date: June 25, 1997
Location: Mir space station
Person: Michael Foale
Event: Progress resupply collision with Spektr module
Status: Guidance computers and many systems powered down

- Spektr’s hull was breached during a manual docking test, forcing the crew to seal the module and cut its power lines.
- With Spektr sealed, Mir lost over 40% of its power as its solar panels and arrays went offline.
- Guidance computers shut down, leaving the station without instruments to measure or halt the roll.
- Foale used a thumb pressed to a porthole and timed stars against his watch to compute rotation rate and direction.
- The crew prioritized clearing cables, sealing hatches, and improvising measurements to give ground and onboard systems any chance to respond.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912510Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:00:33 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn astronaut presses his thumb to a porthole to time the stars - can their makeshift celestial navigation stop the roll? A thumb steadied a porthole and bought them the last breaths In this episode, we follow the crew aboard Mir after a Progress...
A thumb steadied a porthole and bought them the last breaths

In this episode, we follow the crew aboard Mir after a Progress resupply collision disables the station’s systems and sends it tumbling. The episode lays out how Michael Foale and his crewmates improvised to measure attitude and buy time, and asks whether their improvised method could save the station.

Date: June 25, 1997
Location: Mir space station
Person: Michael Foale
Event: Progress resupply collision with Spektr module
Status: Guidance computers and many systems powered down

- Spektr’s hull was breached during a manual docking test, forcing the crew to seal the module and cut its power lines.
- With Spektr sealed, Mir lost over 40% of its power as its solar panels and arrays went offline.
- Guidance computers shut down, leaving the station without instruments to measure or halt the roll.
- Foale used a thumb pressed to a porthole and timed stars against his watch to compute rotation rate and direction.
- The crew prioritized clearing cables, sealing hatches, and improvising measurements to give ground and onboard systems any chance to respond.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1340falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-camera-he-was-filming-with-ran-out-of-film-sixteen-minutes-before-reentry--74912509
The camera he was filming with ran out of film sixteen minutes before reentry

In this episode, we follow astronaut David M. Brown from his Virginia childhood through a career spanning medicine, naval aviation, and NASA to his first spaceflight on STS-107. The episode covers the mission's nonstop science schedule, Brown’s private documentary footage, and the unnoticed foam strike after launch that would become central to the story-what happens next hangs on those final minutes.

Person: David McDowell Brown
Date: April 16, 1956 (birth); January 16, 2003 (launch)
Mission: STS-107
Role: Mission specialist; flight surgeon, naval aviator, test pilot
Camera detail: Half-loaded with footage; ran out sixteen minutes before reentry

- Grew up in Arlington, Virginia, and pursued biology, gymnastics, and medicine at William and Mary and Eastern Virginia Medical School
- Entered naval service as a flight surgeon in 1984, later trained as a naval aviator and test pilot, accumulating over 2,700 flight hours
- Selected by NASA in April 1996, reported to Johnson Space Center in August 1996, and worked on ISS payloads and landing recovery operations
- STS-107 was a dedicated 16-day science flight with roughly 80 experiments and alternating 12-hour crew shifts
- Eighty-one seconds after launch, insulating foam struck Columbia’s left wing, damaging thermal protection unseen from inside the cabin

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912509Wed, 07 Oct 2026 09:00:32 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA crew films a shuttle mission as David Brown's camera runs out 16 minutes before reentry-did they make it in time? The camera he was filming with ran out of film sixteen minutes before reentry In this episode, we follow astronaut David M. Brown...
The camera he was filming with ran out of film sixteen minutes before reentry

In this episode, we follow astronaut David M. Brown from his Virginia childhood through a career spanning medicine, naval aviation, and NASA to his first spaceflight on STS-107. The episode covers the mission's nonstop science schedule, Brown’s private documentary footage, and the unnoticed foam strike after launch that would become central to the story-what happens next hangs on those final minutes.

Person: David McDowell Brown
Date: April 16, 1956 (birth); January 16, 2003 (launch)
Mission: STS-107
Role: Mission specialist; flight surgeon, naval aviator, test pilot
Camera detail: Half-loaded with footage; ran out sixteen minutes before reentry

- Grew up in Arlington, Virginia, and pursued biology, gymnastics, and medicine at William and Mary and Eastern Virginia Medical School
- Entered naval service as a flight surgeon in 1984, later trained as a naval aviator and test pilot, accumulating over 2,700 flight hours
- Selected by NASA in April 1996, reported to Johnson Space Center in August 1996, and worked on ISS payloads and landing recovery operations
- STS-107 was a dedicated 16-day science flight with roughly 80 experiments and alternating 12-hour crew shifts
- Eighty-one seconds after launch, insulating foam struck Columbia’s left wing, damaging thermal protection unseen from inside the cabin

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1151falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-wire-fragment-1-4-millimeters-long-rewrote-every-engine-procedure-between-earth-and-the-moon--74912507
A wire fragment 1.4 millimeters long rewrote every engine procedure between Earth and the Moon

In this episode, the flight crew and mission controllers confront a mysterious SPS Thrust warning igniting during transposition and docking, and they work out new in-flight procedures to keep the spacecraft controllable. The episode follows the decisions, tests, and rule changes that shaped how the engine would be used en route to lunar orbit - but did those measures hold when it mattered most?

Person: David Scott
Person: Alfred Worden
Person: James Irwin
Event: SPS Thrust warning during transposition and docking
Date: July 26, 1971

- The SPS Thrust indicator illuminated at 9:52 into Apollo 15’s flight while no engine sound or thrust occurred.
- The crew immediately opened circuit breakers to cut power to the faulty switch and prevent accidental ignition.
- Ground teams traced the short to the Delta-V Thrust switch, affecting one of two redundant valve systems.
- A 0.7-second SPS burn on day two proved the unaffected valve could fire the engine normally under command.
- Procedures were rewritten in transit specifying which switches to use and when, based on the failure’s mapped boundaries.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912507Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:00:25 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA warning light says Apollo 15's Service Propulsion System is firing - did the crew stop a phantom engine before it could change everything? A wire fragment 1.4 millimeters long rewrote every engine procedure between Earth and the Moon In this...
A wire fragment 1.4 millimeters long rewrote every engine procedure between Earth and the Moon

In this episode, the flight crew and mission controllers confront a mysterious SPS Thrust warning igniting during transposition and docking, and they work out new in-flight procedures to keep the spacecraft controllable. The episode follows the decisions, tests, and rule changes that shaped how the engine would be used en route to lunar orbit - but did those measures hold when it mattered most?

Person: David Scott
Person: Alfred Worden
Person: James Irwin
Event: SPS Thrust warning during transposition and docking
Date: July 26, 1971

- The SPS Thrust indicator illuminated at 9:52 into Apollo 15’s flight while no engine sound or thrust occurred.
- The crew immediately opened circuit breakers to cut power to the faulty switch and prevent accidental ignition.
- Ground teams traced the short to the Delta-V Thrust switch, affecting one of two redundant valve systems.
- A 0.7-second SPS burn on day two proved the unaffected valve could fire the engine normally under command.
- Procedures were rewritten in transit specifying which switches to use and when, based on the failure’s mapped boundaries.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1212falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-unchecked-pocket-that-carried-398-covers-and-cost-his-career--74912505
The unchecked pocket that carried 398 covers and cost his career

In this episode, we hear the story of Al Worden’s role on Apollo Fifteen and the pocket of carried items that upended everything after splashdown. It follows how mission duties, personal deals, and NASA’s approval process collided - what choice did the crew make, and what did it cost them?

Person: Al Worden
Event: Apollo Fifteen lunar orbit and surface mission
Date: July 26, 1971 (launch)
Location: Command Module Endeavour / Lunar surface (Falcon)
Item: 398 postal covers carried in a spacesuit pocket

- Worden served as the solo Command Module Pilot, running a one-man orbital reconnaissance suite while his crewmates walked the Moon.
- The mission was the J-class Apollo Fifteen: three moonwalks, a three-day surface stay, the first Lunar Roving Vehicle, and advanced scientific instruments.
- David Scott carried 398 stamped, postmarked postal covers tucked into a spacesuit pocket; they sat on the lunar surface inside the Falcon.
- A West German dealer’s agent, Horst Eiermann, had requested covers be flown and returned for a collector in Germany; the crew agreed months before launch.
- NASA policy required Deke Slayton’s advance approval for any personal or commercial items carried by astronauts, and the Eiermann covers never passed through that approval gate.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912505Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:00:35 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAlone in lunar orbit, the Command Module Pilot hid a stash of philatelic covers - did he make it through NASA’s rules in time? The unchecked pocket that carried 398 covers and cost his career In this episode, we hear the story of Al Worden’s...
The unchecked pocket that carried 398 covers and cost his career

In this episode, we hear the story of Al Worden’s role on Apollo Fifteen and the pocket of carried items that upended everything after splashdown. It follows how mission duties, personal deals, and NASA’s approval process collided - what choice did the crew make, and what did it cost them?

Person: Al Worden
Event: Apollo Fifteen lunar orbit and surface mission
Date: July 26, 1971 (launch)
Location: Command Module Endeavour / Lunar surface (Falcon)
Item: 398 postal covers carried in a spacesuit pocket

- Worden served as the solo Command Module Pilot, running a one-man orbital reconnaissance suite while his crewmates walked the Moon.
- The mission was the J-class Apollo Fifteen: three moonwalks, a three-day surface stay, the first Lunar Roving Vehicle, and advanced scientific instruments.
- David Scott carried 398 stamped, postmarked postal covers tucked into a spacesuit pocket; they sat on the lunar surface inside the Falcon.
- A West German dealer’s agent, Horst Eiermann, had requested covers be flown and returned for a collector in Germany; the crew agreed months before launch.
- NASA policy required Deke Slayton’s advance approval for any personal or commercial items carried by astronauts, and the Eiermann covers never passed through that approval gate.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1357falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-duct-tape-that-held-the-fender-until-the-final-drive-and-then-failed--74912503
The duct tape that held the fender until the final drive, and then failed

In this episode, we follow the final Apollo mission crew as they carry out three surface excursions in Taurus-Littrow and confront equipment failure far from their only sealed shelter. The episode covers how crew selection, mission planning, and on-the-spot engineering choices shaped the longest walk from safety on another world, and asks whether the men could make it back in time.

Person: Eugene Cernan
Person: Harrison Schmitt
Person: Date: December 12, 1972
Location: Taurus-Littrow valley
Event: Lunar rover fender failure and field repair

- Crew makeup forced a scientist onto the surface: Harrison Schmitt, a trained geologist, joined Gene Cernan after NASA negotiations in 1971.
- Apollo 17 launched in the only nighttime Saturn V liftoff on December 7, 1972, with Ronald Evans remaining in lunar orbit.
- The mission plan called for three progressively longer EVA excursions from the lunar module Challenger across Taurus-Littrow.
- A lunar hammer broke the rover’s rear fender extension on the first excursion, risking abrasive regolith contamination of suits and instruments.
- The crew improvised with duct tape, then, after the tape failed before the final drive, rebuilt the fender using four laminated maps, clamps from the lunar module, and pressurized-glove perseverance.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912503Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:00:35 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTTwo astronauts face a failing rover fender kilometers from the lunar module on the Moon-did their improvised repair hold long enough to get them home? The duct tape that held the fender until the final drive, and then failed In this episode, we...
The duct tape that held the fender until the final drive, and then failed

In this episode, we follow the final Apollo mission crew as they carry out three surface excursions in Taurus-Littrow and confront equipment failure far from their only sealed shelter. The episode covers how crew selection, mission planning, and on-the-spot engineering choices shaped the longest walk from safety on another world, and asks whether the men could make it back in time.

Person: Eugene Cernan
Person: Harrison Schmitt
Person: Date: December 12, 1972
Location: Taurus-Littrow valley
Event: Lunar rover fender failure and field repair

- Crew makeup forced a scientist onto the surface: Harrison Schmitt, a trained geologist, joined Gene Cernan after NASA negotiations in 1971.
- Apollo 17 launched in the only nighttime Saturn V liftoff on December 7, 1972, with Ronald Evans remaining in lunar orbit.
- The mission plan called for three progressively longer EVA excursions from the lunar module Challenger across Taurus-Littrow.
- A lunar hammer broke the rover’s rear fender extension on the first excursion, risking abrasive regolith contamination of suits and instruments.
- The crew improvised with duct tape, then, after the tape failed before the final drive, rebuilt the fender using four laminated maps, clamps from the lunar module, and pressurized-glove perseverance.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1169falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-feed-through-connector-failed-as-the-clock-hit-t-minus-sixteen-minutes--74912502
The feed‑through connector failed as the clock hit T‑minus sixteen minutes

In this episode, we follow the countdown halt for STS‑122 when two of four Engine Cutoff sensors reported incorrect readings during fueling. The story covers the decisions, tests, and the hunt that traced the anomaly to a single feed‑through connector-what choices did engineers make under the ticking clock?

Mission: STS‑122
Date: December 6-18, 2007
Location: Kennedy Space Center, Pad 39A
Person: Launch Director Doug Lyons; engineers Peter Johnson and Dr. Carlos T. Mata
Object: Columbus laboratory (European Space Agency)

- Fueling began pre‑dawn and the External Tank was loaded with liquid hydrogen at -253°C before the countdown stopped.
- Two of four ECO sensors reported "wet" at T‑minus 16 minutes, triggering the first scrub and a public hypothesis of wiring inside the tank.
- Management revised launch criteria to accept three of four sensors while shortening the launch commit window from five minutes to one.
- A December 9 attempt failed when a third sensor reported "wet" under the new criteria, prompting a full Tanking Demonstration and Reconfiguration test.
- The TDR test localized the fault to a single liquid‑hydrogen feed‑through connector at the tank‑to‑harness interface, which failed under thermal stress.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912502Sat, 03 Oct 2026 09:00:38 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn engine cutoff sensor reads "wet" 16 minutes before liftoff, holding a €63M European lab hostage-did they make it? The feed‑through connector failed as the clock hit T‑minus sixteen minutes In this episode, we follow the countdown halt for...
The feed‑through connector failed as the clock hit T‑minus sixteen minutes

In this episode, we follow the countdown halt for STS‑122 when two of four Engine Cutoff sensors reported incorrect readings during fueling. The story covers the decisions, tests, and the hunt that traced the anomaly to a single feed‑through connector-what choices did engineers make under the ticking clock?

Mission: STS‑122
Date: December 6-18, 2007
Location: Kennedy Space Center, Pad 39A
Person: Launch Director Doug Lyons; engineers Peter Johnson and Dr. Carlos T. Mata
Object: Columbus laboratory (European Space Agency)

- Fueling began pre‑dawn and the External Tank was loaded with liquid hydrogen at -253°C before the countdown stopped.
- Two of four ECO sensors reported "wet" at T‑minus 16 minutes, triggering the first scrub and a public hypothesis of wiring inside the tank.
- Management revised launch criteria to accept three of four sensors while shortening the launch commit window from five minutes to one.
- A December 9 attempt failed when a third sensor reported "wet" under the new criteria, prompting a full Tanking Demonstration and Reconfiguration test.
- The TDR test localized the fault to a single liquid‑hydrogen feed‑through connector at the tank‑to‑harness interface, which failed under thermal stress.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1219falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-o-ring-that-failed-after-liftoff-did-three-reach-a-pack-in-time--74912500
The O‑ring that failed after liftoff - did three reach a pack in time?

In this episode, we follow the moments before and after the Space Shuttle Challenger's loss to trace the physical evidence, the decisions that set the launch in motion, and the human actions recovered from the ocean floor. What do the recovered personal egress air packs and the launch‑day decisions tell us about those final minutes?

Date: January 28, 1986
Event: STS-51-L Challenger liftoff and breakup
Location: Impact coordinates 28.64° N, 80.28° W; cabin recovered March 7, 1986
Person: Bob Ebeling
Temperature: 27°F pad temperature (12°F below O-ring certification limit)

- Three of four personal egress air packs recovered from the ocean floor had been manually activated, a non-automatic function.
- Seventy-three seconds after liftoff the shuttle ceased to exist as a vehicle, followed by 2 minutes 45 seconds of free fall toward the Atlantic.
- The night before launch engineers at Morton Thiokol recommended a delay, citing O-ring concerns at low temperature.
- Thiokol management reversed the engineers' recommendation after pressure from NASA, and the launch was approved.
- Challenger's right solid rocket booster O-rings were certified only to 39°F; the pad temperature that morning was 27°F.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912500Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:00:37 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA crewed shuttle climbs into freezing air with O‑ring seals below certified temp-air packs are manually activated; did three reach a pack in time? The O‑ring that failed after liftoff - did three reach a pack in time? In this episode, we follow...
The O‑ring that failed after liftoff - did three reach a pack in time?

In this episode, we follow the moments before and after the Space Shuttle Challenger's loss to trace the physical evidence, the decisions that set the launch in motion, and the human actions recovered from the ocean floor. What do the recovered personal egress air packs and the launch‑day decisions tell us about those final minutes?

Date: January 28, 1986
Event: STS-51-L Challenger liftoff and breakup
Location: Impact coordinates 28.64° N, 80.28° W; cabin recovered March 7, 1986
Person: Bob Ebeling
Temperature: 27°F pad temperature (12°F below O-ring certification limit)

- Three of four personal egress air packs recovered from the ocean floor had been manually activated, a non-automatic function.
- Seventy-three seconds after liftoff the shuttle ceased to exist as a vehicle, followed by 2 minutes 45 seconds of free fall toward the Atlantic.
- The night before launch engineers at Morton Thiokol recommended a delay, citing O-ring concerns at low temperature.
- Thiokol management reversed the engineers' recommendation after pressure from NASA, and the launch was approved.
- Challenger's right solid rocket booster O-rings were certified only to 39°F; the pad temperature that morning was 27°F.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1275falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-rock-that-shifted-by-thirty-two-minutes--74912497
The Rock That Shifted by Thirty-Two Minutes

In this episode, we follow the years-long path from a single telescope image in 1996 to a high-stakes planetary defense test eleven months before impact. The story traces the discovery, naming, engineering debates, and the tight targeting challenge that defined the mission - could they place a tiny spacecraft on a tiny collision course?

Person: Joseph Montani
Date: April 11, 1996
Location: Kitt Peak National Observatory
Event: Discovery of 1996 GT (Didymos)
Topic: DART kinetic impactor targeting Dimorphos

- A 0.9-meter survey telescope at Kitt Peak recorded a moving point of light logged as 1996 GT during a cold desert night.
- The 780-meter primary rotated every 2 hours and 26 minutes, flinging surface material outward and complicating orbital modeling.
- Radar observations at Arecibo on November 23, 2003 revealed a second body about 160 meters wide orbiting every 11.9 hours.
- Engineers debated across two continents whether a refrigerator-sized spacecraft could reliably strike a 160-meter moonlet at high speed.
- Mission design split roles: NASA to build and fly a kinetic impactor, ESA originally to supply a follow-up observer before withdrawing due to priorities.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912497Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:00:31 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA refrigerator-sized spacecraft targets Dimorphos - can the DART kinetic impactor hit it precisely enough to shift its orbit by minutes? The Rock That Shifted by Thirty-Two Minutes In this episode, we follow the years-long path from a single...
The Rock That Shifted by Thirty-Two Minutes

In this episode, we follow the years-long path from a single telescope image in 1996 to a high-stakes planetary defense test eleven months before impact. The story traces the discovery, naming, engineering debates, and the tight targeting challenge that defined the mission - could they place a tiny spacecraft on a tiny collision course?

Person: Joseph Montani
Date: April 11, 1996
Location: Kitt Peak National Observatory
Event: Discovery of 1996 GT (Didymos)
Topic: DART kinetic impactor targeting Dimorphos

- A 0.9-meter survey telescope at Kitt Peak recorded a moving point of light logged as 1996 GT during a cold desert night.
- The 780-meter primary rotated every 2 hours and 26 minutes, flinging surface material outward and complicating orbital modeling.
- Radar observations at Arecibo on November 23, 2003 revealed a second body about 160 meters wide orbiting every 11.9 hours.
- Engineers debated across two continents whether a refrigerator-sized spacecraft could reliably strike a 160-meter moonlet at high speed.
- Mission design split roles: NASA to build and fly a kinetic impactor, ESA originally to supply a follow-up observer before withdrawing due to priorities.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1182falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-imu-s-one-second-saturation-told-the-computer-they-d-landed-in-time--74912494
The IMU's one-second saturation told the computer they'd landed in time

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events during Schiaparelli’s six-minute entry, descent and landing attempt and how a single corrupted sensor reading propagated through its guidance software. The episode traces the engineering choices, timing and system interactions that turned a brief IMU saturation into a life-or-death decision for the module - how did that one second change everything?

Person: Schiaparelli
Date: October 19, 2016
Location: Meridiani Planum, Mars
Event: Entry, descent and landing demonstration
Topic: IMU saturation and navigation software behavior

- Schiaparelli completed a three hundred and seven million kilometer cruise and entered the Martian atmosphere on a preplanned six-minute profile.
- At ~7.8 km altitude the onboard radar began ranging while the IMU tracked orientation, acceleration and rotation in real time.
- During the parachute phase the IMU registered a large, brief rotation and flagged it as a saturation event, holding the saturated value for a configured persistence time.
- The navigation computer substituted an estimated value for the corrupted IMU reading, which fed into altitude calculations and produced a negative altitude.
- Based on that negative altitude the computer jettisoned the parachute, fired the thrusters for ~3 seconds, switched to surface mode and awaited a landing confirmation.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912494Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:01:10 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTSchiaparelli’s IMU sent a second of bad rotation during descent, and the nav computer declared it landed - did they make it in time? The IMU's one-second saturation told the computer they'd landed in time In this episode, we follow the sequence...
The IMU's one-second saturation told the computer they'd landed in time

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events during Schiaparelli’s six-minute entry, descent and landing attempt and how a single corrupted sensor reading propagated through its guidance software. The episode traces the engineering choices, timing and system interactions that turned a brief IMU saturation into a life-or-death decision for the module - how did that one second change everything?

Person: Schiaparelli
Date: October 19, 2016
Location: Meridiani Planum, Mars
Event: Entry, descent and landing demonstration
Topic: IMU saturation and navigation software behavior

- Schiaparelli completed a three hundred and seven million kilometer cruise and entered the Martian atmosphere on a preplanned six-minute profile.
- At ~7.8 km altitude the onboard radar began ranging while the IMU tracked orientation, acceleration and rotation in real time.
- During the parachute phase the IMU registered a large, brief rotation and flagged it as a saturation event, holding the saturated value for a configured persistence time.
- The navigation computer substituted an estimated value for the corrupted IMU reading, which fed into altitude calculations and produced a negative altitude.
- Based on that negative altitude the computer jettisoned the parachute, fired the thrusters for ~3 seconds, switched to surface mode and awaited a landing confirmation.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1225falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-deconvolution-algorithm-sharpened-the-blurred-camera-did-they-make-it-in-time--74912493
The deconvolution algorithm sharpened the blurred camera - did they make it in time?

In this episode, we follow the Deep Impact mission as engineers and scientists cope with a blurred high-resolution imager, autonomous targeting software, and an unpredictable comet in the crucial weeks before impact. The narrative traces the technical fixes, mission timeline, and choices that set up one irreversible moment: could a software patch and self-guiding code save the science?

Mission: Deep Impact
Date: July 4, 2005
Location: Comet Tempel 1
Person: Michael A'Hearn
Budget: $330 million

- The mission used two spacecraft: a 601 kg Flyby to observe and a 372 kg Impactor designed to collide and transmit until destruction.
- Launch occurred January 12, 2005 from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket; the spacecraft entered safe mode the next day due to a temperature parameter.
- The Impactor carried 113 kg of copper to keep impact spectra attributable solely to the comet, and housed a mini-CD with 625,000 names.
- The high-resolution imager was found out of focus on June 9 due to an optical misalignment that surfaced in space thermal conditions.
- Ball Aerospace produced a deconvolution algorithm to mathematically sharpen images in place of any physical adjustment, validated before impact.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912493Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:56 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA damaged high-resolution camera must be rescued by a deconvolution algorithm as two spacecraft race toward Comet Tempel 1 - did they make it in time? The deconvolution algorithm sharpened the blurred camera - did they make it in time? In this...
The deconvolution algorithm sharpened the blurred camera - did they make it in time?

In this episode, we follow the Deep Impact mission as engineers and scientists cope with a blurred high-resolution imager, autonomous targeting software, and an unpredictable comet in the crucial weeks before impact. The narrative traces the technical fixes, mission timeline, and choices that set up one irreversible moment: could a software patch and self-guiding code save the science?

Mission: Deep Impact
Date: July 4, 2005
Location: Comet Tempel 1
Person: Michael A'Hearn
Budget: $330 million

- The mission used two spacecraft: a 601 kg Flyby to observe and a 372 kg Impactor designed to collide and transmit until destruction.
- Launch occurred January 12, 2005 from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket; the spacecraft entered safe mode the next day due to a temperature parameter.
- The Impactor carried 113 kg of copper to keep impact spectra attributable solely to the comet, and housed a mini-CD with 625,000 names.
- The high-resolution imager was found out of focus on June 9 due to an optical misalignment that surfaced in space thermal conditions.
- Ball Aerospace produced a deconvolution algorithm to mathematically sharpen images in place of any physical adjustment, validated before impact.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1291falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-undeployed-solar-panel-that-jammed-his-control-and-cost-him-reentry--74912490
The undeployed solar panel that jammed his control and cost him reentry

In this episode, we follow the mission timeline and technical failures that led to Soyuz One launching despite prior unmanned problems and leadership changes at the Soviet space program. We trace the decisions, known faults, and the single piece of hardware that jammed the craft-what went wrong, and why the flight proceeded anyway?

Person: Colonel Vladimir Komarov
Date: April 24, 1967
Location: Karabutak, Orenburg Oblast (landing area)
Event: First crewed flight of Soyuz spacecraft with prior unmanned failures
Cause noted: Undeployed solar panel jamming attitude control

- Komarov was a forty-year-old veteran test pilot, the first Soviet cosmonaut to fly twice, selected for missions that were genuinely dangerous.
- Soyuz One launched after three unmanned test flights showed attitude control failures and a pad explosion, yet the crewed flight was approved.
- Sergei Korolev, the Chief Designer who centralized the program, died in January 1966, leaving successors without his singular authority.
- Mission planners intended a two-spacecraft docking and crew transfer over consecutive days, with Soyuz Two set to launch the day after Soyuz One.
- Engineers had documented widespread faults with the spacecraft and had recovered a test capsule with a burn hole in its heat shield prior to the manned mission.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912490Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:00:47 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA lone cosmonaut battles a jammed Soyuz solar panel three hundred kilometers above Earth - did they make it in time? The undeployed solar panel that jammed his control and cost him reentry In this episode, we follow the mission timeline and...
The undeployed solar panel that jammed his control and cost him reentry

In this episode, we follow the mission timeline and technical failures that led to Soyuz One launching despite prior unmanned problems and leadership changes at the Soviet space program. We trace the decisions, known faults, and the single piece of hardware that jammed the craft-what went wrong, and why the flight proceeded anyway?

Person: Colonel Vladimir Komarov
Date: April 24, 1967
Location: Karabutak, Orenburg Oblast (landing area)
Event: First crewed flight of Soyuz spacecraft with prior unmanned failures
Cause noted: Undeployed solar panel jamming attitude control

- Komarov was a forty-year-old veteran test pilot, the first Soviet cosmonaut to fly twice, selected for missions that were genuinely dangerous.
- Soyuz One launched after three unmanned test flights showed attitude control failures and a pad explosion, yet the crewed flight was approved.
- Sergei Korolev, the Chief Designer who centralized the program, died in January 1966, leaving successors without his singular authority.
- Mission planners intended a two-spacecraft docking and crew transfer over consecutive days, with Soyuz Two set to launch the day after Soyuz One.
- Engineers had documented widespread faults with the spacecraft and had recovered a test capsule with a burn hole in its heat shield prior to the manned mission.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1275falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-could-have-burned-the-secret-alarm-that-kept-john-glenn-alive--74912489
He Could Have Burned: The Secret Alarm That Kept John Glenn Alive

In this episode, we follow John Glenn from small-town Ohio to the cockpit of Friendship Seven and through a tense, improvised re-entry where a hidden alarm forces mission control to make a fateful decision. How did a single sensor reading reshape the final hours of his flight and the choices on the ground?

Person: John Herschel Glenn Alive.
Date: February 20, 1962
Location: Friendship Seven, over the Atlantic and Africa
Event: Attitude control failure and heat shield alarm during Mercury-Atlas 6
Status: Glenn manually piloted capsule for two orbits and re-entry

- A folded multilingual note sits in Glenn’s capsule pocket but remains unused during the flight.
- Friendship Seven reached about 17,500 miles per hour within five minutes of launch.
- On the first orbit, the automatic attitude control failed and Glenn took manual control for two orbits.
- Telemetry later showed a sensor alarm indicating the heat shield may be coming loose during re-entry.
- Ground controllers issued a specific order to Glenn without explaining the alarm’s meaning.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912489Sun, 27 Sep 2026 09:01:26 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA sensor on Friendship Seven flashes and mission control tells John Glenn to do something he doesn't understand - did they make it down safely? He Could Have Burned: The Secret Alarm That Kept John Glenn Alive In this episode, we follow John...
He Could Have Burned: The Secret Alarm That Kept John Glenn Alive

In this episode, we follow John Glenn from small-town Ohio to the cockpit of Friendship Seven and through a tense, improvised re-entry where a hidden alarm forces mission control to make a fateful decision. How did a single sensor reading reshape the final hours of his flight and the choices on the ground?

Person: John Herschel Glenn Alive.
Date: February 20, 1962
Location: Friendship Seven, over the Atlantic and Africa
Event: Attitude control failure and heat shield alarm during Mercury-Atlas 6
Status: Glenn manually piloted capsule for two orbits and re-entry

- A folded multilingual note sits in Glenn’s capsule pocket but remains unused during the flight.
- Friendship Seven reached about 17,500 miles per hour within five minutes of launch.
- On the first orbit, the automatic attitude control failed and Glenn took manual control for two orbits.
- Telemetry later showed a sensor alarm indicating the heat shield may be coming loose during re-entry.
- Ground controllers issued a specific order to Glenn without explaining the alarm’s meaning.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1106falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-mmu-s-nitrogen-jets-drifted-him-away-did-they-get-him-back--74912488
The MMU's nitrogen jets drifted him away - did they get him back?

In this episode, we follow Robert Lee Lee’s untethered flight during STS-41B and the hours he spent operating the Manned Maneuvering Unit far from the shuttle. The episode traces his background, the mission tasks, and the moment the MMU turned a tethered tradition into an untested machine in open space - but did that machine hold?

Person: Robert Lee Lee
Date: February 7, 1984
Event: Untethered EVA using the Manned Maneuvering Unit
Mission: STS-41B aboard Challenger
Flight hours: Over 6,000 total; 1,035 combat hours in Vietnam

- Lee had a long military and test-pilot career with multiple decorations and extensive flight experience before joining NASA.
- He was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978 and became the first active-duty Army officer to fly in space.
- The MMU was a nitrogen-jet backpack designed to let an astronaut move free of tethers; it had never been tested by a person in open space before this mission.
- On the second EVA Lee operated the MMU for 5 hours and 55 minutes, controlling position and velocity until Challenger became a distant shape.
- The mission included two EVAs and specific tasks like satellite deployments and equipment tests that framed Lee’s untethered flight.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912488Sat, 26 Sep 2026 09:01:44 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA lone astronaut floats untethered above Earth, his MMU's nitrogen jets his only link to Challenger - did they get him back? The MMU's nitrogen jets drifted him away - did they get him back? In this episode, we follow Robert Lee Lee’s untethered...
The MMU's nitrogen jets drifted him away - did they get him back?

In this episode, we follow Robert Lee Lee’s untethered flight during STS-41B and the hours he spent operating the Manned Maneuvering Unit far from the shuttle. The episode traces his background, the mission tasks, and the moment the MMU turned a tethered tradition into an untested machine in open space - but did that machine hold?

Person: Robert Lee Lee
Date: February 7, 1984
Event: Untethered EVA using the Manned Maneuvering Unit
Mission: STS-41B aboard Challenger
Flight hours: Over 6,000 total; 1,035 combat hours in Vietnam

- Lee had a long military and test-pilot career with multiple decorations and extensive flight experience before joining NASA.
- He was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1978 and became the first active-duty Army officer to fly in space.
- The MMU was a nitrogen-jet backpack designed to let an astronaut move free of tethers; it had never been tested by a person in open space before this mission.
- On the second EVA Lee operated the MMU for 5 hours and 55 minutes, controlling position and velocity until Challenger became a distant shape.
- The mission included two EVAs and specific tasks like satellite deployments and equipment tests that framed Lee’s untethered flight.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1322falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-camera-at-a-porthole-counted-down-his-last-chance--74912486
The camera at a porthole counted down his last chance

In this episode, we follow Paolo Nespoli’s path from paratrooper to veteran astronaut and the missions that took him farther from Earth than most. It traces the decisions, training, and moments-personal and professional-that set the stage for a single photograph and asks what that cost demanded of him.

Person: Paolo Nespoli Nespoli
Date: born 6 April 1957
Mission count: Three missions (2007, 2010-2011, 2017)
Locations: International Space Station; Baikonur Cosmodrome; Space Shuttle missions
Event: Photograph of Endeavour docked at the ISS taken 23 days before his return

- Joined the Ninth Paratroopers Assault Regiment in 1977 and became a HALO-qualified jump master and Special Forces operator
- Earned a bachelor’s and master’s in aerospace engineering from the Polytechnic University of New York in 1988-1989 and became a private pilot and technical builder
- Selected by the Italian Space Agency in July 1998 at age forty-one and assigned to NASA Johnson Space Center training
- First mission: STS-120 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in October 2007, a 15-day flight delivering the Harmony module
- Second mission: launched 15 December 2010 on Soyuz TMA-20 for the MagISStra mission, spending nearly five months aboard the ISS and filming major footage for the documentary First Orbit

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912486Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:00:58 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn astronaut at a porthole lifts a camera and counts down his last chance to capture Endeavour docked at the ISS-did he press the shutter in time? The camera at a porthole counted down his last chance In this episode, we follow Paolo Nespoli’s...
The camera at a porthole counted down his last chance

In this episode, we follow Paolo Nespoli’s path from paratrooper to veteran astronaut and the missions that took him farther from Earth than most. It traces the decisions, training, and moments-personal and professional-that set the stage for a single photograph and asks what that cost demanded of him.

Person: Paolo Nespoli Nespoli
Date: born 6 April 1957
Mission count: Three missions (2007, 2010-2011, 2017)
Locations: International Space Station; Baikonur Cosmodrome; Space Shuttle missions
Event: Photograph of Endeavour docked at the ISS taken 23 days before his return

- Joined the Ninth Paratroopers Assault Regiment in 1977 and became a HALO-qualified jump master and Special Forces operator
- Earned a bachelor’s and master’s in aerospace engineering from the Polytechnic University of New York in 1988-1989 and became a private pilot and technical builder
- Selected by the Italian Space Agency in July 1998 at age forty-one and assigned to NASA Johnson Space Center training
- First mission: STS-120 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in October 2007, a 15-day flight delivering the Harmony module
- Second mission: launched 15 December 2010 on Soyuz TMA-20 for the MagISStra mission, spending nearly five months aboard the ISS and filming major footage for the documentary First Orbit

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1162falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-turnip-seed-that-started-the-countdown-for-columbia--74912482
The turnip seed that started the countdown for Columbia

In this episode, we follow Leonid Kadenyuk’s two-decade journey from Soviet test pilot to Ukrainian payload specialist and the unlikely botanical experiments he carried to space. We trace the training, setbacks, and rituals that led to his flight and ask what it meant to bring a country’s song and a few seeds into orbit.

Person: Leonid Kadenyuk
Date of birth: January 28, 1951
Event: STS-87 (Columbia flight day nine)
Location: orbit above the Black Sea / quarantine began November 12, 1997
Topic: turnip seeds, soybean samples, moss; Ukrainian national anthem played in orbit

- Selected for the Soviet Cosmonaut Corps in 1976, later qualified as a test astronaut in 1979 after test pilot service.
- Assigned as a planned commander for the Buran shuttle program, trained on glide simulations and engineering systems.
- Removed from Buran command for "marital issues," later reinstated but faced program collapse with the Soviet Cosmonaut's dissolution.
- Returned to Ukraine in 1995, joined the National Space Agency astronaut group at age 44 and retrained for new missions.
- Spent April-October 1996 at the Kholodny Institute of Botany studying phytohormonology and preparing turnip seed experiments for STS-87.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912482Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:00:53 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Ukrainian astronaut plays his national anthem in orbit and carries turnip seeds aboard Columbia - did he make it into space in time? The turnip seed that started the countdown for Columbia In this episode, we follow Leonid Kadenyuk’s...
The turnip seed that started the countdown for Columbia

In this episode, we follow Leonid Kadenyuk’s two-decade journey from Soviet test pilot to Ukrainian payload specialist and the unlikely botanical experiments he carried to space. We trace the training, setbacks, and rituals that led to his flight and ask what it meant to bring a country’s song and a few seeds into orbit.

Person: Leonid Kadenyuk
Date of birth: January 28, 1951
Event: STS-87 (Columbia flight day nine)
Location: orbit above the Black Sea / quarantine began November 12, 1997
Topic: turnip seeds, soybean samples, moss; Ukrainian national anthem played in orbit

- Selected for the Soviet Cosmonaut Corps in 1976, later qualified as a test astronaut in 1979 after test pilot service.
- Assigned as a planned commander for the Buran shuttle program, trained on glide simulations and engineering systems.
- Removed from Buran command for "marital issues," later reinstated but faced program collapse with the Soviet Cosmonaut's dissolution.
- Returned to Ukraine in 1995, joined the National Space Agency astronaut group at age 44 and retrained for new missions.
- Spent April-October 1996 at the Kholodny Institute of Botany studying phytohormonology and preparing turnip seed experiments for STS-87.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1205falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-x-26-sailplane-bought-him-thirty-two-hours-nineteen-minutes--74912480
The X-26 sailplane bought him thirty-two hours, nineteen minutes

In this episode, we follow Michael Foreman’s steady, deliberate path from Wadsworth, Ohio to the edges of human space, tracking the roles and trainings that accumulated into an astronaut nomination. The episode traces the years he spent inside naval aviation, test pilot school, program offices, and NASA assignments, and asks how a career built one careful step at a time meets sudden program-wide crisis.

Person: Michael James Foreman
Date of birth: March 29, 1957
Education: B.S. Aerospace Engineering (US Naval Academy), M.S. Aeronautical Engineering (Naval Postgraduate School)
Flight hours: more than 7,000 across 50+ aircraft types
Event: Space Shuttle Columbia accident, February 2003

- Grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio, graduated high school in 1975 and chose naval aviation deliberately.
- Became a Naval Aviator in January 1981 with patrol squadron deployments from Spain to Panama.
- Earned a master’s in 1986 and first visited NASA Ames as a graduate researcher that year.
- Selected for U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1989, graduated in June 1990, then served as instructor and operations officer flying the X-26 sailplane.
- Joined NASA’s astronaut class in June 1998 at age 41 after decades of test, engineering, and liaison roles.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912480Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:00:53 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Navy test pilot races to a long-postponed shuttle flight as Columbia reshapes his chance at orbit - did he make it in time? The X-26 sailplane bought him thirty-two hours, nineteen minutes In this episode, we follow Michael Foreman’s steady,...
The X-26 sailplane bought him thirty-two hours, nineteen minutes

In this episode, we follow Michael Foreman’s steady, deliberate path from Wadsworth, Ohio to the edges of human space, tracking the roles and trainings that accumulated into an astronaut nomination. The episode traces the years he spent inside naval aviation, test pilot school, program offices, and NASA assignments, and asks how a career built one careful step at a time meets sudden program-wide crisis.

Person: Michael James Foreman
Date of birth: March 29, 1957
Education: B.S. Aerospace Engineering (US Naval Academy), M.S. Aeronautical Engineering (Naval Postgraduate School)
Flight hours: more than 7,000 across 50+ aircraft types
Event: Space Shuttle Columbia accident, February 2003

- Grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio, graduated high school in 1975 and chose naval aviation deliberately.
- Became a Naval Aviator in January 1981 with patrol squadron deployments from Spain to Panama.
- Earned a master’s in 1986 and first visited NASA Ames as a graduate researcher that year.
- Selected for U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1989, graduated in June 1990, then served as instructor and operations officer flying the X-26 sailplane.
- Joined NASA’s astronaut class in June 1998 at age 41 after decades of test, engineering, and liaison roles.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1515falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-umbilical-tether-that-kept-him-alive-while-she-gave-birth--74912478
The umbilical tether that kept him alive while she gave birth

In this episode, we follow Randy Bresnik during a shuttle mission to the International Space Station when his wife goes into labor on Earth. The episode covers the mission timeline, the constraints of an EVA, and the family history that framed his orbiting duty-what choices did the crew have while he kept working?

Person: Randy Bresnik
Date: November 2009
Event: Spacewalk during wife's labor
Mission: STS-129, Space Shuttle Atlantis
Location: International Space Station, 400 kilometers above the Pacific

- Bresnik was on a six-hour, eight-minute EVA tasked with retrieving and installing hardware from external logistics carriers.
- His suit was pressurized and he was tethered to the airlock, unable to leave the EVA timeline or receive a phone call.
- Rebecca Bresnik was due during the mission window and went into labor while Randy was outside the station.
- Only one other person in spaceflight history, Franz Viehböck in 1991, had become a parent while in orbit before Bresnik.
- Crew partner Michael Foreman relied on Bresnik to complete timed hardware installations and could not pause the operation.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912478Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:00:49 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn astronaut tethered to an airlock works a six-hour spacewalk above the Pacific while his wife labors 400 km below-did he make it back in time? The umbilical tether that kept him alive while she gave birth In this episode, we follow Randy...
The umbilical tether that kept him alive while she gave birth

In this episode, we follow Randy Bresnik during a shuttle mission to the International Space Station when his wife goes into labor on Earth. The episode covers the mission timeline, the constraints of an EVA, and the family history that framed his orbiting duty-what choices did the crew have while he kept working?

Person: Randy Bresnik
Date: November 2009
Event: Spacewalk during wife's labor
Mission: STS-129, Space Shuttle Atlantis
Location: International Space Station, 400 kilometers above the Pacific

- Bresnik was on a six-hour, eight-minute EVA tasked with retrieving and installing hardware from external logistics carriers.
- His suit was pressurized and he was tethered to the airlock, unable to leave the EVA timeline or receive a phone call.
- Rebecca Bresnik was due during the mission window and went into labor while Randy was outside the station.
- Only one other person in spaceflight history, Franz Viehböck in 1991, had become a parent while in orbit before Bresnik.
- Crew partner Michael Foreman relied on Bresnik to complete timed hardware installations and could not pause the operation.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1208falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-oxygen-gauge-lost-eight-pounds-and-shrunk-their-window--74912477
The Oxygen Gauge Lost Eight Pounds and Shrunk Their Window

In this episode, we follow the Apollo 15 crew as a small, creeping loss of oxygen forces Mission Control to redraw the plan and shorten the astronauts’ rest to buy time on the surface. The episode tracks the choices, mechanics, and geography that shaped what came next and asks whether the accelerated timeline paid off.

Mission: Apollo 15
Date: July 26-August 2, 1971
Location: Hadley-Apennine region, Moon
Persons: David Scott, Alfred Worden, James Irwin
Event: Eight pounds of oxygen lost from Falcon’s tank

- Falcon touched down three thousand feet south of the planned Hadley Base target after guidance drift and eighteen manual corrections by Scott.
- The lunar module landed at nearly ten degrees of tilt, with one landing leg in a crater rim and the engine bell contacting the surface.
- Telemetry during the second lunar night showed a pressure drop: eight pounds of oxygen leaked from one tank before the loss rate slowed.
- Flight controllers cut one hour from the crew’s sleep and ordered an earlier wake to reclaim surface time before oxygen reserves limited EVAs.
- Scott and Irwin used the Rover to head toward Hadley Base and the Spur crater, a preselected site that might expose ancient lunar crust.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912477Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:00:45 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn oxygen leak drains Apollo 15’s Falcon-did the crew make the extra EVA before the tank went empty? The Oxygen Gauge Lost Eight Pounds and Shrunk Their Window In this episode, we follow the Apollo 15 crew as a small, creeping loss of oxygen...
The Oxygen Gauge Lost Eight Pounds and Shrunk Their Window

In this episode, we follow the Apollo 15 crew as a small, creeping loss of oxygen forces Mission Control to redraw the plan and shorten the astronauts’ rest to buy time on the surface. The episode tracks the choices, mechanics, and geography that shaped what came next and asks whether the accelerated timeline paid off.

Mission: Apollo 15
Date: July 26-August 2, 1971
Location: Hadley-Apennine region, Moon
Persons: David Scott, Alfred Worden, James Irwin
Event: Eight pounds of oxygen lost from Falcon’s tank

- Falcon touched down three thousand feet south of the planned Hadley Base target after guidance drift and eighteen manual corrections by Scott.
- The lunar module landed at nearly ten degrees of tilt, with one landing leg in a crater rim and the engine bell contacting the surface.
- Telemetry during the second lunar night showed a pressure drop: eight pounds of oxygen leaked from one tank before the loss rate slowed.
- Flight controllers cut one hour from the crew’s sleep and ordered an earlier wake to reclaim surface time before oxygen reserves limited EVAs.
- Scott and Irwin used the Rover to head toward Hadley Base and the Spur crater, a preselected site that might expose ancient lunar crust.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1352falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-suit-valve-he-radioed-about-that-risked-his-launch-time--74912475
The suit valve he radioed about that risked his launch time

In this episode, we follow the moments before Alan Shepard's historic flight: the repeated delays, the political pressure after Gagarin's orbit, and the personal urgency building inside a tiny capsule. What happened during those four hours on the pad, and could a single suit valve decide the mission's fate?

Person: Alan Shepard
Date: May 5, 1961
Location: Freedom Seven capsule, launch pad
Event: Launch delays and a reported suit valve issue
Context: Cold War pressure after Yuri Gagarin's orbit

- Shepard spent four hours and fourteen minutes strapped inside Freedom Seven while the countdown was repeatedly held.
- Multiple launch postponements had already pushed Shepard's mission back six times before this day.
- He radioed the flight surgeon from inside the suit to request permission to relieve himself as bladder pressure became urgent.
- The suit's design offered no bathroom provision, turning a human need into an operational decision during the hold.
- Political urgency after the Soviet orbit amplified the stakes of every delay for Shepard and NASA.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912475Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:01:24 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA test pilot strapped in Freedom Seven radios that a suit valve might force a launch delay - did he make it onto history's countdown? The suit valve he radioed about that risked his launch time In this episode, we follow the moments before Alan...
The suit valve he radioed about that risked his launch time

In this episode, we follow the moments before Alan Shepard's historic flight: the repeated delays, the political pressure after Gagarin's orbit, and the personal urgency building inside a tiny capsule. What happened during those four hours on the pad, and could a single suit valve decide the mission's fate?

Person: Alan Shepard
Date: May 5, 1961
Location: Freedom Seven capsule, launch pad
Event: Launch delays and a reported suit valve issue
Context: Cold War pressure after Yuri Gagarin's orbit

- Shepard spent four hours and fourteen minutes strapped inside Freedom Seven while the countdown was repeatedly held.
- Multiple launch postponements had already pushed Shepard's mission back six times before this day.
- He radioed the flight surgeon from inside the suit to request permission to relieve himself as bladder pressure became urgent.
- The suit's design offered no bathroom provision, turning a human need into an operational decision during the hold.
- Political urgency after the Soviet orbit amplified the stakes of every delay for Shepard and NASA.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1208falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-day-snoopy-teetered-above-the-moon-eight-seconds-that-could-ve-changed-history--74912474
The Day Snoopy Teetered Above the Moon: Eight Seconds That Could've Changed History

In this episode, we follow Apollo Ten’s dress rehearsal mission and the decisions, hardware limits, and split-second piloting that defined its most dangerous moment. What did the crew face when Snoopy swung and tumbled just above the lunar surface, and how did those eight seconds reshape the countdown to the Moon?

Mission: Apollo Ten
Crew: Thomas Stafford, John Young, Gene Cernan
Launch Date: May 18, 1969
Location: Launch Complex 39B; lunar orbit 14.4 km above surface
Spacecraft Names: Charlie Brown (CM), Snoopy (LM)

- The mission was a full dress rehearsal: every landing procedure except the actual touchdown would be tested in lunar orbit.
- Snoopy’s ascent stage was fueled to roughly 50% capacity, a deliberate limit that made an unauthorized landing physically impossible.
- Stafford and Cernan brought the lunar module down to 14.4 kilometers-close enough to identify craters and pick a landing site without touching down.
- During ascent, unpredictable lunar mascons and untested rendezvous procedures were core mission risks NASA intended to quantify.
- For eight seconds the lunar module began violent tumbling while Young waited alone in the command module above, forcing split-second decisions under extreme conditions.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912474Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:01:21 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA lunar module named Snoopy dips to 14.4 km above the Moon-could the Apollo 10 crew complete the dress rehearsal without landing? The Day Snoopy Teetered Above the Moon: Eight Seconds That Could've Changed History In this episode, we follow...
The Day Snoopy Teetered Above the Moon: Eight Seconds That Could've Changed History

In this episode, we follow Apollo Ten’s dress rehearsal mission and the decisions, hardware limits, and split-second piloting that defined its most dangerous moment. What did the crew face when Snoopy swung and tumbled just above the lunar surface, and how did those eight seconds reshape the countdown to the Moon?

Mission: Apollo Ten
Crew: Thomas Stafford, John Young, Gene Cernan
Launch Date: May 18, 1969
Location: Launch Complex 39B; lunar orbit 14.4 km above surface
Spacecraft Names: Charlie Brown (CM), Snoopy (LM)

- The mission was a full dress rehearsal: every landing procedure except the actual touchdown would be tested in lunar orbit.
- Snoopy’s ascent stage was fueled to roughly 50% capacity, a deliberate limit that made an unauthorized landing physically impossible.
- Stafford and Cernan brought the lunar module down to 14.4 kilometers-close enough to identify craters and pick a landing site without touching down.
- During ascent, unpredictable lunar mascons and untested rendezvous procedures were core mission risks NASA intended to quantify.
- For eight seconds the lunar module began violent tumbling while Young waited alone in the command module above, forcing split-second decisions under extreme conditions.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1370falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-rocketcam-caught-foam-slamming-the-tank-did-they-make-it--74912473
The rocketcam caught foam slamming the tank - did they make it?

In this episode, we follow the ascent of STS-112 and the new rocketcam footage that recorded a foam strike on Atlantis’s external tank. We trace the shuttle’s recent technical scares, the crew’s mission objectives for the S1 truss, and the decisions made once controllers saw the dent - but did those choices change anything?

Person: Commander Jeffrey Ashby
Person: Pilot Pamela Melroy
Event: Foam impact recorded at 82 seconds after liftoff
Date: October 7, 2002
Location: Atlantis (STS-112) ascent, visible via external tank rocketcam

- A dictionary-size foam piece struck solid metal at several hundred miles per hour, leaving a four-inch by three-inch dent.
- For 116 days the dent sat in a NASA report while another shuttle remained on the pad.
- Atlantis had faced earlier issues in 2002: cracked liquid hydrogen feed line liners and a Hurricane Lili delay.
- The rocketcam, mounted on the external tank for the first time, transmitted live ascent video to controllers on the ground.
- At about two minutes the SRB separation obscured the camera’s view, closing the window of direct observation.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912473Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:00:45 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA rocketcam shows a chunk of foam slam into Atlantis’s external tank during ascent - did NASA act in time to protect the crew? The rocketcam caught foam slamming the tank - did they make it? In this episode, we follow the ascent of STS-112 and...
The rocketcam caught foam slamming the tank - did they make it?

In this episode, we follow the ascent of STS-112 and the new rocketcam footage that recorded a foam strike on Atlantis’s external tank. We trace the shuttle’s recent technical scares, the crew’s mission objectives for the S1 truss, and the decisions made once controllers saw the dent - but did those choices change anything?

Person: Commander Jeffrey Ashby
Person: Pilot Pamela Melroy
Event: Foam impact recorded at 82 seconds after liftoff
Date: October 7, 2002
Location: Atlantis (STS-112) ascent, visible via external tank rocketcam

- A dictionary-size foam piece struck solid metal at several hundred miles per hour, leaving a four-inch by three-inch dent.
- For 116 days the dent sat in a NASA report while another shuttle remained on the pad.
- Atlantis had faced earlier issues in 2002: cracked liquid hydrogen feed line liners and a Hurricane Lili delay.
- The rocketcam, mounted on the external tank for the first time, transmitted live ascent video to controllers on the ground.
- At about two minutes the SRB separation obscured the camera’s view, closing the window of direct observation.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1356falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-backup-separation-cord-detonated-and-cost-them-minutes-of-eva-time--74912471
A backup separation cord detonated and cost them minutes of EVA time

In this episode, we follow the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery as they deal with unexpected hardware firing that punctures insulation in orbit and threatens the mission’s primary rehearsal for upcoming Hubble servicing. The episode covers the sequence of events, the mission context, and the unresolved gap in the record: what caused both explosive cords to fire at once?

Mission: STS-51
Date: September 12, 1993
Location: Space Shuttle Discovery, payload bay
Person: Commander Frank Culbertson; Pilot Kenneth Reightler; Mission Specialists James Newman, Carl Walz, Daniel Bursch
Event: Simultaneous detonation of primary and backup explosive separation cords damaging 24 insulation blankets and a retaining ring

- Thirty minutes before the first ACTS deployment window, two-way comms to ground dropped and mission rules prevented proceeding without a GO.
- Engineers switched the S-Band to a lower frequency, restored comms forty-five minutes later, and scheduled a second deployment window.
- ACTS was released and the Transfer Orbit Stage fired forty-five minutes after release as planned, putting the satellite on course.
- Both explosive separation cords on the Airborne Support Equipment cradle detonated simultaneously, punching holes in twenty-four insulation blankets near APU-3 and damaging the retaining ring.
- The flight record logs debris observed by the crew and detailed physical damage but does not identify a root cause for the dual detonation.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912471Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:00:54 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTSeparation cords detonate, ripping Discovery’s payload bay insulation-did the astronauts make it in time to save their EVA plans? A backup separation cord detonated and cost them minutes of EVA time In this episode, we follow the crew of Space...
A backup separation cord detonated and cost them minutes of EVA time

In this episode, we follow the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery as they deal with unexpected hardware firing that punctures insulation in orbit and threatens the mission’s primary rehearsal for upcoming Hubble servicing. The episode covers the sequence of events, the mission context, and the unresolved gap in the record: what caused both explosive cords to fire at once?

Mission: STS-51
Date: September 12, 1993
Location: Space Shuttle Discovery, payload bay
Person: Commander Frank Culbertson; Pilot Kenneth Reightler; Mission Specialists James Newman, Carl Walz, Daniel Bursch
Event: Simultaneous detonation of primary and backup explosive separation cords damaging 24 insulation blankets and a retaining ring

- Thirty minutes before the first ACTS deployment window, two-way comms to ground dropped and mission rules prevented proceeding without a GO.
- Engineers switched the S-Band to a lower frequency, restored comms forty-five minutes later, and scheduled a second deployment window.
- ACTS was released and the Transfer Orbit Stage fired forty-five minutes after release as planned, putting the satellite on course.
- Both explosive separation cords on the Airborne Support Equipment cradle detonated simultaneously, punching holes in twenty-four insulation blankets near APU-3 and damaging the retaining ring.
- The flight record logs debris observed by the crew and detailed physical damage but does not identify a root cause for the dual detonation.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1348falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-33-minute-orbital-window-that-would-buy-earth-s-escape--74912469
The 33-minute orbital window that would buy Earth's escape

In this episode, we follow the mission that deliberately struck a small moon to test whether a tiny change in velocity could translate into years of safe distance for Earth. We trace the discovery of Didymos and Dimorphos, the science behind kinetic impactors, and the tense final minutes before contact-would thirty-three minutes be enough?

Person: Petr Pravec
Event: DART kinetic impact test
Date: September 26, 2022
Target: Dimorphos (Didymoon)
Launch Date: November 24, 2021

- An eleven-point-nine-two-hour orbital rhythm in Didymos’s light revealed a previously unseen moon, found by Petr Pravec in 2003.
- Radar imaging at Arecibo measured Dimorphos as roughly 170 meters across, tidally locked and orbiting Didymos.
- Dimorphos’s smooth, crater-free surface indicated a rubble-pile structure, raising questions about how it would absorb an impact.
- DART carried no explosives-its mission was pure momentum, using SMART Nav to autonomously steer the spacecraft in the final hours.
- The mission hinged on producing about two centimeters per second of delta-v so that, accumulated over years, it could create a ~6,500 km miss distance.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912469Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:52 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA spacecraft slammed into Dimorphos; humanity had minutes to nudge the asteroid-did it work? The 33-minute orbital window that would buy Earth's escape In this episode, we follow the mission that deliberately struck a small moon to test whether...
The 33-minute orbital window that would buy Earth's escape

In this episode, we follow the mission that deliberately struck a small moon to test whether a tiny change in velocity could translate into years of safe distance for Earth. We trace the discovery of Didymos and Dimorphos, the science behind kinetic impactors, and the tense final minutes before contact-would thirty-three minutes be enough?

Person: Petr Pravec
Event: DART kinetic impact test
Date: September 26, 2022
Target: Dimorphos (Didymoon)
Launch Date: November 24, 2021

- An eleven-point-nine-two-hour orbital rhythm in Didymos’s light revealed a previously unseen moon, found by Petr Pravec in 2003.
- Radar imaging at Arecibo measured Dimorphos as roughly 170 meters across, tidally locked and orbiting Didymos.
- Dimorphos’s smooth, crater-free surface indicated a rubble-pile structure, raising questions about how it would absorb an impact.
- DART carried no explosives-its mission was pure momentum, using SMART Nav to autonomously steer the spacecraft in the final hours.
- The mission hinged on producing about two centimeters per second of delta-v so that, accumulated over years, it could create a ~6,500 km miss distance.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1360falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sensor-glitch-that-burned-140-kg-of-fuel-and-froze-their-six-minute-window--74912467
The sensor glitch that burned 140 kg of fuel and froze their six‑minute window

In this episode, we follow the race against time and shrinking propellant margins on the LCROSS mission as it descended toward Cabeus crater and one last opportunity to sample a lunar impact plume. The story tracks decisions, hardware tradeoffs, and a single six‑minute sampling pass that would determine whether definitive evidence of lunar water could be captured.

Mission: LCROSS
Date: October 9, 2009
Location: Cabeus crater, lunar south pole
Person: Dan Andrews
Event: propellant anomaly on August 22, 2009

- LCROSS rode to the Moon on an Atlas V with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched June 18, 2009.
- The mission used a spent Centaur upper stage as an impactor to excavate deeply shadowed material.
- The Shepherding Spacecraft was built around an ESPA ring adapter-hardware never previously used as a spacecraft backbone.
- A sensor malfunction on August 22 caused an unplanned thruster firing that burned 140 kg of propellant, eliminating margin for correction.
- After separation at 04:23 PT on October 9, nine instruments had exactly six minutes to fly through the plume and sample before the spacecraft struck the surface.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912467Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:01:01 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA sensor glitch burned fuel and froze LCROSS-did the nine instruments make the only pass that would decide whether the Moon holds water? The sensor glitch that burned 140 kg of fuel and froze their six‑minute window In this episode, we follow...
The sensor glitch that burned 140 kg of fuel and froze their six‑minute window

In this episode, we follow the race against time and shrinking propellant margins on the LCROSS mission as it descended toward Cabeus crater and one last opportunity to sample a lunar impact plume. The story tracks decisions, hardware tradeoffs, and a single six‑minute sampling pass that would determine whether definitive evidence of lunar water could be captured.

Mission: LCROSS
Date: October 9, 2009
Location: Cabeus crater, lunar south pole
Person: Dan Andrews
Event: propellant anomaly on August 22, 2009

- LCROSS rode to the Moon on an Atlas V with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched June 18, 2009.
- The mission used a spent Centaur upper stage as an impactor to excavate deeply shadowed material.
- The Shepherding Spacecraft was built around an ESPA ring adapter-hardware never previously used as a spacecraft backbone.
- A sensor malfunction on August 22 caused an unplanned thruster firing that burned 140 kg of propellant, eliminating margin for correction.
- After separation at 04:23 PT on October 9, nine instruments had exactly six minutes to fly through the plume and sample before the spacecraft struck the surface.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1241falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-particle-that-stopped-giotto-7-6-seconds-from-halley--74912466
The particle that stopped Giotto, 7.6 seconds from Halley

This episode recounts the journey of the Giotto spacecraft as it approached Comet Halley in 1986, detailing the unexpected challenges it faced. It explores the historical context of Halley's Comet and the ambitious goal of capturing the first images of its nucleus.

Event: Giotto spacecraft encounter with Comet Halley
Date: March 1986
Object: Comet Halley
Mission: Giotto
Agency: European Space Agency

- Edmond Halley first identified the comet's periodic return in 1705, predicting its 1758 appearance.
- The Giotto mission aimed to photograph the comet's nucleus, a dark, frozen core never before seen.
- The spacecraft was named after Giotto di Bondone, a painter who depicted a comet in a 14th-century fresco, believed to be Halley.
- Giotto was equipped with a dual-layer dust shield made of aluminum and Kevlar to protect against cometary particles.
- The mission relied on targeting data from two Soviet spacecraft, Vega One and Vega One, which flew past the comet days earlier.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912466Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:51 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA spacecraft speeds towards Comet Halley for humanity's first close look, but a sudden impact threatens the entire mission. The particle that stopped Giotto, 7.6 seconds from Halley This episode recounts the journey of the Giotto spacecraft as...
The particle that stopped Giotto, 7.6 seconds from Halley

This episode recounts the journey of the Giotto spacecraft as it approached Comet Halley in 1986, detailing the unexpected challenges it faced. It explores the historical context of Halley's Comet and the ambitious goal of capturing the first images of its nucleus.

Event: Giotto spacecraft encounter with Comet Halley
Date: March 1986
Object: Comet Halley
Mission: Giotto
Agency: European Space Agency

- Edmond Halley first identified the comet's periodic return in 1705, predicting its 1758 appearance.
- The Giotto mission aimed to photograph the comet's nucleus, a dark, frozen core never before seen.
- The spacecraft was named after Giotto di Bondone, a painter who depicted a comet in a 14th-century fresco, believed to be Halley.
- Giotto was equipped with a dual-layer dust shield made of aluminum and Kevlar to protect against cometary particles.
- The mission relied on targeting data from two Soviet spacecraft, Vega One and Vega One, which flew past the comet days earlier.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1294falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-telecon-delayed-the-launch-decision-did-they-make-it--74912465
The telecon delayed the launch decision - did they make it?

In this episode, we follow the hours leading up to the night-before launch telecon about O-ring performance in extreme cold and the decisions that unfolded across Morton Thiokol and NASA. The episode traces the technical warnings, prior test flights, and the tense phone call that put the launch decision on a knife edge.

Person: Ellison Onizuka
Event: Challenger launch preparations and telecon
Date: January 27-28, 1986
Location: Kennedy Space Center; Morton Thiokol (Utah); Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville)
Topic: O-ring erosion and cold temperature effects

- A scuffed soccer ball from Ellison Onizuka was recovered intact from the Atlantic debris field after the breakup.
- In December 1982, NASA redesignated the SRB field joint from Criticality One-R (redundant) to Criticality One (single point of failure).
- O-rings are rubber seals that must compress at ignition to stop 5,000°F combustion gases from leaking through SRB joints.
- Engineers documented O-ring erosion on the January 1985 STS-51-C flight after launch temperatures fell to 53°F.
- The telecon began at 8:30 PM on January 27, 1986, linking Morton Thiokol engineers with NASA managers to discuss forecasts below 18°F.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912465Sun, 13 Sep 2026 09:01:20 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA senior engineer and NASA managers argue over frozen O-rings before Challenger's launch. Did they make it in time? The telecon delayed the launch decision - did they make it? In this episode, we follow the hours leading up to the night-before...
The telecon delayed the launch decision - did they make it?

In this episode, we follow the hours leading up to the night-before launch telecon about O-ring performance in extreme cold and the decisions that unfolded across Morton Thiokol and NASA. The episode traces the technical warnings, prior test flights, and the tense phone call that put the launch decision on a knife edge.

Person: Ellison Onizuka
Event: Challenger launch preparations and telecon
Date: January 27-28, 1986
Location: Kennedy Space Center; Morton Thiokol (Utah); Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville)
Topic: O-ring erosion and cold temperature effects

- A scuffed soccer ball from Ellison Onizuka was recovered intact from the Atlantic debris field after the breakup.
- In December 1982, NASA redesignated the SRB field joint from Criticality One-R (redundant) to Criticality One (single point of failure).
- O-rings are rubber seals that must compress at ignition to stop 5,000°F combustion gases from leaking through SRB joints.
- Engineers documented O-ring erosion on the January 1985 STS-51-C flight after launch temperatures fell to 53°F.
- The telecon began at 8:30 PM on January 27, 1986, linking Morton Thiokol engineers with NASA managers to discuss forecasts below 18°F.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1391falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-robotic-arm-grabbed-the-28-000-pound-module-and-raced-the-clock--74912463
The robotic arm grabbed the 28,000‑pound module and raced the clock

In this episode, we follow the path that led Stephanie Wilson from a middle‑school homework call to an astronomer to operating a robotic arm in low Earth orbit. The episode covers her upbringing in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, her engineering education and NASA training, and the mission where she was tasked with moving the Multi‑Purpose Logistics Module - but could she meet the clock in space?

Person: Stephanie Diana Wilson
Location: Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Date: September 27, 1966 (birth)
Event: STS-121, launch July 4, 2006
Object: Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (28,000 pounds)

- A middle‑school interview with astronomer Jay Pasachoff set Wilson on a career path toward space.
- Raised in a technical household, she earned a B.S, in Engineering Science from Harvard in 1988.
- She worked on Titan IV loads and dynamics, then earned an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering focused on flexible space structures.
- At JPL she handled attitude and articulation control for the Galileo mission before NASA selected her as an astronaut candidate in April 1996.
- Ten years after starting astronaut training, she was assigned to STS-121 on Discovery to operate the robotic arm for the MPLM rendezvous.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912463Sat, 12 Sep 2026 09:01:35 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA single astronaut must command a robotic arm to steady a 28,000-pound module racing above Earth - did she make it in time? The robotic arm grabbed the 28,000‑pound module and raced the clock In this episode, we follow the path that led...
The robotic arm grabbed the 28,000‑pound module and raced the clock

In this episode, we follow the path that led Stephanie Wilson from a middle‑school homework call to an astronomer to operating a robotic arm in low Earth orbit. The episode covers her upbringing in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, her engineering education and NASA training, and the mission where she was tasked with moving the Multi‑Purpose Logistics Module - but could she meet the clock in space?

Person: Stephanie Diana Wilson
Location: Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Date: September 27, 1966 (birth)
Event: STS-121, launch July 4, 2006
Object: Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (28,000 pounds)

- A middle‑school interview with astronomer Jay Pasachoff set Wilson on a career path toward space.
- Raised in a technical household, she earned a B.S, in Engineering Science from Harvard in 1988.
- She worked on Titan IV loads and dynamics, then earned an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering focused on flexible space structures.
- At JPL she handled attitude and articulation control for the Galileo mission before NASA selected her as an astronaut candidate in April 1996.
- Ten years after starting astronaut training, she was assigned to STS-121 on Discovery to operate the robotic arm for the MPLM rendezvous.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1138falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-robotic-arm-that-grabbed-spas-1-and-bought-them-six-hours-to-return--74912461
The robotic arm that grabbed SPAS‑1 - and bought them six hours to return?

In this episode, we follow the mission timeline of STS‑7 and the role Sally Ride played as a mission specialist and robotic‑arm operator. The episode covers crew tasks, the SPAS‑1 deployment and retrieval, and the decisions that shaped those six critical days in orbit-what choices did they make on the clock?

Person: Sally Ride
Event: STS‑7 shuttle mission
Date: June 18, 1983
Location: Kennedy Space Center / Low Earth orbit
Equipment: Remote Manipulator System (robotic arm), SPAS‑1

- Ride served as mission specialist and was the astronaut who operated the Remote Manipulator System during SPAS‑1 operations.
- The crew deployed two commercial satellites (Anik C‑2 and Palapa B‑1) before releasing the SPAS‑1 platform.
- SPAS‑1 was released to photograph the shuttle from the outside, a first for the program.
- Retrieving SPAS‑1 required precise manual control and steadiness that simulators could not fully reproduce.
- The retrieval consumed critical on‑orbit time, adding about six hours to mission planning for return preparations.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912461Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:00:58 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTSally Ride maneuvers the shuttle's robotic arm to catch SPAS‑1 - can she bring the platform home intact before time runs out? The robotic arm that grabbed SPAS‑1 - and bought them six hours to return? In this episode, we follow the mission...
The robotic arm that grabbed SPAS‑1 - and bought them six hours to return?

In this episode, we follow the mission timeline of STS‑7 and the role Sally Ride played as a mission specialist and robotic‑arm operator. The episode covers crew tasks, the SPAS‑1 deployment and retrieval, and the decisions that shaped those six critical days in orbit-what choices did they make on the clock?

Person: Sally Ride
Event: STS‑7 shuttle mission
Date: June 18, 1983
Location: Kennedy Space Center / Low Earth orbit
Equipment: Remote Manipulator System (robotic arm), SPAS‑1

- Ride served as mission specialist and was the astronaut who operated the Remote Manipulator System during SPAS‑1 operations.
- The crew deployed two commercial satellites (Anik C‑2 and Palapa B‑1) before releasing the SPAS‑1 platform.
- SPAS‑1 was released to photograph the shuttle from the outside, a first for the program.
- Retrieving SPAS‑1 required precise manual control and steadiness that simulators could not fully reproduce.
- The retrieval consumed critical on‑orbit time, adding about six hours to mission planning for return preparations.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1237falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-mmu-s-nitrogen-jets-ran-out-with-mccandless-320-feet-from-safety--74912458
The MMU's nitrogen jets ran out with McCandless 320 feet from safety

In this episode, we follow the seconds and years that led to Bruce McCandless becoming the astronaut who would don a nitrogen-powered Manned Maneuvering Unit and float free above Earth. We trace his lineage, naval and academic career, and the patient engineering and bureaucracy behind the MMU-what did that long preparation mean in the moment he drifted alone?

Person: Bruce McCandless II
Date: February 7, 1984
Event: Untethered EVA using the Manned Maneuvering Unit
Duration of astronaut wait: 17 years before first spaceflight
Background: Naval Academy graduate and electrical engineer who helped design the MMU

- Born Byron Willis McCandless on June 8, 1937, renamed Bruce McCandless II at 11 months, tying him to a two-generation Medal of Honor family legacy.
- Graduated Naval Academy in 1958, ranked second of 899, later earned an M.S, in electrical engineering from Stanford in 1965.
- Selected by NASA in April 1966 as part of Astronaut Group Five and served repeatedly as CAPCOM, including during Apollo 11’s lunar landing communications.
- Shifted roles from competing for shuttle pilot slots to becoming a mission specialist focused on designing, testing, and advocating for the MMU for years.
- The MMU was a rigid backpack using nitrogen propulsion, controlled by hand controllers on extended arms, built to free an astronaut from tethers for maneuvering outside the shuttle.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912458Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:01:00 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAstronaut Bruce McCandless floats untethered 320 feet from the shuttle with the MMU’s nitrogen jets dwindling-did he make it back in time? The MMU's nitrogen jets ran out with McCandless 320 feet from safety In this episode, we follow the...
The MMU's nitrogen jets ran out with McCandless 320 feet from safety

In this episode, we follow the seconds and years that led to Bruce McCandless becoming the astronaut who would don a nitrogen-powered Manned Maneuvering Unit and float free above Earth. We trace his lineage, naval and academic career, and the patient engineering and bureaucracy behind the MMU-what did that long preparation mean in the moment he drifted alone?

Person: Bruce McCandless II
Date: February 7, 1984
Event: Untethered EVA using the Manned Maneuvering Unit
Duration of astronaut wait: 17 years before first spaceflight
Background: Naval Academy graduate and electrical engineer who helped design the MMU

- Born Byron Willis McCandless on June 8, 1937, renamed Bruce McCandless II at 11 months, tying him to a two-generation Medal of Honor family legacy.
- Graduated Naval Academy in 1958, ranked second of 899, later earned an M.S, in electrical engineering from Stanford in 1965.
- Selected by NASA in April 1966 as part of Astronaut Group Five and served repeatedly as CAPCOM, including during Apollo 11’s lunar landing communications.
- Shifted roles from competing for shuttle pilot slots to becoming a mission specialist focused on designing, testing, and advocating for the MMU for years.
- The MMU was a rigid backpack using nitrogen propulsion, controlled by hand controllers on extended arms, built to free an astronaut from tethers for maneuvering outside the shuttle.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1514falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-radio-channel-he-opened-spoke-to-the-dead-and-bought-them-time--74912456
The radio channel he opened spoke to the dead - and bought them time

In this episode, we follow Frederick Hamilton Hauck from a destroyer in 1963 to the shuttle program and the quiet after Challenger. It covers how his background and NASA roles led him to a moment of unscripted human contact in orbit - and asks what made him the one they trusted with that job.

Person: Frederick Hamilton Hauck
Date: September 29, 1988
Event: Unscripted radio message from Space Shuttle Discovery
Period: 1978-1988
Case: Shuttle program silence after Challenger

- As a 22-year-old aboard USS Warrington, Hauck stood watch during the search for USS Thresher in April 1963 and learned how systems fail completely.
- He earned aviator wings in 1968, flew 114 combat/support missions in an A-6 Intruder, and attended Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River.
- Selected by NASA in January 1978, Hauck sat at the main table on his first day - a quiet authority noted by colleagues.
- He piloted STS-7 in June 1983 and commanded STS-51-A in November 1984, leading the first-ever space salvage to retrieve two dead satellites.
- After Challenger, Hauck served as NASA associate administrator for external relations, briefing Congress and managing the agency’s public posture during 972 days of grounded human spaceflight.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912456Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:01:21 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA veteran astronaut broadcasts to the dead from two hundred miles up-can NASA speak again after its silence? Did they make it in time? The radio channel he opened spoke to the dead - and bought them time In this episode, we follow Frederick...
The radio channel he opened spoke to the dead - and bought them time

In this episode, we follow Frederick Hamilton Hauck from a destroyer in 1963 to the shuttle program and the quiet after Challenger. It covers how his background and NASA roles led him to a moment of unscripted human contact in orbit - and asks what made him the one they trusted with that job.

Person: Frederick Hamilton Hauck
Date: September 29, 1988
Event: Unscripted radio message from Space Shuttle Discovery
Period: 1978-1988
Case: Shuttle program silence after Challenger

- As a 22-year-old aboard USS Warrington, Hauck stood watch during the search for USS Thresher in April 1963 and learned how systems fail completely.
- He earned aviator wings in 1968, flew 114 combat/support missions in an A-6 Intruder, and attended Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River.
- Selected by NASA in January 1978, Hauck sat at the main table on his first day - a quiet authority noted by colleagues.
- He piloted STS-7 in June 1983 and commanded STS-51-A in November 1984, leading the first-ever space salvage to retrieve two dead satellites.
- After Challenger, Hauck served as NASA associate administrator for external relations, briefing Congress and managing the agency’s public posture during 972 days of grounded human spaceflight.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1098falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-seattle-world-s-fair-model-forced-her-to-race-for-a-shuttle-seat--74912453
The Seattle World's Fair model forced her to race for a shuttle seat

In this episode, we follow a single arc from a childhood sighting of Sputnik in 1957 to a career spent making and certifying the Space Shuttle's ceramic heat-shield tiles, tracking the decisions and doors that led her toward orbit. What happened along the way as she moved from farm fields to laboratories to spacecraft?

Person: Bonnie Jeanne Dunbar
Date: 1957 (Sputnik sighting), 1962 (Seattle World's Fair), 1967 (entered University of Washington), 1971 (undergraduate degree), 1975 (master's degree)
Location: Outlook, Washington; University of Washington; Downey, California (tile factory)
Topic: Ceramic heat-shield tiles and Space Shuttle thermal protection
Event: Seeing Sputnik; visiting the Seattle World's Fair; working on silica fiber tiles; manufacturing tiles; later flying on five shuttle missions

- At eight, she stood alone on her family's forty acres in Outlook and tracked Sputnik with her naked eyes, practicing the patience of observation.
- At thirteen, a visit to the Seattle World's Fair and its Space Shuttle fixed her attention on science and engineering as a possible future.
- Despite a school counselor's suggestion that she marry a farmer, she enrolled in engineering at the University of Washington in 1967 and specialized in ceramic engineering.
- Recruited by Dean James I. Mueller, she worked on X-ray diffraction and foundational silica-fiber research that underpinned the shuttle's tile design.
- She spent years handmaking, testing, and filing quality reports for ceramic heat-shield tiles at a Downey factory before later strapping into the very spacecraft those tiles protected.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912453Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:01:31 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn eight-year-old in a Washington wheat field sees Sputnik and pursues engineering - did she make it onto the shuttle? The Seattle World's Fair model forced her to race for a shuttle seat In this episode, we follow a single arc from a childhood...
The Seattle World's Fair model forced her to race for a shuttle seat

In this episode, we follow a single arc from a childhood sighting of Sputnik in 1957 to a career spent making and certifying the Space Shuttle's ceramic heat-shield tiles, tracking the decisions and doors that led her toward orbit. What happened along the way as she moved from farm fields to laboratories to spacecraft?

Person: Bonnie Jeanne Dunbar
Date: 1957 (Sputnik sighting), 1962 (Seattle World's Fair), 1967 (entered University of Washington), 1971 (undergraduate degree), 1975 (master's degree)
Location: Outlook, Washington; University of Washington; Downey, California (tile factory)
Topic: Ceramic heat-shield tiles and Space Shuttle thermal protection
Event: Seeing Sputnik; visiting the Seattle World's Fair; working on silica fiber tiles; manufacturing tiles; later flying on five shuttle missions

- At eight, she stood alone on her family's forty acres in Outlook and tracked Sputnik with her naked eyes, practicing the patience of observation.
- At thirteen, a visit to the Seattle World's Fair and its Space Shuttle fixed her attention on science and engineering as a possible future.
- Despite a school counselor's suggestion that she marry a farmer, she enrolled in engineering at the University of Washington in 1967 and specialized in ceramic engineering.
- Recruited by Dean James I. Mueller, she worked on X-ray diffraction and foundational silica-fiber research that underpinned the shuttle's tile design.
- She spent years handmaking, testing, and filing quality reports for ceramic heat-shield tiles at a Downey factory before later strapping into the very spacecraft those tiles protected.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1258falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-letter-he-mailed-to-the-president-that-got-a-nomination-in-time--74912452
The letter he mailed to the President that got a nomination in time

In this episode, we follow Charles Frank Bolden Jr.’s journey from Columbia, South Carolina, through a blocked naval nomination to a presidential appeal and into the skies, tracing the decisions, training, and moments that shaped his path. What choices and chances turned a rejected seventeen-year-old into an astronaut whose voice would later be sent to Mars?

Person: Charles Frank Bolden Jr.
Date: August 28, 2012
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Event: Letter to President Lyndon B. Johnson requesting help with a naval academy nomination
Outcome detail: Nomination provided by Representative William L. Dawson of Chicago

- At 17, Bolden had the grades and drive for the U.S. Naval Academy but received no nomination from South Carolina’s delegation.
- He bypassed local politicians and mailed a letter directly to President Lyndon B. Johnson asking for assistance.
- Within weeks a military recruiter arrived at his family home and a nomination came from Representative William L. Dawson of Chicago.
- Bolden entered the Naval Academy with the class of 1968, became class president, and earned a B.S, in electrical science.
- After decade-long military aviation and test-pilot service, and recruitment efforts by Nichelle Nichols, Bolden was selected as a NASA astronaut in August 1981.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912452Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:01:37 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA man denied a naval nomination writes to the President and mails a plea that reaches Mars - did his letter make it in time? The letter he mailed to the President that got a nomination in time In this episode, we follow Charles Frank Bolden...
The letter he mailed to the President that got a nomination in time

In this episode, we follow Charles Frank Bolden Jr.’s journey from Columbia, South Carolina, through a blocked naval nomination to a presidential appeal and into the skies, tracing the decisions, training, and moments that shaped his path. What choices and chances turned a rejected seventeen-year-old into an astronaut whose voice would later be sent to Mars?

Person: Charles Frank Bolden Jr.
Date: August 28, 2012
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Event: Letter to President Lyndon B. Johnson requesting help with a naval academy nomination
Outcome detail: Nomination provided by Representative William L. Dawson of Chicago

- At 17, Bolden had the grades and drive for the U.S. Naval Academy but received no nomination from South Carolina’s delegation.
- He bypassed local politicians and mailed a letter directly to President Lyndon B. Johnson asking for assistance.
- Within weeks a military recruiter arrived at his family home and a nomination came from Representative William L. Dawson of Chicago.
- Bolden entered the Naval Academy with the class of 1968, became class president, and earned a B.S, in electrical science.
- After decade-long military aviation and test-pilot service, and recruitment efforts by Nichelle Nichols, Bolden was selected as a NASA astronaut in August 1981.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1242falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fuel-cell-pressure-that-plunged-to-65-psi-bought-them-only-one-day--74912450
The fuel-cell pressure that plunged to 65 PSI bought them only one day

In this episode, we follow the mission timeline aboard Gemini V as Cooper and Conrad confront a sudden fuel-cell pressure loss that forces NASA to re-prioritize systems and rethink the flight plan. The episode focuses on the technical failures, the decisions made in flight and on the ground, and the narrowing deadline that defines every move - how do they stretch one day into the hope of eight?

Person: Gordon Cooper
Person: Pete Conrad
Date: August 21, 1965
Event: Fuel-cell pressure drop from 850 PSI to 65 PSI
Location: Gemini V in low Earth orbit

- Launch at 9:59 AM on August 21, 1965 from a Titan II carrying two astronauts aiming for an eight-day mission.
- At T+13 seconds the rocket experienced a pogo oscillation that pushed acceleration to 0.38 g, blurring the crew's vision and thickening their voices.
- Four hours and twenty-two minutes after launch the fuel-cell pressure fell from 850 PSI and stabilized at 65 PSI, prompting Cooper to shut the cells down.
- Ground teams built and ran low-pressure tests, concluded the cells could operate at reduced pressure, and authorized an incremental restart under strict margins.
- With fuel cells at limited output, Mission Control ranked onboard systems by priority, cancelled the rendezvous pod chase, and imposed power and thermal restrictions that reshaped every procedure.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912450Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:01:43 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTTwo men in a cramped Gemini capsule watch fuel-cell pressure plunge to 65 PSI - did they make it in time? The fuel-cell pressure that plunged to 65 PSI bought them only one day In this episode, we follow the mission timeline aboard Gemini V as...
The fuel-cell pressure that plunged to 65 PSI bought them only one day

In this episode, we follow the mission timeline aboard Gemini V as Cooper and Conrad confront a sudden fuel-cell pressure loss that forces NASA to re-prioritize systems and rethink the flight plan. The episode focuses on the technical failures, the decisions made in flight and on the ground, and the narrowing deadline that defines every move - how do they stretch one day into the hope of eight?

Person: Gordon Cooper
Person: Pete Conrad
Date: August 21, 1965
Event: Fuel-cell pressure drop from 850 PSI to 65 PSI
Location: Gemini V in low Earth orbit

- Launch at 9:59 AM on August 21, 1965 from a Titan II carrying two astronauts aiming for an eight-day mission.
- At T+13 seconds the rocket experienced a pogo oscillation that pushed acceleration to 0.38 g, blurring the crew's vision and thickening their voices.
- Four hours and twenty-two minutes after launch the fuel-cell pressure fell from 850 PSI and stabilized at 65 PSI, prompting Cooper to shut the cells down.
- Ground teams built and ran low-pressure tests, concluded the cells could operate at reduced pressure, and authorized an incremental restart under strict margins.
- With fuel cells at limited output, Mission Control ranked onboard systems by priority, cancelled the rendezvous pod chase, and imposed power and thermal restrictions that reshaped every procedure.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1344falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-jammed-hatch-forced-mcdivitt-to-crank-the-gears-did-they-make-it--74912449
The jammed hatch forced McDivitt to crank the gears - did they make it?

In this episode, we follow James McDivitt and Ed White through Gemini IV’s tense hours: a failed rendezvous with a tumbling Titan stage, a risky EVA, and a jammed hatch that forces McDivitt to rely on practiced hand motions in bulky gloves. How did training, timing, and split-second decisions shape what happened next?

Person: James Alton McDivitt
Person: Edward H. White II
Event: Gemini IV EVA and hatch jam
Date: June 3-4, 1965
Location: 140-145 miles above the Pacific

- McDivitt and White flew a four-day mission that included a planned rendezvous with the tumbling Titan II upper stage.
- Repeated burns widened the gap; residual propellant pulses and orbital mechanics prevented a successful rendezvous.
- Engineers had documented a hatch-gear failure mode; McDivitt trained beforehand to force the gears by hand.
- While wearing pressurized gloves that reduced his grip, McDivitt manually operated the hatch so White could exit for the EVA.
- McDivitt photographed White during the spacewalk as White used a handheld maneuvering unit to drift away and return.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912449Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:01:50 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA jammed hatch could strand astronaut James McDivitt above the Pacific - can he crank frozen gears in time? The jammed hatch forced McDivitt to crank the gears - did they make it? In this episode, we follow James McDivitt and Ed White through...
The jammed hatch forced McDivitt to crank the gears - did they make it?

In this episode, we follow James McDivitt and Ed White through Gemini IV’s tense hours: a failed rendezvous with a tumbling Titan stage, a risky EVA, and a jammed hatch that forces McDivitt to rely on practiced hand motions in bulky gloves. How did training, timing, and split-second decisions shape what happened next?

Person: James Alton McDivitt
Person: Edward H. White II
Event: Gemini IV EVA and hatch jam
Date: June 3-4, 1965
Location: 140-145 miles above the Pacific

- McDivitt and White flew a four-day mission that included a planned rendezvous with the tumbling Titan II upper stage.
- Repeated burns widened the gap; residual propellant pulses and orbital mechanics prevented a successful rendezvous.
- Engineers had documented a hatch-gear failure mode; McDivitt trained beforehand to force the gears by hand.
- While wearing pressurized gloves that reduced his grip, McDivitt manually operated the hatch so White could exit for the EVA.
- McDivitt photographed White during the spacewalk as White used a handheld maneuvering unit to drift away and return.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1262falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-abraded-silver-wire-sparked-the-cabin-did-they-make-it-in-time--74912446
The abraded silver wire sparked the cabin-did they make it in time?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline and technical details of the January 27, 1967 plugs-out test that turned into a fatal cabin fire. We lay out the hardware, the decisions, and the moments that led up to the rupture to ask whether known risks were given enough weight.

Date: January 27, 1967
Event: plugs-out test (no fuel, pyrotechnics disabled)
Location: Command Module 012, Launch Complex 34
People: Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee
Manufacturer: North American Aviation

- The command module arrived with a conditional airworthiness certificate listing 113 incomplete engineering changes and later accrued 623 more change orders.
- The cabin used a pure oxygen atmosphere pressurized to roughly 16.7 psi, a carryover practice from Mercury and Gemini.
- Crewmember Gus Grissom repeatedly warned about flammable materials, even hanging a lemon in the simulator as a complaint and confronting program management.
- Inside the lower-left cabin floor, a silver-plated copper wire with abraded Teflon insulation ran near a glycol coolant line that had a history of leaks.
- The plugs-out test had been running over five hours with intermittent communications when a voltage spike crossed the damaged wire and the wall ruptured seconds later.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912446Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:40:30 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA damaged silver-plated wire and a leaking glycol line ignite inside an oxygen-filled Apollo cabin - did they make it in time? The abraded silver wire sparked the cabin-did they make it in time? In this episode, we walk through the timeline and...
The abraded silver wire sparked the cabin-did they make it in time?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline and technical details of the January 27, 1967 plugs-out test that turned into a fatal cabin fire. We lay out the hardware, the decisions, and the moments that led up to the rupture to ask whether known risks were given enough weight.

Date: January 27, 1967
Event: plugs-out test (no fuel, pyrotechnics disabled)
Location: Command Module 012, Launch Complex 34
People: Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee
Manufacturer: North American Aviation

- The command module arrived with a conditional airworthiness certificate listing 113 incomplete engineering changes and later accrued 623 more change orders.
- The cabin used a pure oxygen atmosphere pressurized to roughly 16.7 psi, a carryover practice from Mercury and Gemini.
- Crewmember Gus Grissom repeatedly warned about flammable materials, even hanging a lemon in the simulator as a complaint and confronting program management.
- Inside the lower-left cabin floor, a silver-plated copper wire with abraded Teflon insulation ran near a glycol coolant line that had a history of leaks.
- The plugs-out test had been running over five hours with intermittent communications when a voltage spike crossed the damaged wire and the wall ruptured seconds later.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1334falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-canadarm-lifted-unity-and-started-the-seven-hour-race-for-air--74912445
The Canadarm lifted Unity and started the seven‑hour race for air

In this episode, the mission of STS‑88 is presented: the shuttle Endeavour carrying Unity rendezvouses with the already-orbiting Russian module Zarya to begin the first physical assembly of the International Space Station. The episode follows the crew, the hardware and the ticking orbital clock-could forty connectors installed by two spacewalkers in seven hours be enough?

Mission: STS‑88
Date: December 4-15, 1998
Location: Low Earth orbit, ~240 miles altitude
Person: Commander Robert Cabana; Pilot Frederick Sturckow; Mission Specialists Jerry Ross, James Newman, Nancy Currie, Sergei Krikalev
Object: Unity (Node One) and Zarya (Dawn)

- Unity arrived at Kennedy Space Center June 23, 1997 and sat sealed with placards pointing to unbuilt corridors.
- Zarya launched from Baikonur on a Proton in November 1998 and began orbiting before Endeavour lifted.
- Endeavour launched December 4, 1998 at 03:35:34 with a six‑person crew tasked to rendezvous and connect two modules.
- Nancy Currie operated the Canadarm to lift Unity from the shuttle bay while Ross and Newman prepared for multiple spacewalks.
- The assembly depended on two suited astronauts installing forty connectors and cables during a roughly seven‑hour EVA while orbital timing grew tighter each revolution.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912445Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:40:26 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Canadarm lifts a U.S. node toward a lone Russian module 240 miles up - six crew race a shrinking window. Did they make it in time? The Canadarm lifted Unity and started the seven‑hour race for air In this episode, the mission of STS‑88 is...
The Canadarm lifted Unity and started the seven‑hour race for air

In this episode, the mission of STS‑88 is presented: the shuttle Endeavour carrying Unity rendezvouses with the already-orbiting Russian module Zarya to begin the first physical assembly of the International Space Station. The episode follows the crew, the hardware and the ticking orbital clock-could forty connectors installed by two spacewalkers in seven hours be enough?

Mission: STS‑88
Date: December 4-15, 1998
Location: Low Earth orbit, ~240 miles altitude
Person: Commander Robert Cabana; Pilot Frederick Sturckow; Mission Specialists Jerry Ross, James Newman, Nancy Currie, Sergei Krikalev
Object: Unity (Node One) and Zarya (Dawn)

- Unity arrived at Kennedy Space Center June 23, 1997 and sat sealed with placards pointing to unbuilt corridors.
- Zarya launched from Baikonur on a Proton in November 1998 and began orbiting before Endeavour lifted.
- Endeavour launched December 4, 1998 at 03:35:34 with a six‑person crew tasked to rendezvous and connect two modules.
- Nancy Currie operated the Canadarm to lift Unity from the shuttle bay while Ross and Newman prepared for multiple spacewalks.
- The assembly depended on two suited astronauts installing forty connectors and cables during a roughly seven‑hour EVA while orbital timing grew tighter each revolution.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1171falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-puncture-in-apt-s-glove-leaked-for-six-hours-did-they-make-it--74912441
The puncture in Apt's glove leaked for six hours - did they make it?

In this episode, we follow the tense contingency EVA on STS-37 when Jerome Apt and Jerry Ross went outside Atlantis to fix the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory’s stuck antenna. The story traces the decisions, equipment, and timing that led to a hidden puncture in Apt’s right glove and asks how close the mission came to catastrophe.

Person: Jerome Apt
Event: STS-37 contingency EVA to deploy Compton Gamma Ray Observatory antenna
Date: April 7, 1991
Location: Space Shuttle Atlantis, low Earth orbit
Duration outside: 5 hours 57 minutes

- Ground controllers at Goddard sent six commands to deploy the observatory’s high-gain antenna; none moved it.
- Engineers used the Canadarm to shake the antenna boom from the cargo bay before calling a contingency EVA.
- Neither Apt nor Ross had performed an in-flight EVA before; both trained in the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator.
- A technician later found a puncture in the pressure bladder of Apt’s right glove during postflight equipment inspection.
- The glove’s breach was sealed during the mission by the hand’s position and a thin silk comfort liner, not a backup system or an alarm.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912441Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:40:22 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTJerome Apt floats outside Atlantis with a punctured glove for nearly six hours during a contingency EVA - did they make it in time? The puncture in Apt's glove leaked for six hours - did they make it? In this episode, we follow the tense...
The puncture in Apt's glove leaked for six hours - did they make it?

In this episode, we follow the tense contingency EVA on STS-37 when Jerome Apt and Jerry Ross went outside Atlantis to fix the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory’s stuck antenna. The story traces the decisions, equipment, and timing that led to a hidden puncture in Apt’s right glove and asks how close the mission came to catastrophe.

Person: Jerome Apt
Event: STS-37 contingency EVA to deploy Compton Gamma Ray Observatory antenna
Date: April 7, 1991
Location: Space Shuttle Atlantis, low Earth orbit
Duration outside: 5 hours 57 minutes

- Ground controllers at Goddard sent six commands to deploy the observatory’s high-gain antenna; none moved it.
- Engineers used the Canadarm to shake the antenna boom from the cargo bay before calling a contingency EVA.
- Neither Apt nor Ross had performed an in-flight EVA before; both trained in the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator.
- A technician later found a puncture in the pressure bladder of Apt’s right glove during postflight equipment inspection.
- The glove’s breach was sealed during the mission by the hand’s position and a thin silk comfort liner, not a backup system or an alarm.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1220falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-spacecraft-burned-an-extra-minute-of-fuel-did-it-reach-toutatis--74912440
The spacecraft burned an extra minute of fuel - did it reach Toutatis?

In this episode, we follow a near-miss between a repurposed Chinese spacecraft and a seven-kilometer contact binary that had been lost to science for fifty-five years. The story traces the asteroid’s rediscovery, its chaotic orbit driven by resonances with Earth and Jupiter, and the narrowing window of certainty that makes every close approach a high-stakes calculation - did the spacecraft make contact in time?

Date: December 13, 2012
Person: Christian Pollas
Designation: 1934 CT / 1989 AC (Toutatis)
Size: 7 kilometers (contact binary)
Lyapunov horizon: ~50 years

- A faint streak on a 1934 glass plate received the provisional designation 1934 CT and then disappeared from observations.
- In 1989, Christian Pollas recovered the object at the Caussols observatory and it was later named Toutatis.
- Toutatis is an Apollo-group, Mars-crossing asteroid in a 4:1 resonance with Earth and 3:1 with Jupiter, creating chaotic orbital behavior.
- The Lyapunov horizon for Toutatis, including terrestrial planets, is about fifty years, after which small orbital uncertainties grow exponentially.
- On December 13, 2012, a Chinese spacecraft passed 3.2 kilometers from the tumbling rock after being repurposed to approach an object it was never designed to encounter.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912440Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:40:18 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Chinese spacecraft burned extra fuel during a close pass of asteroid Toutatis - did the flyby actually reach Toutatis? The spacecraft burned an extra minute of fuel - did it reach Toutatis? In this episode, we follow a near-miss between a...
The spacecraft burned an extra minute of fuel - did it reach Toutatis?

In this episode, we follow a near-miss between a repurposed Chinese spacecraft and a seven-kilometer contact binary that had been lost to science for fifty-five years. The story traces the asteroid’s rediscovery, its chaotic orbit driven by resonances with Earth and Jupiter, and the narrowing window of certainty that makes every close approach a high-stakes calculation - did the spacecraft make contact in time?

Date: December 13, 2012
Person: Christian Pollas
Designation: 1934 CT / 1989 AC (Toutatis)
Size: 7 kilometers (contact binary)
Lyapunov horizon: ~50 years

- A faint streak on a 1934 glass plate received the provisional designation 1934 CT and then disappeared from observations.
- In 1989, Christian Pollas recovered the object at the Caussols observatory and it was later named Toutatis.
- Toutatis is an Apollo-group, Mars-crossing asteroid in a 4:1 resonance with Earth and 3:1 with Jupiter, creating chaotic orbital behavior.
- The Lyapunov horizon for Toutatis, including terrestrial planets, is about fifty years, after which small orbital uncertainties grow exponentially.
- On December 13, 2012, a Chinese spacecraft passed 3.2 kilometers from the tumbling rock after being repurposed to approach an object it was never designed to encounter.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1476falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-last-signal-that-died-forty-five-seconds-before-impact-did-it-make-earth--74912437
The last signal that died forty-five seconds before impact-did it make Earth?

In this episode, we follow the mission arc of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft from its planning and political fights through its twenty-year journey to Saturn and the deliberate decision to end it in Saturn's atmosphere. The episode covers the technical risks, the human stakes, and the choices that led engineers to plan a controlled destruction - but what drove them to that final signal and decision?

Person: Cassini-Huygens spacecraft
Date: September 15, 2017, 11:55:46 UTC
Distance: 1,400,000,000 kilometers
Mass at launch: 5,600 kilograms
Plutonium: 33 kilograms in three RTGs

- Two agencies, NASA and ESA, began joint studies in 1984 and assigned the orbiter and probe the names Cassini and Huygens.
- The spacecraft measured 6.8 meters tall, carried 14 kilometers of wiring, and hosted 12 scientific instruments including synthetic aperture radar.
- Solar power was impossible at Saturn; mission power came from three RTGs containing 33 kg of plutonium dioxide.
- Budget fights in 1992 and 1994 nearly canceled the mission; ESA’s 15% funding commitment kept it alive.
- Cassini used gravity assists - two near-Venus flybys, Earth, and Jupiter - to reach Saturn without extra propellant.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912437Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:40:14 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA spacecraft sent a final signal one billion four hundred million kilometers from Earth - did Cassini make it? The last signal that died forty-five seconds before impact-did it make Earth? In this episode, we follow the mission arc of the...
The last signal that died forty-five seconds before impact-did it make Earth?

In this episode, we follow the mission arc of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft from its planning and political fights through its twenty-year journey to Saturn and the deliberate decision to end it in Saturn's atmosphere. The episode covers the technical risks, the human stakes, and the choices that led engineers to plan a controlled destruction - but what drove them to that final signal and decision?

Person: Cassini-Huygens spacecraft
Date: September 15, 2017, 11:55:46 UTC
Distance: 1,400,000,000 kilometers
Mass at launch: 5,600 kilograms
Plutonium: 33 kilograms in three RTGs

- Two agencies, NASA and ESA, began joint studies in 1984 and assigned the orbiter and probe the names Cassini and Huygens.
- The spacecraft measured 6.8 meters tall, carried 14 kilometers of wiring, and hosted 12 scientific instruments including synthetic aperture radar.
- Solar power was impossible at Saturn; mission power came from three RTGs containing 33 kg of plutonium dioxide.
- Budget fights in 1992 and 1994 nearly canceled the mission; ESA’s 15% funding commitment kept it alive.
- Cassini used gravity assists - two near-Venus flybys, Earth, and Jupiter - to reach Saturn without extra propellant.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1222falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-funding-vote-that-stalled-okeanos-before-it-ever-launched--74912435
The funding vote that stalled OKEANOS before it ever launched

In this episode, we walk through the OKEANOS mission concept, its engineering roots in IKAROS, and the funding timeline that decided its fate. What did the proposal promise to learn about Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, and how did a single budget vote alter that trajectory?

Person: Project team at JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Date: Funding vote April 2019; IKAROS separation May 21, 2010; IKAROS sail deployed July 2010
Location: Jupiter Trojan asteroids (L4 and L5); mission concept at JAXA
Topic: OKEANOS solar-sail sample-return mission concept

- IKAROS demonstrated attitude-controlled solar-sail flight using a 14 m polyimide membrane with liquid-crystal panels to vary reflectivity.
- OKEANOS was designed as an oversized solar sail mission (1,600 m²) scaled from IKAROS to reach, orbit, and return samples from Jupiter’s Trojan swarms.
- The mission shifted from being a Europa-Jupiter companion to a standalone Trojan sample-return after the original Laplace mission was canceled.
- Scientists argued a returned Trojan sample would provide isotopic and volatile chemistry (e.g., hydrogen-to-deuterium ratios) to distinguish competing formation hypotheses.
- The project’s critical clock was the funding cycle; despite detailed peer-reviewed designs and mass/watt accounting, a budget decision in April 2019 halted construction.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912435Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:40:11 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA hundred-meter-class solar sail and a team racing a funding deadline to bring back the first Trojan asteroid samples - did they make it in time? The funding vote that stalled OKEANOS before it ever launched In this episode, we walk through the...
The funding vote that stalled OKEANOS before it ever launched

In this episode, we walk through the OKEANOS mission concept, its engineering roots in IKAROS, and the funding timeline that decided its fate. What did the proposal promise to learn about Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, and how did a single budget vote alter that trajectory?

Person: Project team at JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Date: Funding vote April 2019; IKAROS separation May 21, 2010; IKAROS sail deployed July 2010
Location: Jupiter Trojan asteroids (L4 and L5); mission concept at JAXA
Topic: OKEANOS solar-sail sample-return mission concept

- IKAROS demonstrated attitude-controlled solar-sail flight using a 14 m polyimide membrane with liquid-crystal panels to vary reflectivity.
- OKEANOS was designed as an oversized solar sail mission (1,600 m²) scaled from IKAROS to reach, orbit, and return samples from Jupiter’s Trojan swarms.
- The mission shifted from being a Europa-Jupiter companion to a standalone Trojan sample-return after the original Laplace mission was canceled.
- Scientists argued a returned Trojan sample would provide isotopic and volatile chemistry (e.g., hydrogen-to-deuterium ratios) to distinguish competing formation hypotheses.
- The project’s critical clock was the funding cycle; despite detailed peer-reviewed designs and mass/watt accounting, a budget decision in April 2019 halted construction.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1471falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/meters-of-air-how-a-missile-turned-space-into-shrapnel--74912432
Meters of Air: How a Missile Turned Space Into Shrapnel

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that led a forty-year-old defunct satellite to become a dense debris field and the operational choices that put crewed stations in its path. What decisions and technologies turned a passive object into an active hazard, and how close did the ISS come to catastrophe?

Person: Kosmos-1408
Date: November 15, 2021; January 18, 2022
Location: Low Earth Orbit; Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Event: Russian direct-ascent antisatellite missile strike
Status: Satellite destroyed; 1,790 catalogued fragments

- A 1,750 kg Tselina-derived signals-intelligence satellite launched in 1982 and operated beyond its six-month design life before going silent with no propulsion.
- Kosmos-1408 remained in a roughly 645-679 km, 82.5° inclination orbit for 39 years, crossing the ISS orbital band thousands of times.
- At ~02:50 UTC on Nov 15, 2021, a Nudol (A-235) missile launched from Plesetsk and struck the inert satellite, fragmenting it into at least 1,790 trackable pieces.
- Radar and commercial trackers (Numerica, Slingshot Aerospace, LeoLabs) reported the primary fragment count within hours while noting many smaller, untrackable shards likely remained.
- On Jan 18, 2022, two objects in that debris field passed within 14.5 meters of one another while traveling at nearly 7 km/s, underscoring the persistent collision risk.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912432Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:40:06 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA dead Soviet satellite and a Russian missile clash near the ISS, sending shrapnel into orbit - did they make it through? Meters of Air: How a Missile Turned Space Into Shrapnel In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that led a...
Meters of Air: How a Missile Turned Space Into Shrapnel

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events that led a forty-year-old defunct satellite to become a dense debris field and the operational choices that put crewed stations in its path. What decisions and technologies turned a passive object into an active hazard, and how close did the ISS come to catastrophe?

Person: Kosmos-1408
Date: November 15, 2021; January 18, 2022
Location: Low Earth Orbit; Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Event: Russian direct-ascent antisatellite missile strike
Status: Satellite destroyed; 1,790 catalogued fragments

- A 1,750 kg Tselina-derived signals-intelligence satellite launched in 1982 and operated beyond its six-month design life before going silent with no propulsion.
- Kosmos-1408 remained in a roughly 645-679 km, 82.5° inclination orbit for 39 years, crossing the ISS orbital band thousands of times.
- At ~02:50 UTC on Nov 15, 2021, a Nudol (A-235) missile launched from Plesetsk and struck the inert satellite, fragmenting it into at least 1,790 trackable pieces.
- Radar and commercial trackers (Numerica, Slingshot Aerospace, LeoLabs) reported the primary fragment count within hours while noting many smaller, untrackable shards likely remained.
- On Jan 18, 2022, two objects in that debris field passed within 14.5 meters of one another while traveling at nearly 7 km/s, underscoring the persistent collision risk.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1274falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-thirty-seven-foot-approach-that-left-no-room-for-error--74912430
The thirty-seven-foot approach that left no room for error

In this episode, we follow James Wetherbee’s path from carrier decks to the left seat of Space Shuttle missions and the moment he flew Discovery to within thirty-seven feet of Mir. We trace the preparations, the risks of orbital proximity at reentry speeds, and the decisions that defined those approaches - how do you execute perfection when there is no second chance?

Person: James Wetherbee Wetherbee
Date: February 1995
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Event: Thirty-seven-foot approach to Mir
Background: 125 night carrier landings; 5 shuttle command landings

- Wetherbee began as a Naval Aviator, flying the A-7E from 1977-1980 and logging 125 night carrier landings.
- He accumulated over 7,000 flight hours across 20 aircraft types and 345 total carrier landings before joining NASA in 1984.
- His first shuttle flight was as pilot on STS-32 aboard Columbia (Jan 9, 1990), a mission that retrieved the Long Duration Exposure Facility.
- He commanded Columbia on STS-52 (Oct 1992) before taking the left seat for Discovery on STS-63 (Feb 1995).
- On STS-63, Discovery closed to thirty-seven feet of Mir for a historic, non-docking station-keeping maneuver that required split-second precision.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912430Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:40:01 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA commander inches Discovery to station-keep thirty-seven feet over Mir - one wrong input means collision - did they make it in time? The thirty-seven-foot approach that left no room for error In this episode, we follow James Wetherbee’s path...
The thirty-seven-foot approach that left no room for error

In this episode, we follow James Wetherbee’s path from carrier decks to the left seat of Space Shuttle missions and the moment he flew Discovery to within thirty-seven feet of Mir. We trace the preparations, the risks of orbital proximity at reentry speeds, and the decisions that defined those approaches - how do you execute perfection when there is no second chance?

Person: James Wetherbee Wetherbee
Date: February 1995
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Event: Thirty-seven-foot approach to Mir
Background: 125 night carrier landings; 5 shuttle command landings

- Wetherbee began as a Naval Aviator, flying the A-7E from 1977-1980 and logging 125 night carrier landings.
- He accumulated over 7,000 flight hours across 20 aircraft types and 345 total carrier landings before joining NASA in 1984.
- His first shuttle flight was as pilot on STS-32 aboard Columbia (Jan 9, 1990), a mission that retrieved the Long Duration Exposure Facility.
- He commanded Columbia on STS-52 (Oct 1992) before taking the left seat for Discovery on STS-63 (Feb 1995).
- On STS-63, Discovery closed to thirty-seven feet of Mir for a historic, non-docking station-keeping maneuver that required split-second precision.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1082falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-thirty-seven-diary-pages-fell-from-orbit-did-they-land-in-time--74912428
The thirty-seven diary pages fell from orbit - did they land in time?

In this episode, we follow the facts of a shuttle disaster and the puzzling fate of personal objects taken into orbit. The story traces what Ramon brought with him, what returned, and the questions those choices raise about memory and loss.

Person: Ilan Ramon
Date: February 1, 2003
Location: East Texas and debris field across Texas and Louisiana
Event: Space Shuttle Columbia breakup during STS-107 mission
Object: Thirty-seven pages of Ramon’s handwritten diary recovered

- Ramon trained nearly five years at Johnson Space Center and flew as a payload specialist on STS-107 with a multispectral camera for desert aerosol research.
- He carried a portable archive: a miniature Torah from Bergen-Belsen, a microfiche Torah, a barbed-wire mezuzah, a dollar from Rabbi Schneerson, and Petr Ginz’s Moon Landscape drawing.
- The shuttle disintegrated during reentry at roughly eighteen times the speed of sound; about forty percent of the shuttle’s contents were recovered from a vast debris field.
- Thirty-seven water-stained, microbe-damaged pages of Ramon’s diary survived extreme heat and freezing air and were later examined by forensic specialists at the Israel Museum.
- The curator who began restoring the pages said existing physical laws could not readily explain why the diary pages survived while other items, including Ginz’s drawing, did not.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912428Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:58 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAboard Columbia, Ilan Ramon watched diary pages fall from 60 km above East Texas - a single archive survives; did they land in time? The thirty-seven diary pages fell from orbit - did they land in time? In this episode, we follow the facts of a...
The thirty-seven diary pages fell from orbit - did they land in time?

In this episode, we follow the facts of a shuttle disaster and the puzzling fate of personal objects taken into orbit. The story traces what Ramon brought with him, what returned, and the questions those choices raise about memory and loss.

Person: Ilan Ramon
Date: February 1, 2003
Location: East Texas and debris field across Texas and Louisiana
Event: Space Shuttle Columbia breakup during STS-107 mission
Object: Thirty-seven pages of Ramon’s handwritten diary recovered

- Ramon trained nearly five years at Johnson Space Center and flew as a payload specialist on STS-107 with a multispectral camera for desert aerosol research.
- He carried a portable archive: a miniature Torah from Bergen-Belsen, a microfiche Torah, a barbed-wire mezuzah, a dollar from Rabbi Schneerson, and Petr Ginz’s Moon Landscape drawing.
- The shuttle disintegrated during reentry at roughly eighteen times the speed of sound; about forty percent of the shuttle’s contents were recovered from a vast debris field.
- Thirty-seven water-stained, microbe-damaged pages of Ramon’s diary survived extreme heat and freezing air and were later examined by forensic specialists at the Israel Museum.
- The curator who began restoring the pages said existing physical laws could not readily explain why the diary pages survived while other items, including Ginz’s drawing, did not.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1232falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fuel-gauge-that-forced-a-last-minute-docking-decision--74912427
The fuel gauge that forced a last-minute docking decision

In this episode, the story follows a shuttle crew and the ISS commander as they face an unexpected fuel-gauge failure during rendezvous and must decide whether to attempt docking. It traces the technical choices, crew roles, and the procedural pressure of making a split-second call in orbit-what do they risk to try?

Date: November 7, 2007
Person: Pamela Ann Ann
Event: Shuttle rendezvous and docking decision
Location: 220 miles above Earth
Mission: STS-92 / STS-112 (missions referenced in career timeline)

- Two spacecraft, Discovery and the International Space Station, close enough that crews could see each other through the windows during rendezvous.
- For the first time, two women held simultaneous command of crewed vehicles in orbit at the moment of rendezvous.
- Pamela Ann’s flight experience included KC-10 tanker combat hours, test pilot school, and roles on assembly missions STS-92 and STS-112.
- Ann led the Columbia Reconstruction Team and served as deputy project manager on the crew survival investigation before returning to flight status.
- The crews faced a fuel-gauge anomaly during final approach that required an unplanned, last-minute docking decision under strict procedural constraints.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912427Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:54 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA shuttle pilot spots a faulty fuel gauge during final approach to the ISS, forcing an urgent, last-minute docking decision-did they make it in time? The fuel gauge that forced a last-minute docking decision In this episode, the story follows a...
The fuel gauge that forced a last-minute docking decision

In this episode, the story follows a shuttle crew and the ISS commander as they face an unexpected fuel-gauge failure during rendezvous and must decide whether to attempt docking. It traces the technical choices, crew roles, and the procedural pressure of making a split-second call in orbit-what do they risk to try?

Date: November 7, 2007
Person: Pamela Ann Ann
Event: Shuttle rendezvous and docking decision
Location: 220 miles above Earth
Mission: STS-92 / STS-112 (missions referenced in career timeline)

- Two spacecraft, Discovery and the International Space Station, close enough that crews could see each other through the windows during rendezvous.
- For the first time, two women held simultaneous command of crewed vehicles in orbit at the moment of rendezvous.
- Pamela Ann’s flight experience included KC-10 tanker combat hours, test pilot school, and roles on assembly missions STS-92 and STS-112.
- Ann led the Columbia Reconstruction Team and served as deputy project manager on the crew survival investigation before returning to flight status.
- The crews faced a fuel-gauge anomaly during final approach that required an unplanned, last-minute docking decision under strict procedural constraints.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1218falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-nasa-instrument-that-waited-in-the-tent-ran-out-of-its-mission-clock--74912423
The NASA instrument that waited in the tent ran out of its mission clock

In this episode, we follow the life and last climb of Karl Gordon Henize, tracing his path from a farm in Ohio to the Space Shuttle and back toward the mountain he loved. We present the people, decisions, and logistics that put a piece of NASA hardware inside a nylon shelter at the edge of the atmosphere and ask what happened next.

Person: Karl Gordon Henize
Date: July 29, 1985 (Space Shuttle flight STS-51-F)
Location: Tent at 22,000 feet on the north face of Everest
Event: NASA instrument carried to mountain but never used
Occupation: Astronomer, Astronaut

- He built his own telescopes as a boy on a dairy farm outside Cincinnati and earned a Boy Scout astronomy merit badge.
- Academic path: B.A, in Mathematics (1947), M.S, in Astronomy (1948), Ph.D, in Astronomy (1954), then observatory and university research positions.
- Passed NASA’s age cutoff when first applying, reapplied after the age limit was abolished, and was selected as a scientist-astronaut at age 40.
- Flew as a mission specialist on Space Shuttle Challenger, STS-51-F (Spacelab-2) on July 29, 1985, after 18 years of waiting.
- He carried a flight-built NASA instrument to a high-altitude tent on Everest, where the device remained unused while he died twelve days before his 67th birthday.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912423Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:50 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA NASA engineer hauls an unused flight instrument to a tent on Everest - did they make it in time? The NASA instrument that waited in the tent ran out of its mission clock In this episode, we follow the life and last climb of Karl Gordon Henize,...
The NASA instrument that waited in the tent ran out of its mission clock

In this episode, we follow the life and last climb of Karl Gordon Henize, tracing his path from a farm in Ohio to the Space Shuttle and back toward the mountain he loved. We present the people, decisions, and logistics that put a piece of NASA hardware inside a nylon shelter at the edge of the atmosphere and ask what happened next.

Person: Karl Gordon Henize
Date: July 29, 1985 (Space Shuttle flight STS-51-F)
Location: Tent at 22,000 feet on the north face of Everest
Event: NASA instrument carried to mountain but never used
Occupation: Astronomer, Astronaut

- He built his own telescopes as a boy on a dairy farm outside Cincinnati and earned a Boy Scout astronomy merit badge.
- Academic path: B.A, in Mathematics (1947), M.S, in Astronomy (1948), Ph.D, in Astronomy (1954), then observatory and university research positions.
- Passed NASA’s age cutoff when first applying, reapplied after the age limit was abolished, and was selected as a scientist-astronaut at age 40.
- Flew as a mission specialist on Space Shuttle Challenger, STS-51-F (Spacelab-2) on July 29, 1985, after 18 years of waiting.
- He carried a flight-built NASA instrument to a high-altitude tent on Everest, where the device remained unused while he died twelve days before his 67th birthday.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1253falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-final-draco-frame-froze-did-liciacube-reach-dimorphos-in-time--74912422
The final DRACO frame froze - did LICIACube reach Dimorphos in time?

In this episode, we follow the last minutes before impact: the solitary DRACO camera transmitting three-centimeter-per-pixel imagery, LICIACube separating to capture a brief flyby, and the race to measure how a kinetic impact altered an asteroid's orbit. What crucial evidence might be hidden in that final frame, and could LICIACube get the shots needed?

Person: Mission - DART
Date: Impact - September 26, 2022
Location: Dimorphos (Didymos system)
Instrument: DRACO camera
Companion: LICIACube CubeSat

- DRACO was DART's only scientific instrument, sending images until the transmission stopped.
- LICIACube separated 15 days before impact and had only minutes of flyby time to image the event.
- Didymos is a binary asteroid; Dimorphos is ~160 meters across and orbits its primary every 11 hours, 55 minutes.
- DART struck at about 22,530 km/h to change Dimorphos’s orbit so ground telescopes could detect the shift.
- During cruise, DART’s ion thruster drew ~100 amperes-four times the expected current-raising concerns but not halting the mission.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912422Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:46 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA vending-machine-sized spacecraft slams into Dimorphos with only a tiny Italian CubeSat watching - did LICIACube get close enough to record it? The final DRACO frame froze - did LICIACube reach Dimorphos in time? In this episode, we follow the...
The final DRACO frame froze - did LICIACube reach Dimorphos in time?

In this episode, we follow the last minutes before impact: the solitary DRACO camera transmitting three-centimeter-per-pixel imagery, LICIACube separating to capture a brief flyby, and the race to measure how a kinetic impact altered an asteroid's orbit. What crucial evidence might be hidden in that final frame, and could LICIACube get the shots needed?

Person: Mission - DART
Date: Impact - September 26, 2022
Location: Dimorphos (Didymos system)
Instrument: DRACO camera
Companion: LICIACube CubeSat

- DRACO was DART's only scientific instrument, sending images until the transmission stopped.
- LICIACube separated 15 days before impact and had only minutes of flyby time to image the event.
- Didymos is a binary asteroid; Dimorphos is ~160 meters across and orbits its primary every 11 hours, 55 minutes.
- DART struck at about 22,530 km/h to change Dimorphos’s orbit so ground telescopes could detect the shift.
- During cruise, DART’s ion thruster drew ~100 amperes-four times the expected current-raising concerns but not halting the mission.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1276falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tracking-relay-satellite-that-bought-them-time--74912420
The Tracking Relay Satellite That Bought Them Time

In this episode, we follow Michael Allen Baker’s path from carrier decks to the commander’s seat of Atlantis and into the awkward cooperation of Shuttle‑Mir. It traces the technical, procedural, and cultural steps he took to make high‑stakes joint operations work - and asks what it took to keep everything calm and functional in orbit.

Person: Michael Allen Baker
Date: January 12, 1997
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Atlantis
Mission: Shuttle‑Mir resupply
Posting: Director of Operations, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

- Baker logged 5,400 flight hours across roughly 50 aircraft types before becoming an astronaut.
- After Challenger, his first NASA assignment redesigned shuttle landing and deceleration systems.
- He served as CAPCOM for eleven missions, becoming the clear, calm voice from Mission Control.
- As pilot he flew STS-43 and STS-52, deploying TDRS and LAGEOS-II and testing critical technologies.
- He spent seven months at Star City in 1995 coordinating operations between NASA and the Russian program.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912420Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:42 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Navy pilot turned shuttle commander ferries supplies to a Russian station-can his quiet discipline keep a risky partnership intact? The Tracking Relay Satellite That Bought Them Time In this episode, we follow Michael Allen Baker’s path from...
The Tracking Relay Satellite That Bought Them Time

In this episode, we follow Michael Allen Baker’s path from carrier decks to the commander’s seat of Atlantis and into the awkward cooperation of Shuttle‑Mir. It traces the technical, procedural, and cultural steps he took to make high‑stakes joint operations work - and asks what it took to keep everything calm and functional in orbit.

Person: Michael Allen Baker
Date: January 12, 1997
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Atlantis
Mission: Shuttle‑Mir resupply
Posting: Director of Operations, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

- Baker logged 5,400 flight hours across roughly 50 aircraft types before becoming an astronaut.
- After Challenger, his first NASA assignment redesigned shuttle landing and deceleration systems.
- He served as CAPCOM for eleven missions, becoming the clear, calm voice from Mission Control.
- As pilot he flew STS-43 and STS-52, deploying TDRS and LAGEOS-II and testing critical technologies.
- He spent seven months at Star City in 1995 coordinating operations between NASA and the Russian program.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1183falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-urine-collector-leaked-and-started-a-fourteen-day-survival-clock--74912419
The urine collector leaked and started a fourteen‑day survival clock

In this episode, we follow the tight, methodical preparations and improvisations that shaped a high‑stakes Gemini mission. The story traces how routine training, design choices, and an unexpected equipment failure turned a planned endurance test into a live experiment in cramped survival and orbital rendezvous-what decisions did the crew and NASA make as problems stacked up?

Person: Frank Borman
Person: Jim Lovell
Date: December 4, 1965
Event: Gemini Seven fourteen‑day mission and rendezvous plan change
Problem: Urine collection device failure and leak on day two

- Two astronauts confined to about the volume of a car's front seat for fourteen days as part of a human endurance test in orbit.
- Extensive preflight routines included medicated shampoo and rehearsed waste‑packing techniques to cope with prolonged close quarters.
- An Agena target vehicle exploded on October 25, 1965, forcing NASA to redesign the plan so Gemini Seven would act as the passive rendezvous target.
- Gemini Seven launched December 4, 1965, reached a near‑circular orbit around 162 nautical miles, and was expected to maintain that orbit without correction.
- On mission day two the urine collection device failed and leaked, forcing the crew to clean, repack, and improvise solutions inside the confined capsule.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912419Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:38 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTTwo men float one foot apart in orbit as a leaking urine collector starts a fourteen‑day survival clock-can they last long enough for rendezvous? The urine collector leaked and started a fourteen‑day survival clock In this episode, we follow the...
The urine collector leaked and started a fourteen‑day survival clock

In this episode, we follow the tight, methodical preparations and improvisations that shaped a high‑stakes Gemini mission. The story traces how routine training, design choices, and an unexpected equipment failure turned a planned endurance test into a live experiment in cramped survival and orbital rendezvous-what decisions did the crew and NASA make as problems stacked up?

Person: Frank Borman
Person: Jim Lovell
Date: December 4, 1965
Event: Gemini Seven fourteen‑day mission and rendezvous plan change
Problem: Urine collection device failure and leak on day two

- Two astronauts confined to about the volume of a car's front seat for fourteen days as part of a human endurance test in orbit.
- Extensive preflight routines included medicated shampoo and rehearsed waste‑packing techniques to cope with prolonged close quarters.
- An Agena target vehicle exploded on October 25, 1965, forcing NASA to redesign the plan so Gemini Seven would act as the passive rendezvous target.
- Gemini Seven launched December 4, 1965, reached a near‑circular orbit around 162 nautical miles, and was expected to maintain that orbit without correction.
- On mission day two the urine collection device failed and leaked, forcing the crew to clean, repack, and improvise solutions inside the confined capsule.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1362falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cassette-tape-cued-a-woman-s-voice-did-they-make-reentry--74912416
The cassette tape cued a woman's voice - did they make reentry?

In this episode, we follow the setup and unfolding of a long-gestating prank recorded before launch and played during Skylab Three’s fifty-one-day mission. The episode traces Owen Garriott’s life, training, and the exacting patience behind timing a cassette to catch Mission Control off guard - but will the timing work as planned?

Person: Owen Kay Garriott
Person: Helen Mary Walker Garriott
Person: Date: September 10, 1973; November 22, 1930
Event: Playback of prerecorded cassette during Skylab Three mission
Location: Mission Control, Houston

- Owen Garriott carried a small audio cassette aboard Skylab, recorded by his wife, Helen, before launch.
- Helen’s taped lines described fires below, a sunrise above the atmosphere, and a casual apology to CapCom Robert Crippen addressing him by name.
- Garriott spent fifty-one days timing the prank, synchronizing the tape to a morning pass when Mission Control’s CapCom would be Robert Crippen.
- Garriott’s background in ionospheric physics and radio communications shaped how he planned the tape’s transmission and reception.
- The playback occurred during a standard communication pass on September 10, 1973, while the three-man Skylab crew followed their orbital routine.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912416Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:33 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA woman's voice comes from a capsule with no woman aboard, and a tape from Earth forces ground and crew to ask: did they make reentry? The cassette tape cued a woman's voice - did they make reentry? In this episode, we follow the setup and...
The cassette tape cued a woman's voice - did they make reentry?

In this episode, we follow the setup and unfolding of a long-gestating prank recorded before launch and played during Skylab Three’s fifty-one-day mission. The episode traces Owen Garriott’s life, training, and the exacting patience behind timing a cassette to catch Mission Control off guard - but will the timing work as planned?

Person: Owen Kay Garriott
Person: Helen Mary Walker Garriott
Person: Date: September 10, 1973; November 22, 1930
Event: Playback of prerecorded cassette during Skylab Three mission
Location: Mission Control, Houston

- Owen Garriott carried a small audio cassette aboard Skylab, recorded by his wife, Helen, before launch.
- Helen’s taped lines described fires below, a sunrise above the atmosphere, and a casual apology to CapCom Robert Crippen addressing him by name.
- Garriott spent fifty-one days timing the prank, synchronizing the tape to a morning pass when Mission Control’s CapCom would be Robert Crippen.
- Garriott’s background in ionospheric physics and radio communications shaped how he planned the tape’s transmission and reception.
- The playback occurred during a standard communication pass on September 10, 1973, while the three-man Skylab crew followed their orbital routine.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1028falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-t-minus-31-clock-freeze-stalled-the-last-shuttle-s-only-rescue-window--74912415
The T‑minus‑31 clock freeze stalled the last shuttle's only rescue window

In this episode, we follow the final countdown on Launch Pad 39A and the cascade of engineering and policy choices that framed the last Space Shuttle flight. The episode traces how decades-old hardware, delayed funding, and a reduced four‑person crew created a single narrow rescue window - and asks whether the teams could meet it.

Event: T‑minus‑31 clock freeze
Mission: STS‑135 (final flight) with Atlantis
Crew: Christopher Ferguson; Doug Hurley; Sandy Magnus; Rex Walheim
Contingency: STS‑335 rescue mission (authorized but unfunded until Feb 2011)
Hardware detail: ET‑122 damaged in Hurricane Katrina; ET‑138 flown instead

- Every onboard clock stopped at thirty‑one seconds before liftoff on Launch Pad 39A.
- NASA cut the crew to four so they could survive aboard the ISS long enough for a possible rescue.
- STS‑335 existed as a contingency in law before it had budgeted funding or a clear hardware plan.
- Four Sokol pressure suits were custom‑fitted and stowed aboard the station in case Americans had to evacuate via Soyuz.
- Atlantis launched with a left solid‑rocket‑booster cylinder that first flew on STS‑1 and an external tank swap driven by Katrina damage and long program timelines.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912415Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:30 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAt T‑minus‑31 seconds every clock on Launch Pad 39A froze and the last shuttle’s rescue window hung on a single decision-did they have time to fix it? The T‑minus‑31 clock freeze stalled the last shuttle's only rescue window In this episode, we...
The T‑minus‑31 clock freeze stalled the last shuttle's only rescue window

In this episode, we follow the final countdown on Launch Pad 39A and the cascade of engineering and policy choices that framed the last Space Shuttle flight. The episode traces how decades-old hardware, delayed funding, and a reduced four‑person crew created a single narrow rescue window - and asks whether the teams could meet it.

Event: T‑minus‑31 clock freeze
Mission: STS‑135 (final flight) with Atlantis
Crew: Christopher Ferguson; Doug Hurley; Sandy Magnus; Rex Walheim
Contingency: STS‑335 rescue mission (authorized but unfunded until Feb 2011)
Hardware detail: ET‑122 damaged in Hurricane Katrina; ET‑138 flown instead

- Every onboard clock stopped at thirty‑one seconds before liftoff on Launch Pad 39A.
- NASA cut the crew to four so they could survive aboard the ISS long enough for a possible rescue.
- STS‑335 existed as a contingency in law before it had budgeted funding or a clear hardware plan.
- Four Sokol pressure suits were custom‑fitted and stowed aboard the station in case Americans had to evacuate via Soyuz.
- Atlantis launched with a left solid‑rocket‑booster cylinder that first flew on STS‑1 and an external tank swap driven by Katrina damage and long program timelines.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1241falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-pinhole-leaked-trapped-air-and-the-tether-arced-before-they-made-it--74912412
The pinhole leaked trapped air and the tether arced before they made it

In this episode, we follow the five-hour deployment of the Tethered Satellite System on Space Shuttle Columbia and the cascade of technical details that governed what happened when a flaw in the tether activated in orbit. What went wrong during the final kilometers of payout, and how could a factory defect beat all ground tests?

Mission: STS-75
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Columbia
Payload: Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1R)
Goal: 20.7 kilometers deployment
Failure point: 19 kilometers deployed, 1,700 meters short

- The tether was a multilayer cable: copper core, porous Nomex nylon, Teflon-like insulation, Kevlar sheath, outer Nomex jacket.
- A porous nylon core trapped microscopic air pockets during manufacture that were invisible in preflight inspections.
- During payout, bending and pressure exposed pinholes, releasing trapped gas into the gap between core and insulation.
- At roughly 3,500 volts, the released gas ionized, forming a plasma arc that burned through the tether from the inside.
- Ground sensors showed nominal voltage and current up to 19 km because no instrument monitored an internal plasma forming within the cable.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912412Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:26 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA pinhole in Columbia’s tether let trapped air ignite into a plasma arc - did they make it to twenty point seven kilometers in time? The pinhole leaked trapped air and the tether arced before they made it In this episode, we follow the five-hour...
The pinhole leaked trapped air and the tether arced before they made it

In this episode, we follow the five-hour deployment of the Tethered Satellite System on Space Shuttle Columbia and the cascade of technical details that governed what happened when a flaw in the tether activated in orbit. What went wrong during the final kilometers of payout, and how could a factory defect beat all ground tests?

Mission: STS-75
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Columbia
Payload: Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1R)
Goal: 20.7 kilometers deployment
Failure point: 19 kilometers deployed, 1,700 meters short

- The tether was a multilayer cable: copper core, porous Nomex nylon, Teflon-like insulation, Kevlar sheath, outer Nomex jacket.
- A porous nylon core trapped microscopic air pockets during manufacture that were invisible in preflight inspections.
- During payout, bending and pressure exposed pinholes, releasing trapped gas into the gap between core and insulation.
- At roughly 3,500 volts, the released gas ionized, forming a plasma arc that burned through the tether from the inside.
- Ground sensors showed nominal voltage and current up to 19 km because no instrument monitored an internal plasma forming within the cable.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1326falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-solder-joint-that-failed-four-hours-out-almost-cost-them-reentry--74912410
The solder joint that failed four hours out almost cost them reentry

In this episode, we follow the four hours before Columbia's touchdown when a microscopic manufacturing defect turned into an in‑flight emergency. The episode traces the lead-up to the failure, the mission's unusual history before launch, and the decisions that had to be made under severe uncertainty - could the crew and controllers keep the shuttle flying long enough to land safely?

Person: Commander John Young
Date: December 8, 1983
Location: Columbia orbiter, ~400 kilometers above Earth
Event: General Purpose Computer number one failed during reentry preparations
Mission: STS-9, ten‑day Spacelab flight with six crew

- The launch had been scrubbed in October for a confirmed SRB nozzle defect, forcing the entire stack to be rolled back and disassembled before Columbia flew.
- Columbia returned to the pad November 8 and launched November 28 with the largest six‑person crew to date, including the first non‑NASA and first West German shuttle fliers.
- Inside the payload bay sat Spacelab One with 72 experiments, and the mission was extended by a day after running well in orbit.
- The shuttle’s flight computers used a five‑GPC architecture: four synchronized primaries plus an independent backup with different code and hardware.
- A microscopic solder joint on a GPC circuit board fractured after ten days of reaction‑control thruster vibration, and GPC 1 failed about four hours before reentry.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912410Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:22 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA tiny solder joint fails aboard Columbia 400 km up, one GPC dies and the crew faces a cascading systems crisis - did they make it home in time? The solder joint that failed four hours out almost cost them reentry In this episode, we follow the...
The solder joint that failed four hours out almost cost them reentry

In this episode, we follow the four hours before Columbia's touchdown when a microscopic manufacturing defect turned into an in‑flight emergency. The episode traces the lead-up to the failure, the mission's unusual history before launch, and the decisions that had to be made under severe uncertainty - could the crew and controllers keep the shuttle flying long enough to land safely?

Person: Commander John Young
Date: December 8, 1983
Location: Columbia orbiter, ~400 kilometers above Earth
Event: General Purpose Computer number one failed during reentry preparations
Mission: STS-9, ten‑day Spacelab flight with six crew

- The launch had been scrubbed in October for a confirmed SRB nozzle defect, forcing the entire stack to be rolled back and disassembled before Columbia flew.
- Columbia returned to the pad November 8 and launched November 28 with the largest six‑person crew to date, including the first non‑NASA and first West German shuttle fliers.
- Inside the payload bay sat Spacelab One with 72 experiments, and the mission was extended by a day after running well in orbit.
- The shuttle’s flight computers used a five‑GPC architecture: four synchronized primaries plus an independent backup with different code and hardware.
- A microscopic solder joint on a GPC circuit board fractured after ten days of reaction‑control thruster vibration, and GPC 1 failed about four hours before reentry.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1265falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dead-thruster-that-began-the-seven-hour-countdown--74912409
The dead thruster that began the seven‑hour countdown

In this episode, we follow the descent and early hours of the Philae lander as engineers and mission controllers watch a seven-hour fall toward comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with critical systems already compromised. The episode traces the decisions, hardware issues, and narrow power budget that framed the landing - could the lander survive long enough to send back science?

Person: Philae
Event: Separation and seven-hour descent
Date: 12 November 2014 (Spacecraft Event Time) / 15 November 2014 (UTC contact at 00:08)
Location: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Battery: Primary 1000 watt-hours; designed for ~60 hours

- Philae separated from Rosetta and began a seven-hour uncorrectable descent toward a comet with almost no gravity.
- The cold-gas thruster meant to push Philae onto the surface failed in pre-separation tests on 11-12 November 2014.
- Harpoon anchors flagged as unreliable in vacuum testing as early as 2013 remained the primary backup despite known issues.
- Philae weighed 100 kilograms, carried 16 instruments, and depended on a non-rechargeable primary battery and limited solar panels for first science.
- The lander transmitted a complete chemical profile in the initial 64 hours that its primary battery would allow, but its fate depended on landing location and sunlight.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912409Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:18 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA 100-kg lander drops toward a 4-km comet - did Philae make contact in time before its battery died? The dead thruster that began the seven‑hour countdown In this episode, we follow the descent and early hours of the Philae lander as engineers...
The dead thruster that began the seven‑hour countdown

In this episode, we follow the descent and early hours of the Philae lander as engineers and mission controllers watch a seven-hour fall toward comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with critical systems already compromised. The episode traces the decisions, hardware issues, and narrow power budget that framed the landing - could the lander survive long enough to send back science?

Person: Philae
Event: Separation and seven-hour descent
Date: 12 November 2014 (Spacecraft Event Time) / 15 November 2014 (UTC contact at 00:08)
Location: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Battery: Primary 1000 watt-hours; designed for ~60 hours

- Philae separated from Rosetta and began a seven-hour uncorrectable descent toward a comet with almost no gravity.
- The cold-gas thruster meant to push Philae onto the surface failed in pre-separation tests on 11-12 November 2014.
- Harpoon anchors flagged as unreliable in vacuum testing as early as 2013 remained the primary backup despite known issues.
- Philae weighed 100 kilograms, carried 16 instruments, and depended on a non-rechargeable primary battery and limited solar panels for first science.
- The lander transmitted a complete chemical profile in the initial 64 hours that its primary battery would allow, but its fate depended on landing location and sunlight.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1350falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-strela-boom-jammed-the-cosmonauts-forced-it-open-with-seconds-of-air-left--74912406
The Strela boom jammed - the cosmonauts forced it open with seconds of air left

In this episode, we follow Yuri Usachov’s career through Mir missions, collisions, commercial stunts, and high-stakes spacewalks to a single moment when two men worked outside the station with the planet beneath them. We trace the lead-up to a nineteen-minute EVA that combined routine assembly, improvised repairs, and an unexpected corporate photo op - what decisions mattered in those final minutes?

Person: Yuri Vladimirovich Usachov
Event: Strela cargo boom jam during EVA
Date: 20 May 1996 (Pepsi can EVA) and 26 April 1996 (Priroda docked); mission launches 8 Jan 1994 and 21 Feb 1996
Location: Mir space station, low Earth orbit
Duration: Nineteen-minute spacewalk (shortest of Usachov’s career); six EVAs on 1996 mission

- Usachov trained for years, serving as backup for multiple missions before launching on Soyuz TM-18 on 8 January 1994.
- On 14 January 1994, departing Soyuz TM-17 struck Mir’s Kristall module twice, prompting station-wide inspections that found no visible damage.
- During the 1996 mission with Yuri Onufriyenko they performed six EVAs, installing a Strela boom, moving a solar array, and adding exterior handrails.
- On 20 May 1996 they staged a filmed Pepsi can float: an inflated aluminum-and-nylon model positioned against Earth for a commercial that was never broadcast.
- When one antenna refused to open, the cosmonauts forced it by hand during a brief, urgent EVA while monitoring dwindling air supplies.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912406Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:14 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTTwo cosmonauts pry open a stuck Strela boom by hand during a tense EVA over Earth - did they get it unclipped before their remaining air ran out? The Strela boom jammed - the cosmonauts forced it open with seconds of air left In this episode, we...
The Strela boom jammed - the cosmonauts forced it open with seconds of air left

In this episode, we follow Yuri Usachov’s career through Mir missions, collisions, commercial stunts, and high-stakes spacewalks to a single moment when two men worked outside the station with the planet beneath them. We trace the lead-up to a nineteen-minute EVA that combined routine assembly, improvised repairs, and an unexpected corporate photo op - what decisions mattered in those final minutes?

Person: Yuri Vladimirovich Usachov
Event: Strela cargo boom jam during EVA
Date: 20 May 1996 (Pepsi can EVA) and 26 April 1996 (Priroda docked); mission launches 8 Jan 1994 and 21 Feb 1996
Location: Mir space station, low Earth orbit
Duration: Nineteen-minute spacewalk (shortest of Usachov’s career); six EVAs on 1996 mission

- Usachov trained for years, serving as backup for multiple missions before launching on Soyuz TM-18 on 8 January 1994.
- On 14 January 1994, departing Soyuz TM-17 struck Mir’s Kristall module twice, prompting station-wide inspections that found no visible damage.
- During the 1996 mission with Yuri Onufriyenko they performed six EVAs, installing a Strela boom, moving a solar array, and adding exterior handrails.
- On 20 May 1996 they staged a filmed Pepsi can float: an inflated aluminum-and-nylon model positioned against Earth for a commercial that was never broadcast.
- When one antenna refused to open, the cosmonauts forced it by hand during a brief, urgent EVA while monitoring dwindling air supplies.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1416falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ten-millimeter-tube-waited-on-mars-would-anyone-arrive-in-time--74912404
The ten‑millimeter tube waited on Mars - would anyone arrive in time?

In this episode we recount how a cancelled NASA mission left a precise cache of sealed Martian rock cores on the surface and how its specifications survived budget cuts into a later rover design. The story traces the decisions, designs, and engineers who built those ten‑millimeter tubes and asks whether a future spacecraft will complete the intended handshake.

Mission: MAX-C
Person: engineers and Mars advocates
Date: April 2011 (cancellation); December 2012 (Mars 2020 announced)
Location: Mars surface
Component: 10 mm × 50 mm sealed sample tubes (thirty‑eight specified)

- Engineers added a simple cache system to Curiosity design in 2007, then removed it in 2008 after Phoenix exposed contamination and dust issues.
- MAX-C (Mars Astrobiology Explorer‑Cacher) was developed in 2009-2010 to drill 10×50 mm cores, seal them with pressed‑in caps, and store 38 tubes across multiple sites.
- MAX-C was formally cancelled in April 2011 amid budget and partnership breakdowns, and NASA later withdrew from ExoMars in February 2012.
- Public, congressional, and scientific pushback led NASA to reinstate a Mars program and announce Mars 2020 in December 2012, carrying an identical tube geometry and cache concept.
- Perseverance adopted the 10 mm × 50 mm sealed‑tube specification and placed sealed drill cores in individual sleeves on Mars, matching the handshake MAX‑C engineers had designed.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912404Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:10 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA thumb‑wide titanium tube on Mars holds a sealed rock core from a cancelled mission-will anyone ever return to retrieve the 38 waiting samples? The ten‑millimeter tube waited on Mars - would anyone arrive in time? In this episode we recount how...
The ten‑millimeter tube waited on Mars - would anyone arrive in time?

In this episode we recount how a cancelled NASA mission left a precise cache of sealed Martian rock cores on the surface and how its specifications survived budget cuts into a later rover design. The story traces the decisions, designs, and engineers who built those ten‑millimeter tubes and asks whether a future spacecraft will complete the intended handshake.

Mission: MAX-C
Person: engineers and Mars advocates
Date: April 2011 (cancellation); December 2012 (Mars 2020 announced)
Location: Mars surface
Component: 10 mm × 50 mm sealed sample tubes (thirty‑eight specified)

- Engineers added a simple cache system to Curiosity design in 2007, then removed it in 2008 after Phoenix exposed contamination and dust issues.
- MAX-C (Mars Astrobiology Explorer‑Cacher) was developed in 2009-2010 to drill 10×50 mm cores, seal them with pressed‑in caps, and store 38 tubes across multiple sites.
- MAX-C was formally cancelled in April 2011 amid budget and partnership breakdowns, and NASA later withdrew from ExoMars in February 2012.
- Public, congressional, and scientific pushback led NASA to reinstate a Mars program and announce Mars 2020 in December 2012, carrying an identical tube geometry and cache concept.
- Perseverance adopted the 10 mm × 50 mm sealed‑tube specification and placed sealed drill cores in individual sleeves on Mars, matching the handshake MAX‑C engineers had designed.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1180falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/when-a-wwii-carrier-recovered-john-glenn-and-almost-triggered-armageddon--74912403
When a WWII Carrier Recovered John Glenn - and Almost Triggered Armageddon

In this episode, we follow the USS Randolph across two April firsts separated by nineteen years: one a daring at-sea repair that sent her back into battle, the other a storm that ripped an elevator and crew into the Atlantic. How did a single ship survive such extremes, and what choices were made when repair, risk, and rescue collided?

Ship: USS Randolph
Date: April 1, 1945; April 1, 1964
Location: Ulithi Atoll; off Cape Henry, Virginia
Event: At-sea repairs; elevator failure overboard in storm
Person: Lieutenant Commander Samuel Humphreys

- Laid down May 10, 1943, launched June 28, 1944, commissioned October 9, 1944, an Essex-class long-hull carrier built at Newport News.
- On March 11, 1945, a Japanese Frances aircraft struck Randolph at Ulithi, killing 27 and destroying flight-deck supports and an elevator framework.
- Humphreys proposed and led an audacious at-sea structural repair using USS Jason, 29 tons of steel and salvaged Japanese I-beams to restore catapult and flight operations.
- Repairs finished April 1, 1945 - the same morning the Okinawa invasion began - allowing Randolph to rejoin combat without returning to the U.S.
- On April 1, 1964, in a storm off Cape Henry, elevator number three tore free, carrying a Grumman S-2 Tracker, a tractor, and five men into the ocean; three were rescued, two were not, and the elevator was never recovered.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912403Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:06 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA carrier off Cape Henry loses a steel elevator, an aircraft, and five men in a storm - did the USS Randolph make it back in time to save them? When a WWII Carrier Recovered John Glenn - and Almost Triggered Armageddon In this episode, we follow...
When a WWII Carrier Recovered John Glenn - and Almost Triggered Armageddon

In this episode, we follow the USS Randolph across two April firsts separated by nineteen years: one a daring at-sea repair that sent her back into battle, the other a storm that ripped an elevator and crew into the Atlantic. How did a single ship survive such extremes, and what choices were made when repair, risk, and rescue collided?

Ship: USS Randolph
Date: April 1, 1945; April 1, 1964
Location: Ulithi Atoll; off Cape Henry, Virginia
Event: At-sea repairs; elevator failure overboard in storm
Person: Lieutenant Commander Samuel Humphreys

- Laid down May 10, 1943, launched June 28, 1944, commissioned October 9, 1944, an Essex-class long-hull carrier built at Newport News.
- On March 11, 1945, a Japanese Frances aircraft struck Randolph at Ulithi, killing 27 and destroying flight-deck supports and an elevator framework.
- Humphreys proposed and led an audacious at-sea structural repair using USS Jason, 29 tons of steel and salvaged Japanese I-beams to restore catapult and flight operations.
- Repairs finished April 1, 1945 - the same morning the Okinawa invasion began - allowing Randolph to rejoin combat without returning to the U.S.
- On April 1, 1964, in a storm off Cape Henry, elevator number three tore free, carrying a Grumman S-2 Tracker, a tractor, and five men into the ocean; three were rescued, two were not, and the elevator was never recovered.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1182falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cfes-patent-that-bought-him-a-seat-and-raced-the-clock--74912402
The CFES patent that bought him a seat - and raced the clock

In this episode, we follow Charles David Walker’s path from Bedford, Indiana to the Space Shuttle as a McDonnell Douglas employee who bought his own flight seat. We trace the CFES program, the patent that put him on the manifest, and the technical and bureaucratic hurdles that shaped his race against time.

Person: Charles David Walker
Event: Space Shuttle Discovery flight carrying the CFES
Date: August 30, 1984
Topic: Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) / Electrophoresis System in Space (EOS)
Status: Patent US 4,394,246 issued July 19, 1983; Walker listed as co-holder

- Walker was hired by McDonnell Douglas in 1977 to work on shuttle propulsion before joining the EOS team developing CFES.
- The CFES was tested across STS-4, STS-6, STS-7 and STS-8 with ground teams relaying messages through a three-person chain.
- McDonnell Douglas filed and received a patent for the electrophoresis apparatus with flow control while the device was already flying in orbit.
- NASA rejected Walker’s 1978 astronaut application, but McDonnell Douglas paid $40,000 to mount him as a payload specialist.
- Walker logged ~40 reduced-gravity flights and T-38 training so he could operate the CFES directly on Discovery.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912402Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:39:02 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA patent co-holder climbs into Discovery to operate a CFES in orbit - can he beat the clock to prove commercial biomanufacturing works? The CFES patent that bought him a seat - and raced the clock In this episode, we follow Charles David...
The CFES patent that bought him a seat - and raced the clock

In this episode, we follow Charles David Walker’s path from Bedford, Indiana to the Space Shuttle as a McDonnell Douglas employee who bought his own flight seat. We trace the CFES program, the patent that put him on the manifest, and the technical and bureaucratic hurdles that shaped his race against time.

Person: Charles David Walker
Event: Space Shuttle Discovery flight carrying the CFES
Date: August 30, 1984
Topic: Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) / Electrophoresis System in Space (EOS)
Status: Patent US 4,394,246 issued July 19, 1983; Walker listed as co-holder

- Walker was hired by McDonnell Douglas in 1977 to work on shuttle propulsion before joining the EOS team developing CFES.
- The CFES was tested across STS-4, STS-6, STS-7 and STS-8 with ground teams relaying messages through a three-person chain.
- McDonnell Douglas filed and received a patent for the electrophoresis apparatus with flow control while the device was already flying in orbit.
- NASA rejected Walker’s 1978 astronaut application, but McDonnell Douglas paid $40,000 to mount him as a payload specialist.
- Walker logged ~40 reduced-gravity flights and T-38 training so he could operate the CFES directly on Discovery.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1310falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-t-38-chase-plane-that-warned-them-before-the-runway-blackout--74912401
The T-38 chase plane that warned them before the runway blackout

In this episode, we follow the career and final flight of Robert Franklyn Overmyer, tracing his path from Ohio steel country to Marine pilot, test pilot, astronaut and shuttle commander, and then to the small propeller kit plane he was flying before disaster. We outline the decisions, roles and moments that led him back into the cockpit and ask what sequence of choices and events produced that March day over Duluth.

Person: Robert Franklyn Overmyer
Date: March 22, 1996
Location: Duluth, Minnesota
Occupation: Test pilot, astronaut, shuttle commander
Flight hours: more than 7,500

- Born July 14, 1936 in Lorain, Ohio and raised in Westlake, Ohio; honored with a historical marker in Clague Park.
- Studied physics at Baldwin-Wallace College (graduated 1958) then joined the Marines in January 1958, flying with VMA-214 and Marine Maintenance Squadron 17.
- Earned a master’s in aeronautics from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1964, then trained at Edwards Air Force Base and the Air Force Test Pilot School.
- Selected for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory in 1966, transferred to NASA astronaut Group 7 in 1969, served on Skylab support and as CAPCOM for Apollo 17 and Apollo-Soyuz.
- Flew as T-38 chase pilot for Shuttle ALT tests and served as Deputy Vehicle Manager for Columbia; piloted STS-5 (1982) and commanded STS-51-B (1985) before the fatal kit-aircraft flight.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912401Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:58 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA veteran T-38 chase pilot radios a warning as a test aircraft pitches - did the warning come in time to stop the runway blackout? The T-38 chase plane that warned them before the runway blackout In this episode, we follow the career and final...
The T-38 chase plane that warned them before the runway blackout

In this episode, we follow the career and final flight of Robert Franklyn Overmyer, tracing his path from Ohio steel country to Marine pilot, test pilot, astronaut and shuttle commander, and then to the small propeller kit plane he was flying before disaster. We outline the decisions, roles and moments that led him back into the cockpit and ask what sequence of choices and events produced that March day over Duluth.

Person: Robert Franklyn Overmyer
Date: March 22, 1996
Location: Duluth, Minnesota
Occupation: Test pilot, astronaut, shuttle commander
Flight hours: more than 7,500

- Born July 14, 1936 in Lorain, Ohio and raised in Westlake, Ohio; honored with a historical marker in Clague Park.
- Studied physics at Baldwin-Wallace College (graduated 1958) then joined the Marines in January 1958, flying with VMA-214 and Marine Maintenance Squadron 17.
- Earned a master’s in aeronautics from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1964, then trained at Edwards Air Force Base and the Air Force Test Pilot School.
- Selected for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory in 1966, transferred to NASA astronaut Group 7 in 1969, served on Skylab support and as CAPCOM for Apollo 17 and Apollo-Soyuz.
- Flew as T-38 chase pilot for Shuttle ALT tests and served as Deputy Vehicle Manager for Columbia; piloted STS-5 (1982) and commanded STS-51-B (1985) before the fatal kit-aircraft flight.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1175falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-canadarm-grabbed-a-21-400-pound-satellite-did-columbia-make-it-home--74912399
The Canadarm grabbed a 21,400‑pound satellite - did Columbia make it home?

In this episode, we follow the path that led David Low from systems engineer to shuttle astronaut and Canadarm operator. The episode covers his training, the mission to retrieve the Long Duration Exposure Facility, and the decisions and maneuvers that shaped that risky retrieval - did the crew get LDEF into Columbia?

Person: G. David Low
Event: LDEF retrieval
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-32)
Mass: 21,400 pounds
Role: Canadarm operator

- David Low trained specifically on the Canadarm and served as CAPCOM for four missions before his first flight.
- Columbia launched STS-32 in January 1990 with the primary objective of capturing the tumbling Long Duration Exposure Facility.
- LDEF had been in orbit since April 1984 after Challenger’s loss postponed its retrieval and its orbit began decaying.
- The Canadarm extended fifteen meters to grapple LDEF, a retrieval that set the record for the heaviest object handled by the arm.
- Low’s background spans JPL spacecraft systems work, multiple engineering degrees, and a long career of missions and spacewalks leading up to this capture.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912399Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:54 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA veteran astronaut must use the Canadarm to capture a 21,400‑pound tumbling satellite and bring it aboard Columbia - did they make it home? The Canadarm grabbed a 21,400‑pound satellite - did Columbia make it home? In this episode, we follow...
The Canadarm grabbed a 21,400‑pound satellite - did Columbia make it home?

In this episode, we follow the path that led David Low from systems engineer to shuttle astronaut and Canadarm operator. The episode covers his training, the mission to retrieve the Long Duration Exposure Facility, and the decisions and maneuvers that shaped that risky retrieval - did the crew get LDEF into Columbia?

Person: G. David Low
Event: LDEF retrieval
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-32)
Mass: 21,400 pounds
Role: Canadarm operator

- David Low trained specifically on the Canadarm and served as CAPCOM for four missions before his first flight.
- Columbia launched STS-32 in January 1990 with the primary objective of capturing the tumbling Long Duration Exposure Facility.
- LDEF had been in orbit since April 1984 after Challenger’s loss postponed its retrieval and its orbit began decaying.
- The Canadarm extended fifteen meters to grapple LDEF, a retrieval that set the record for the heaviest object handled by the arm.
- Low’s background spans JPL spacecraft systems work, multiple engineering degrees, and a long career of missions and spacewalks leading up to this capture.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1146falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-shuttle-s-four-hundred-maneuvers-in-eleven-days-ran-out-of-fuel--74912398
The Shuttle's four-hundred maneuvers in eleven days ran out of fuel?

In this episode, we follow the mission that pushed Space Shuttle Endeavour to perform four hundred precise orbital corrections and the man whose life led him there. What decisions, tests, and moments of pressure shaped this mission and its crew?

Mission: STS-59
Commander: Sidney McNeill Gutierrez
Launch Date: April 9, 1994
Duration: Eleven days
Photographs: Fourteen thousand

- Gutierrez grew up in Albuquerque and planned to return there after the mission.
- Endeavour carried a powerful radar able to see through clouds, jungle canopy, and the Earth's surface.
- The mission completed 183 orbits and collected data equivalent to 26,000 encyclopedias.
- Gutierrez logged over 4,500 flight hours across ~30 aircraft types and more than 550 parachute jumps.
- After Challenger, Gutierrez served as action officer coordinating investigations and recertification of shuttle systems.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912398Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:50 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA shuttle commander from Albuquerque must guide a risky orbital mission to deliver a radar payload - did they make it in time? The Shuttle's four-hundred maneuvers in eleven days ran out of fuel? In this episode, we follow the mission that...
The Shuttle's four-hundred maneuvers in eleven days ran out of fuel?

In this episode, we follow the mission that pushed Space Shuttle Endeavour to perform four hundred precise orbital corrections and the man whose life led him there. What decisions, tests, and moments of pressure shaped this mission and its crew?

Mission: STS-59
Commander: Sidney McNeill Gutierrez
Launch Date: April 9, 1994
Duration: Eleven days
Photographs: Fourteen thousand

- Gutierrez grew up in Albuquerque and planned to return there after the mission.
- Endeavour carried a powerful radar able to see through clouds, jungle canopy, and the Earth's surface.
- The mission completed 183 orbits and collected data equivalent to 26,000 encyclopedias.
- Gutierrez logged over 4,500 flight hours across ~30 aircraft types and more than 550 parachute jumps.
- After Challenger, Gutierrez served as action officer coordinating investigations and recertification of shuttle systems.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1289falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sesame-bagel-that-kept-him-fed-until-the-final-hatch-closed--74912395
The Sesame Bagel That Kept Him Fed Until the Final Hatch Closed

In this episode, we follow Gregory Chamitoff from a Montreal childhood decision to a life spent training and building toward long-duration missions on the International Space Station. The episode covers his 2008 and 2011 missions, the chess games played across 400 km, the Fairmount Bagels he brought into orbit, and the last assembly tasks that would complete the station - did he get to touch the final piece from outside?

Person: Gregory Chamitoff
Location: International Space Station; Montreal
Date: June-November 2008; May 16, 2011
Event: Chess games across orbit, long-duration mission, final ISS assembly mission
Item: Eighteen sesame bagels from Fairmount Bagels

- A six-year-old in Montreal watched Apollo land and decided to "go," then pursued engineering degrees at Cal Poly, MIT, and UC Berkeley.
- He packed eighteen sesame bagels from his cousin's Montreal bakery and brought them aboard a shuttle for a 160-day 2008 mission.
- While orbiting, he played organized chess with Mission Control, the board drifting by a porthole with Earth’s curvature visible.
- He carried a student-built SPHERES prototype into orbit - a small free-flying robot designed to test autonomous navigation inside a module.
- In 2011 he flew on STS-134 aboard Endeavour for the last shuttle flight, assigned tasks tied to finishing the ISS assembly.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912395Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:46 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTAn astronaut carries sesame bagels and a velcro chessboard into orbit as the ISS nears its final hatch - did he reach the exterior in time? The Sesame Bagel That Kept Him Fed Until the Final Hatch Closed In this episode, we follow Gregory...
The Sesame Bagel That Kept Him Fed Until the Final Hatch Closed

In this episode, we follow Gregory Chamitoff from a Montreal childhood decision to a life spent training and building toward long-duration missions on the International Space Station. The episode covers his 2008 and 2011 missions, the chess games played across 400 km, the Fairmount Bagels he brought into orbit, and the last assembly tasks that would complete the station - did he get to touch the final piece from outside?

Person: Gregory Chamitoff
Location: International Space Station; Montreal
Date: June-November 2008; May 16, 2011
Event: Chess games across orbit, long-duration mission, final ISS assembly mission
Item: Eighteen sesame bagels from Fairmount Bagels

- A six-year-old in Montreal watched Apollo land and decided to "go," then pursued engineering degrees at Cal Poly, MIT, and UC Berkeley.
- He packed eighteen sesame bagels from his cousin's Montreal bakery and brought them aboard a shuttle for a 160-day 2008 mission.
- While orbiting, he played organized chess with Mission Control, the board drifting by a porthole with Earth’s curvature visible.
- He carried a student-built SPHERES prototype into orbit - a small free-flying robot designed to test autonomous navigation inside a module.
- In 2011 he flew on STS-134 aboard Endeavour for the last shuttle flight, assigned tasks tied to finishing the ISS assembly.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1291falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-pressure-valve-that-filled-the-cabin-nearly-killed-them--74912394
The pressure valve that filled the cabin nearly killed them

In this episode, we follow the flight and the technical backstory that led two incompatible spacecraft to link up in orbit and what went wrong during reentry. We trace the engineering choices, the crew dynamics, and one overlooked warning that could have stopped the catastrophe - but did it arrive soon enough?

Date: July 24, 1975
Event: Apollo-Soyuz docking and return
Person: Vance Brand
Person: Alexei Leonov
System: cabin pressure and valve mechanism

- Two spacecraft-an Apollo command module and a Soyuz-docked after years of political and technical negotiation using Bill Creasy’s APAS collar to allow crew transfer.
- The Apollo cabin operated at ~5 psi of pure oxygen while the Soyuz used ~15 psi of a nitrogen-oxygen mix, creating critical compatibility challenges for crew transfer.
- During the nine-day mission the crews shared food, language, and jokes, then prepared to reenter Earth’s atmosphere with routines set to guarantee a safe splashdown.
- In the final four minutes of reentry a simple pressure valve began admitting a toxic cloud into the Apollo cabin, incapacitating Vance Brand and imperiling the other two astronauts.
- The chain of decisions and design histories stretching back to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the 1962 Dryden-Blagonravov talks shaped how these incompatible systems were forced to work together.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912394Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:42 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTIn 1975 a valve began filling the Apollo cabin with toxic gas-did the crew make it out alive in time? The pressure valve that filled the cabin nearly killed them In this episode, we follow the flight and the technical backstory that led two...
The pressure valve that filled the cabin nearly killed them

In this episode, we follow the flight and the technical backstory that led two incompatible spacecraft to link up in orbit and what went wrong during reentry. We trace the engineering choices, the crew dynamics, and one overlooked warning that could have stopped the catastrophe - but did it arrive soon enough?

Date: July 24, 1975
Event: Apollo-Soyuz docking and return
Person: Vance Brand
Person: Alexei Leonov
System: cabin pressure and valve mechanism

- Two spacecraft-an Apollo command module and a Soyuz-docked after years of political and technical negotiation using Bill Creasy’s APAS collar to allow crew transfer.
- The Apollo cabin operated at ~5 psi of pure oxygen while the Soyuz used ~15 psi of a nitrogen-oxygen mix, creating critical compatibility challenges for crew transfer.
- During the nine-day mission the crews shared food, language, and jokes, then prepared to reenter Earth’s atmosphere with routines set to guarantee a safe splashdown.
- In the final four minutes of reentry a simple pressure valve began admitting a toxic cloud into the Apollo cabin, incapacitating Vance Brand and imperiling the other two astronauts.
- The chain of decisions and design histories stretching back to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the 1962 Dryden-Blagonravov talks shaped how these incompatible systems were forced to work together.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1237falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dust-cover-that-choked-an-engine-and-the-clock-that-started-the-abort--74912391
The dust cover that choked an engine - and the clock that started the abort

In this episode, we follow a split-second decision on a Titan II pad that started a launch clock and left two astronauts breathing pure oxygen as an untested eject system waited. What choices did Walter Schirra and the ground teams make when alarms and a running clock collided with unknown risks?

Person: Walter Schirra
Person: Thomas Stafford
Person: Frank Borman
Person: Jim Lovell
Date: December 12, 1965
Location: Titan II launch pad

- A liftoff clock started one and a half seconds into ignition, a protocol meant to trigger ejection if the rocket left the pad.
- Schirra chose not to pull the D-ring while the cabin remained at 15-16 psi of pure oxygen and the ejection seats were untested under those conditions.
- Initial telemetry showed an electrical plug dropout that suggested a false liftoff signal, but engineers kept digging through data and hardware.
- A Martin-Marietta technician discovered a plastic dust cover blocking oxidizer flow in gas generator plumbing, causing engine two to lose thrust.
- Mission planners had already rewritten the objective after Agena failed, turning Gemini Six into Gemini Six-A to rendezvous with Gemini Seven in orbit.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912391Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:38 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA dust cover left in a rocket engine forces a near-launch abort and a decision that could have detonated two men-did they pull the eject ring? The dust cover that choked an engine - and the clock that started the abort In this episode, we follow...
The dust cover that choked an engine - and the clock that started the abort

In this episode, we follow a split-second decision on a Titan II pad that started a launch clock and left two astronauts breathing pure oxygen as an untested eject system waited. What choices did Walter Schirra and the ground teams make when alarms and a running clock collided with unknown risks?

Person: Walter Schirra
Person: Thomas Stafford
Person: Frank Borman
Person: Jim Lovell
Date: December 12, 1965
Location: Titan II launch pad

- A liftoff clock started one and a half seconds into ignition, a protocol meant to trigger ejection if the rocket left the pad.
- Schirra chose not to pull the D-ring while the cabin remained at 15-16 psi of pure oxygen and the ejection seats were untested under those conditions.
- Initial telemetry showed an electrical plug dropout that suggested a false liftoff signal, but engineers kept digging through data and hardware.
- A Martin-Marietta technician discovered a plastic dust cover blocking oxidizer flow in gas generator plumbing, causing engine two to lose thrust.
- Mission planners had already rewritten the objective after Agena failed, turning Gemini Six into Gemini Six-A to rendezvous with Gemini Seven in orbit.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1266falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-blank-card-that-proved-a-pilot-s-worth--74912389
The blank card that proved a pilot's worth

In this episode, we follow the winding path that led Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. from expulsion and learning struggles to the cockpit of cutting‑edge jets and the astronaut corps. What decisions, missteps, and stubborn gambles pushed him back toward space despite official disqualification?

Person: Charles Conrad Jr.
Date: June 2, 1930 (birth); November 1969 (Moon photograph)
Location: Philadelphia; Paoli Airfield; Patuxent River; Albuquerque; Moon
Event: Failed eleventh‑grade exams and expulsion; selection for astronaut testing; Mercury Seven medical exams
Occupation: Navy test pilot; Apollo astronaut

- Expelled after failing eleventh‑grade exams, Conrad was sent to a new school funded by his uncle and later graduated from the Darrow School.
- He earned a full scholarship to Princeton, completed an aeronautical engineering degree, and wrote a 200‑page thesis on a jet trainer.
- At fifteen he worked at Paoli Airfield for access to planes, soloed cross‑country at sixteen, repaired a mechanical fault himself, and earned his pilot’s certificate before finishing high school.
- By 1958 he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School alongside Wally Schirra and Jim Lovell, moving into high‑risk flight testing.
- During NASA’s Mercury medicals he treated psychological tests as a joke and famously turned a blank Rorschach card face down, refusing to project an image.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912389Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:34 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA Navy test pilot declared unfit for space fights to stay in NASA - five years, a blank card, and one photograph on the Moon. The blank card that proved a pilot's worth In this episode, we follow the winding path that led Charles "Pete" Conrad...
The blank card that proved a pilot's worth

In this episode, we follow the winding path that led Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. from expulsion and learning struggles to the cockpit of cutting‑edge jets and the astronaut corps. What decisions, missteps, and stubborn gambles pushed him back toward space despite official disqualification?

Person: Charles Conrad Jr.
Date: June 2, 1930 (birth); November 1969 (Moon photograph)
Location: Philadelphia; Paoli Airfield; Patuxent River; Albuquerque; Moon
Event: Failed eleventh‑grade exams and expulsion; selection for astronaut testing; Mercury Seven medical exams
Occupation: Navy test pilot; Apollo astronaut

- Expelled after failing eleventh‑grade exams, Conrad was sent to a new school funded by his uncle and later graduated from the Darrow School.
- He earned a full scholarship to Princeton, completed an aeronautical engineering degree, and wrote a 200‑page thesis on a jet trainer.
- At fifteen he worked at Paoli Airfield for access to planes, soloed cross‑country at sixteen, repaired a mechanical fault himself, and earned his pilot’s certificate before finishing high school.
- By 1958 he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School alongside Wally Schirra and Jim Lovell, moving into high‑risk flight testing.
- During NASA’s Mercury medicals he treated psychological tests as a joke and famously turned a blank Rorschach card face down, refusing to project an image.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1170falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-rigid-seal-that-burned-weeks-from-their-lifeline--74912387
The Rigid Seal That Burned Weeks From Their Lifeline

In this episode, we follow the sequence of launch attempts, technical fixes, and mounting time pressure around Space Shuttle Endeavour’s June-July 2009 mission. We track how a small mechanical part and a shrinking consumables margin forced repeated decisions that reshaped the flight plan and raised a single urgent question: how many scrubs could the mission survive?

Person: Launch director Mike Leinbach
Date: June 13, 2009
Event: Hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP)
Location: Kennedy Space Center
Topic: Repeated scrubs and timeline pressure due to GUCP seal failures

- At 00:26 on June 13, sensors detected hydrogen leaking from the GUCP; the countdown stopped 47 minutes before the window closed.
- Engineers traced the leak to a rigid seal on the hydrogen vent plate, slightly out of alignment and releasing invisible gas.
- Discovery had experienced an identical GUCP leak in March 2009; the root cause related to the rigid seal’s behavior under load.
- Teams replaced the rigid seal with a flexible design after a July 1 tanking test showed the new seal held under pressurization.
- Multiple delays followed: weather and lightning on July 10, and three separate T‑minus nine minute scrubs across July 11-13 that consumed mission margin tied to station lithium hydroxide supplies.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912387Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:30 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA misaligned seal leaks hydrogen under a midnight sky, halting Endeavour’s launch and eating the mission clock-did they make it in time? The Rigid Seal That Burned Weeks From Their Lifeline In this episode, we follow the sequence of launch...
The Rigid Seal That Burned Weeks From Their Lifeline

In this episode, we follow the sequence of launch attempts, technical fixes, and mounting time pressure around Space Shuttle Endeavour’s June-July 2009 mission. We track how a small mechanical part and a shrinking consumables margin forced repeated decisions that reshaped the flight plan and raised a single urgent question: how many scrubs could the mission survive?

Person: Launch director Mike Leinbach
Date: June 13, 2009
Event: Hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP)
Location: Kennedy Space Center
Topic: Repeated scrubs and timeline pressure due to GUCP seal failures

- At 00:26 on June 13, sensors detected hydrogen leaking from the GUCP; the countdown stopped 47 minutes before the window closed.
- Engineers traced the leak to a rigid seal on the hydrogen vent plate, slightly out of alignment and releasing invisible gas.
- Discovery had experienced an identical GUCP leak in March 2009; the root cause related to the rigid seal’s behavior under load.
- Teams replaced the rigid seal with a flexible design after a July 1 tanking test showed the new seal held under pressurization.
- Multiple delays followed: weather and lightning on July 10, and three separate T‑minus nine minute scrubs across July 11-13 that consumed mission margin tied to station lithium hydroxide supplies.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-b-channel-temperature-sensor-tripped-rsls-and-cost-forty-two-days--74912385
The B‑channel temperature sensor tripped RSLS and cost forty‑two days

In this episode, we lay out the moment the shuttle stopped one second before liftoff and the chain of technical and managerial responses that followed. We track the hardware, the rules that forced engine swaps, and the ticking clock that threatened the SRL‑2 science window.

Person: Mission specialist Daniel Bursch
Date: August 18, 1994
Location: Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center
Event: RSLS abort at T‑1.9 seconds
Component: Main Engine Three High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (HPOT) serial 2032

- At T‑1.9 seconds all three main engines were firing while the hold‑down bolts remained engaged and the vehicle did not lift.
- The RSLS automated abort cut engines when the B‑channel turbopump temperature sensor crossed 867 K, a threshold encoded in the launch software.
- The HPOT in Engine Three was new to flight (first flight) and spins at 28,120 RPM, boosting LOX from 422 to 4,300 psi during start.
- Post‑abort rules mandated removal and inspection of every main engine after any post‑ignition RSLS, prompting engines to be taken from Atlantis and rescheduled processing across the program.
- The replaced engines returned Endeavour to Pad 39A forty‑two days later, while the SRL‑2 mission’s precise orbital window and the science it required loomed.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912385Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:26 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTA temperature sensor on Main Engine Three tripped the abort at T‑1.9s, leaving astronauts on Pad 39A-can the mission still make its window? The B‑channel temperature sensor tripped RSLS and cost forty‑two days In this episode, we lay out the...
The B‑channel temperature sensor tripped RSLS and cost forty‑two days

In this episode, we lay out the moment the shuttle stopped one second before liftoff and the chain of technical and managerial responses that followed. We track the hardware, the rules that forced engine swaps, and the ticking clock that threatened the SRL‑2 science window.

Person: Mission specialist Daniel Bursch
Date: August 18, 1994
Location: Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center
Event: RSLS abort at T‑1.9 seconds
Component: Main Engine Three High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (HPOT) serial 2032

- At T‑1.9 seconds all three main engines were firing while the hold‑down bolts remained engaged and the vehicle did not lift.
- The RSLS automated abort cut engines when the B‑channel turbopump temperature sensor crossed 867 K, a threshold encoded in the launch software.
- The HPOT in Engine Three was new to flight (first flight) and spins at 28,120 RPM, boosting LOX from 422 to 4,300 psi during start.
- Post‑abort rules mandated removal and inspection of every main engine after any post‑ignition RSLS, prompting engines to be taken from Atlantis and rescheduled processing across the program.
- The replaced engines returned Endeavour to Pad 39A forty‑two days later, while the SRL‑2 mission’s precise orbital window and the science it required loomed.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1426falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-explosive-bolts-that-let-enterprise-fall-and-left-haise-racing-the-clock--74912383
The explosive bolts that let Enterprise fall - and left Haise racing the clock

In this episode, we follow the Approach and Landing Tests at Edwards Air Force Base as engineers and pilots risk a never-before-tried separation of the shuttle Enterprise from its 747 carrier. The story traces the technical setup, the tension of live load-cell readings, and the stakes that tied the future of human spaceflight to a single release command.

Person: Fred Haise
Event: Approach and Landing Tests (ALT)
Location: Edwards Air Force Base, Mojave Desert
Date: February-October 1977 (tests); August 18, 1977 (flight described)
Aircraft: Space Shuttle Enterprise and modified Boeing 747 with three explosive-bolt attachment points

- Engineers fitted three load cells to the attachment points and monitored tension in real time during mated climbs.
- The 747 carried a mounting structure with a longer nose strut that tilted Enterprise’s nose up, increasing angle of attack for separation.
- Captive-inert and captive-active flights validated handling and systems before attempting a free, unpowered glide.
- At separation, Enterprise’s lift could actually hold the 747 aloft, making the explosive bolts the sole mechanism preventing a dangerous aerodynamic coupling.
- Fred Haise, veteran of Apollo 13, sat in the cockpit of an orbiter that had never flown free, awaiting a gauge’s permission to fall.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912383Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:22 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTFred Haise straps into Enterprise atop a 747 at Edwards, the explosive bolts primed-can the prototype shuttle separate and glide to safety? The explosive bolts that let Enterprise fall - and left Haise racing the clock In this episode, we follow...
The explosive bolts that let Enterprise fall - and left Haise racing the clock

In this episode, we follow the Approach and Landing Tests at Edwards Air Force Base as engineers and pilots risk a never-before-tried separation of the shuttle Enterprise from its 747 carrier. The story traces the technical setup, the tension of live load-cell readings, and the stakes that tied the future of human spaceflight to a single release command.

Person: Fred Haise
Event: Approach and Landing Tests (ALT)
Location: Edwards Air Force Base, Mojave Desert
Date: February-October 1977 (tests); August 18, 1977 (flight described)
Aircraft: Space Shuttle Enterprise and modified Boeing 747 with three explosive-bolt attachment points

- Engineers fitted three load cells to the attachment points and monitored tension in real time during mated climbs.
- The 747 carried a mounting structure with a longer nose strut that tilted Enterprise’s nose up, increasing angle of attack for separation.
- Captive-inert and captive-active flights validated handling and systems before attempting a free, unpowered glide.
- At separation, Enterprise’s lift could actually hold the 747 aloft, making the explosive bolts the sole mechanism preventing a dangerous aerodynamic coupling.
- Fred Haise, veteran of Apollo 13, sat in the cockpit of an orbiter that had never flown free, awaiting a gauge’s permission to fall.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1206falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-doctor-who-performed-emergency-surgery-on-a-live-solar-array--74912382
A space station reaches orbit already wounded. Its protective shield has ripped away during launch, one solar wing is completely gone, and the other is pinned shut by twisted metal while temperatures inside Skylab climb dangerously high. Two weeks later, America’s first physician in space floats outside beside Pete Conrad carrying an improvised twenty-five-foot cutting tool. Joseph Kerwin is about to perform something that looks less like spacecraft maintenance than emergency surgery—on the only solar array keeping the station alive. What happens if one cut goes wrong?

The doctor sent to study the human body ended up operating on the spacecraft itself

In this episode, we follow Joseph Kerwin from his selection as one of NASA’s scientist-astronauts to the crisis that greeted Skylab’s first crew in May 1973. We trace the launch damage that left the station overheated and underpowered, the failed first attempt to free its surviving solar wing, and the June 7 spacewalk in which Kerwin and Pete Conrad approached the jammed array with tools assembled from equipment already aboard. At the center is a repair no crew had ever attempted in orbit, asking how a physician trained to make precise decisions under pressure helped save not a patient, but America’s first space station.

Person: Joseph P. Kerwin, M.D.
Date: June 7, 1973
Location: Skylab, low Earth orbit
Mission: Skylab 2
Event: Emergency EVA to free Skylab’s jammed solar array wing
Status: Solar wing successfully deployed; Skylab restored to sufficient electrical power for continued operations

* Skylab launched on May 14, 1973, but aerodynamic forces tore away its micrometeoroid and thermal shield, ripped off one solar array wing entirely, and left the other trapped beneath debris from the damaged shield.
* Without the protective shield, temperatures inside the station rose as high as approximately 126°F, while the loss of solar power threatened Skylab’s experiments and its ability to support the planned missions.
* Kerwin was a physician and former Navy flight surgeon who became the first American medical doctor to travel into space when Skylab 2 launched on May 25, 1973.
* During the crew’s first approach to Skylab, Paul Weitz attempted to cut away the obstruction from the Apollo spacecraft while Kerwin physically held him by the legs, but the improvised effort failed to release the solar wing.
* Engineers on the ground then developed a new repair procedure. Kerwin and Conrad assembled a long pole from multiple sections, attached a heavy-duty cable cutter, and used a rope system that allowed them to operate the tool while positioned away from the jammed structure.
* On June 7, Kerwin anchored himself to Skylab and positioned the cutter around the metal strap holding the solar wing closed. After the obstruction was cut and the astronauts applied force to the array, the wing suddenly deployed and began generating electrical power.
* The repair spacewalk lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes and was then the longest Earth-orbital EVA ever completed. More importantly, freeing the array restored enough power to support Skylab’s experiments and helped make the station’s two later record-setting missions possible.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912382Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:17 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe Doctor Who Performed Emergency Surgery On A Live Solar Array A space station reaches orbit already wounded. Its protective shield has ripped away during launch, one solar wing is completely gone, and the other is pinned shut by twisted metal...
A space station reaches orbit already wounded. Its protective shield has ripped away during launch, one solar wing is completely gone, and the other is pinned shut by twisted metal while temperatures inside Skylab climb dangerously high. Two weeks later, America’s first physician in space floats outside beside Pete Conrad carrying an improvised twenty-five-foot cutting tool. Joseph Kerwin is about to perform something that looks less like spacecraft maintenance than emergency surgery—on the only solar array keeping the station alive. What happens if one cut goes wrong?

The doctor sent to study the human body ended up operating on the spacecraft itself

In this episode, we follow Joseph Kerwin from his selection as one of NASA’s scientist-astronauts to the crisis that greeted Skylab’s first crew in May 1973. We trace the launch damage that left the station overheated and underpowered, the failed first attempt to free its surviving solar wing, and the June 7 spacewalk in which Kerwin and Pete Conrad approached the jammed array with tools assembled from equipment already aboard. At the center is a repair no crew had ever attempted in orbit, asking how a physician trained to make precise decisions under pressure helped save not a patient, but America’s first space station.

Person: Joseph P. Kerwin, M.D.
Date: June 7, 1973
Location: Skylab, low Earth orbit
Mission: Skylab 2
Event: Emergency EVA to free Skylab’s jammed solar array wing
Status: Solar wing successfully deployed; Skylab restored to sufficient electrical power for continued operations

* Skylab launched on May 14, 1973, but aerodynamic forces tore away its micrometeoroid and thermal shield, ripped off one solar array wing entirely, and left the other trapped beneath debris from the damaged shield.
* Without the protective shield, temperatures inside the station rose as high as approximately 126°F, while the loss of solar power threatened Skylab’s experiments and its ability to support the planned missions.
* Kerwin was a physician and former Navy flight surgeon who became the first American medical doctor to travel into space when Skylab 2 launched on May 25, 1973.
* During the crew’s first approach to Skylab, Paul Weitz attempted to cut away the obstruction from the Apollo spacecraft while Kerwin physically held him by the legs, but the improvised effort failed to release the solar wing.
* Engineers on the ground then developed a new repair procedure. Kerwin and Conrad assembled a long pole from multiple sections, attached a heavy-duty cable cutter, and used a rope system that allowed them to operate the tool while positioned away from the jammed structure.
* On June 7, Kerwin anchored himself to Skylab and positioned the cutter around the metal strap holding the solar wing closed. After the obstruction was cut and the astronauts applied force to the array, the wing suddenly deployed and began generating electrical power.
* The repair spacewalk lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes and was then the longest Earth-orbital EVA ever completed. More importantly, freeing the array restored enough power to support Skylab’s experiments and helped make the station’s two later record-setting missions possible.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as...]]>849falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wrong-mountain-how-apollo-16-proved-the-moon-lied--74912380
NASA sends Apollo 16 into the lunar highlands expecting astronauts to stand on the remains of ancient volcanoes. From orbit, Stone Mountain and the surrounding Descartes terrain look like structures built by thick lava, while the smoother Cayley Plains appear to be another kind of volcanic deposit. John Young and Charlie Duke land there in April 1972, drive more than twenty kilometers, and begin breaking open the rocks. Almost immediately, the prediction starts collapsing. The mountains are not giving them lava. They are giving them shattered rock welded together by impacts. What happens when astronauts reach the exact place scientists chose—and discover that the Moon has been telling a completely different geological story?

The mountain looked volcanic from Earth until astronauts picked it up piece by piece

In this episode, we follow Apollo 16 from the geological assumptions that selected the Descartes landing site to the moment field observations and returned samples overturned them. We trace Young and Duke across the Cayley Plains, Stone Mountain, North Ray Crater, and the surrounding highlands as they search for the volcanic rocks planners expected to find, only to encounter breccias created by enormous impacts. The mission became a demonstration of why exploring another world in person mattered: Apollo 16 did not confirm the map scientists had constructed from photographs—it forced them to rewrite it.

Mission: Apollo 16
Crew: John W. Young, Charles M. Duke Jr., Thomas K. Mattingly II
Date: April 16–27, 1972
Location: Descartes Highlands, Moon
Event: Geological exploration of the Cayley and Descartes formations
Expected Geology: Volcanic plains and volcanic highland deposits
Discovery: Returned samples were dominated by impact-generated breccias rather than the predicted volcanic rocks

* NASA selected the Descartes Highlands because Apollo 16 would be the first landing devoted entirely to the lunar highlands, which cover far more of the Moon than the dark mare regions explored during most earlier Apollo missions.
* Before launch, geological interpretations based on telescopic and orbital photographs treated both major targets as probably volcanic: the Cayley Plains were compared with deposits formed by relatively fluid material, while the Descartes mountains were interpreted as structures produced by more viscous volcanic flows.
* Young and Duke landed aboard Orion on April 21, 1972, and completed three lunar excursions totaling more than twenty hours outside while using the Lunar Roving Vehicle to explore the surrounding terrain.
* The crew collected approximately 95 kilograms—209 pounds—of lunar material from multiple stations, including samples associated with Stone Mountain, North Ray Crater, and the Cayley Plains.
* Instead of the expected volcanic rocks, the collection was dominated by feldspathic breccias: fragments of older lunar crust shattered, mixed, and compacted by enormous impact events. NASA’s later sample catalog states that it became apparent even during the mission that the principal materials were not volcanic.
* Sample 65015, collected near Stone Mountain, is an impact-melt rock, while sample 67015 from North Ray Crater is a coarse impact breccia containing angular fragments of still older lunar material.
* The discovery did more than prove one landing-site prediction wrong. It strengthened the interpretation that enormous basin-forming impacts had excavated and redistributed vast quantities of lunar crust, meaning terrain that resembled volcanic construction from orbit could actually be the product of catastrophic bombardment.
* Apollo 16 therefore became scientifically valuable precisely because its prediction failed: the astronauts reached the “wrong mountain” expecting volcanism and returned with evidence that forced lunar geologists to rethink how much of the Moon’s ancient highlands had been constructed, shattered, and rearranged by impacts.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912380Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:14 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTWrong Mountain: How Apollo 16 Proved the Moon Lied NASA sends Apollo 16 into the lunar highlands expecting astronauts to stand on the remains of ancient volcanoes. From orbit, Stone Mountain and the surrounding Descartes terrain look like structures...
NASA sends Apollo 16 into the lunar highlands expecting astronauts to stand on the remains of ancient volcanoes. From orbit, Stone Mountain and the surrounding Descartes terrain look like structures built by thick lava, while the smoother Cayley Plains appear to be another kind of volcanic deposit. John Young and Charlie Duke land there in April 1972, drive more than twenty kilometers, and begin breaking open the rocks. Almost immediately, the prediction starts collapsing. The mountains are not giving them lava. They are giving them shattered rock welded together by impacts. What happens when astronauts reach the exact place scientists chose—and discover that the Moon has been telling a completely different geological story?

The mountain looked volcanic from Earth until astronauts picked it up piece by piece

In this episode, we follow Apollo 16 from the geological assumptions that selected the Descartes landing site to the moment field observations and returned samples overturned them. We trace Young and Duke across the Cayley Plains, Stone Mountain, North Ray Crater, and the surrounding highlands as they search for the volcanic rocks planners expected to find, only to encounter breccias created by enormous impacts. The mission became a demonstration of why exploring another world in person mattered: Apollo 16 did not confirm the map scientists had constructed from photographs—it forced them to rewrite it.

Mission: Apollo 16
Crew: John W. Young, Charles M. Duke Jr., Thomas K. Mattingly II
Date: April 16–27, 1972
Location: Descartes Highlands, Moon
Event: Geological exploration of the Cayley and Descartes formations
Expected Geology: Volcanic plains and volcanic highland deposits
Discovery: Returned samples were dominated by impact-generated breccias rather than the predicted volcanic rocks

* NASA selected the Descartes Highlands because Apollo 16 would be the first landing devoted entirely to the lunar highlands, which cover far more of the Moon than the dark mare regions explored during most earlier Apollo missions.
* Before launch, geological interpretations based on telescopic and orbital photographs treated both major targets as probably volcanic: the Cayley Plains were compared with deposits formed by relatively fluid material, while the Descartes mountains were interpreted as structures produced by more viscous volcanic flows.
* Young and Duke landed aboard Orion on April 21, 1972, and completed three lunar excursions totaling more than twenty hours outside while using the Lunar Roving Vehicle to explore the surrounding terrain.
* The crew collected approximately 95 kilograms—209 pounds—of lunar material from multiple stations, including samples associated with Stone Mountain, North Ray Crater, and the Cayley Plains.
* Instead of the expected volcanic rocks, the collection was dominated by feldspathic breccias: fragments of older lunar crust shattered, mixed, and compacted by enormous impact events. NASA’s later sample catalog states that it became apparent even during the mission that the principal materials were not volcanic.
* Sample 65015, collected near Stone Mountain, is an impact-melt rock, while sample 67015 from North Ray Crater is a coarse impact breccia containing angular fragments of still older lunar material.
* The discovery did more than prove one landing-site prediction wrong. It strengthened the interpretation that enormous basin-forming impacts had excavated and redistributed vast quantities of lunar crust, meaning terrain that resembled volcanic construction from orbit could actually be the product of catastrophic bombardment.
* Apollo 16 therefore became scientifically valuable precisely because its prediction failed: the astronauts reached the “wrong mountain” expecting volcanism and returned with evidence that...]]>1370falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/they-denied-conrad-the-moon-he-broke-america-s-altitude-record-instead--74912378
Pete Conrad wanted Gemini 11 to do something far more audacious than another Earth-orbit mission: he had hoped for a flight around the Moon. NASA rejected the idea. So in September 1966, Conrad and Richard Gordon docked with an Agena target vehicle on their very first orbit, fired its powerful engine, and climbed higher than any humans had ever traveled without leaving Earth orbit. At apogee, the planet curved beneath them from 853 miles up. If NASA would not let Conrad go to the Moon yet, how far could he push the mission they actually gave him?

The Moon was off-limits—so Conrad took Gemini higher than any Earth-orbiting crew had ever gone

In this episode, we follow Pete Conrad from his unrealized hope of sending Gemini beyond Earth orbit to the demanding three-day mission that became Gemini 11. We trace the first-orbit rendezvous with Agena, Dick Gordon’s exhausting spacewalk, the engine burn that hurled the docked spacecraft to a record altitude, and an experimental tether maneuver that produced the first tiny artificial-gravity effect in space, asking how Conrad turned a mission that stopped short of the Moon into one of Gemini’s most technically ambitious demonstrations.

Person: Charles “Pete” Conrad Jr.
Date: September 12–15, 1966
Location: Earth orbit; maximum apogee approximately 853 miles / 1,374 kilometers
Mission: Gemini XI
Event: Record-setting high-altitude Earth orbit using the Agena target vehicle
Status: Highest altitude achieved by a crewed non-lunar mission, a record that still stands

* Conrad had hoped for a Gemini mission that would travel around the Moon, but NASA kept Gemini focused on developing the rendezvous, docking, EVA, and orbital techniques required for Apollo.
* Gemini 11 launched on September 12, 1966, with Conrad as command pilot and Richard Gordon as pilot, rendezvousing and docking with its Agena target vehicle during the spacecraft’s first orbit—only about ninety-four minutes after liftoff.
* The maneuver was directly relevant to Apollo because astronauts leaving the lunar surface would eventually need to rendezvous rapidly with a command module already orbiting the Moon.
* On September 14, the crew fired the Agena’s primary engine for approximately twenty-six seconds, raising Gemini 11’s apogee to about 853 miles above Earth and breaking the previous crewed altitude record.
* From that height Conrad and Gordon could see an unusually pronounced curvature of the planet; Conrad described the view as spectacular as the spacecraft passed high above Australia.
* After two revolutions at extreme altitude, the Agena engine was fired again to lower the spacecraft back toward its normal orbit, proving that the maneuver had been a controlled engineering experiment rather than simply a bid for a record.
* Gemini 11 later remained tethered to the Agena while Conrad initiated a slow rotation around their common center of gravity, generating a tiny artificial-gravity effect—the first such demonstration performed by crewed spacecraft.
* Conrad eventually reached the Moon after all: three years later he commanded Apollo 12 and became the third human to walk on its surface, turning the astronaut once denied a Gemini lunar flight into the commander of NASA’s second successful lunar landing.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912378Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:10 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThey Denied Conrad the Moon — He Broke America’s Altitude Record Instead Pete Conrad wanted Gemini 11 to do something far more audacious than another Earth-orbit mission: he had hoped for a flight around the Moon. NASA rejected the idea. So in...
Pete Conrad wanted Gemini 11 to do something far more audacious than another Earth-orbit mission: he had hoped for a flight around the Moon. NASA rejected the idea. So in September 1966, Conrad and Richard Gordon docked with an Agena target vehicle on their very first orbit, fired its powerful engine, and climbed higher than any humans had ever traveled without leaving Earth orbit. At apogee, the planet curved beneath them from 853 miles up. If NASA would not let Conrad go to the Moon yet, how far could he push the mission they actually gave him?

The Moon was off-limits—so Conrad took Gemini higher than any Earth-orbiting crew had ever gone

In this episode, we follow Pete Conrad from his unrealized hope of sending Gemini beyond Earth orbit to the demanding three-day mission that became Gemini 11. We trace the first-orbit rendezvous with Agena, Dick Gordon’s exhausting spacewalk, the engine burn that hurled the docked spacecraft to a record altitude, and an experimental tether maneuver that produced the first tiny artificial-gravity effect in space, asking how Conrad turned a mission that stopped short of the Moon into one of Gemini’s most technically ambitious demonstrations.

Person: Charles “Pete” Conrad Jr.
Date: September 12–15, 1966
Location: Earth orbit; maximum apogee approximately 853 miles / 1,374 kilometers
Mission: Gemini XI
Event: Record-setting high-altitude Earth orbit using the Agena target vehicle
Status: Highest altitude achieved by a crewed non-lunar mission, a record that still stands

* Conrad had hoped for a Gemini mission that would travel around the Moon, but NASA kept Gemini focused on developing the rendezvous, docking, EVA, and orbital techniques required for Apollo.
* Gemini 11 launched on September 12, 1966, with Conrad as command pilot and Richard Gordon as pilot, rendezvousing and docking with its Agena target vehicle during the spacecraft’s first orbit—only about ninety-four minutes after liftoff.
* The maneuver was directly relevant to Apollo because astronauts leaving the lunar surface would eventually need to rendezvous rapidly with a command module already orbiting the Moon.
* On September 14, the crew fired the Agena’s primary engine for approximately twenty-six seconds, raising Gemini 11’s apogee to about 853 miles above Earth and breaking the previous crewed altitude record.
* From that height Conrad and Gordon could see an unusually pronounced curvature of the planet; Conrad described the view as spectacular as the spacecraft passed high above Australia.
* After two revolutions at extreme altitude, the Agena engine was fired again to lower the spacecraft back toward its normal orbit, proving that the maneuver had been a controlled engineering experiment rather than simply a bid for a record.
* Gemini 11 later remained tethered to the Agena while Conrad initiated a slow rotation around their common center of gravity, generating a tiny artificial-gravity effect—the first such demonstration performed by crewed spacecraft.
* Conrad eventually reached the Moon after all: three years later he commanded Apollo 12 and became the third human to walk on its surface, turning the astronaut once denied a Gemini lunar flight into the commander of NASA’s second successful lunar landing.

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This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible...]]>1276falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-navigated-by-starlight-the-man-who-saved-apollo-13--74912377
An oxygen tank explodes more than two hundred thousand miles from Earth, crippling Apollo 13 and forcing Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise into the lunar module Aquarius. The spacecraft still has an engine—but an engine is useless if they cannot determine exactly where it is pointing. Normally Lovell would identify navigation stars through the optical telescope. Now sunlight reflects from thousands of fragments and clouds surrounding the damaged spacecraft, making false stars appear everywhere. If he aligns the guidance system to the wrong point of light, the burn meant to save them could send Apollo 13 farther off course. How do you navigate home when the stars themselves seem to have disappeared?

The explosion blinded Apollo 13’s normal navigation system—so Lovell had to find another sky to follow

In this episode, we follow Commander Jim Lovell through the navigation crisis that followed the Apollo 13 explosion, from the emergency transfer of guidance information out of the dying command module to the improvised celestial references that kept Aquarius pointed toward Earth. We trace the debris field that made normal star sightings unreliable, the use of the Sun as an alignment reference, and the manual attitude corrections that demanded Lovell keep Earth fixed in the spacecraft window while the lunar module engine fired, asking how basic celestial navigation became one of the final safeguards between three astronauts and permanent loss in space.

Person: James A. Lovell Jr.
Date: April 13–17, 1970
Location: Cislunar space, between Earth and the Moon
Mission: Apollo 13
Event: Emergency guidance alignment and manual navigation after the oxygen-tank explosion
Navigation References: Sun, Earth, Moon, and transferred inertial-platform alignment
Status: Crew returned safely to Earth on April 17, 1970

* When Apollo 13’s oxygen tank exploded on April 13, the command module Odyssey began losing electrical power, forcing the crew to shut it down and use the lunar module Aquarius as an emergency lifeboat.
* Before Odyssey lost power completely, the astronauts transferred its inertial guidance alignment into Aquarius. Lovell later described preserving that alignment as one of the mission’s crucial early turning points.
* Normal lunar-module navigation relied on identifying known stars through the Alignment Optical Telescope, but sunlight reflecting from debris and vented material around Apollo 13 produced so many bright points that genuine stars became extremely difficult to distinguish.
* Mission Control developed an alternate alignment procedure using the Sun. Lovell maneuvered Aquarius to the predicted attitude and sighted the Sun through the optical system; the resulting alignment was found to be less than half a degree from the expected position.
* Apollo 13 also required manual course corrections with many normal guidance functions unavailable. During one critical burn, Lovell used Earth’s illuminated limb in the spacecraft window as a visual reference while Haise controlled another axis and Swigert timed the engine firing.
* These procedures were especially difficult because Aquarius had been designed to land two astronauts on the Moon, not navigate three men and a docked command module through deep space back to Earth.
* The crew eventually used sightings of the Sun, Moon, and Earth rather than conventional stellar observations to maintain and verify spacecraft orientation while Mission Control calculated the trajectory from the ground.
* Apollo 13 splashed down safely in the Pacific on April 17, transforming a failed lunar landing into one of NASA’s defining rescue stories—and showing that when computerized navigation became unreliable, Lovell’s understanding of spacecraft attitude and celestial references could still help point the crew home.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912377Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:06 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTHe Navigated By Starlight: The Man Who Saved Apollo 13 An oxygen tank explodes more than two hundred thousand miles from Earth, crippling Apollo 13 and forcing Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise into the lunar module Aquarius. The spacecraft...
An oxygen tank explodes more than two hundred thousand miles from Earth, crippling Apollo 13 and forcing Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise into the lunar module Aquarius. The spacecraft still has an engine—but an engine is useless if they cannot determine exactly where it is pointing. Normally Lovell would identify navigation stars through the optical telescope. Now sunlight reflects from thousands of fragments and clouds surrounding the damaged spacecraft, making false stars appear everywhere. If he aligns the guidance system to the wrong point of light, the burn meant to save them could send Apollo 13 farther off course. How do you navigate home when the stars themselves seem to have disappeared?

The explosion blinded Apollo 13’s normal navigation system—so Lovell had to find another sky to follow

In this episode, we follow Commander Jim Lovell through the navigation crisis that followed the Apollo 13 explosion, from the emergency transfer of guidance information out of the dying command module to the improvised celestial references that kept Aquarius pointed toward Earth. We trace the debris field that made normal star sightings unreliable, the use of the Sun as an alignment reference, and the manual attitude corrections that demanded Lovell keep Earth fixed in the spacecraft window while the lunar module engine fired, asking how basic celestial navigation became one of the final safeguards between three astronauts and permanent loss in space.

Person: James A. Lovell Jr.
Date: April 13–17, 1970
Location: Cislunar space, between Earth and the Moon
Mission: Apollo 13
Event: Emergency guidance alignment and manual navigation after the oxygen-tank explosion
Navigation References: Sun, Earth, Moon, and transferred inertial-platform alignment
Status: Crew returned safely to Earth on April 17, 1970

* When Apollo 13’s oxygen tank exploded on April 13, the command module Odyssey began losing electrical power, forcing the crew to shut it down and use the lunar module Aquarius as an emergency lifeboat.
* Before Odyssey lost power completely, the astronauts transferred its inertial guidance alignment into Aquarius. Lovell later described preserving that alignment as one of the mission’s crucial early turning points.
* Normal lunar-module navigation relied on identifying known stars through the Alignment Optical Telescope, but sunlight reflecting from debris and vented material around Apollo 13 produced so many bright points that genuine stars became extremely difficult to distinguish.
* Mission Control developed an alternate alignment procedure using the Sun. Lovell maneuvered Aquarius to the predicted attitude and sighted the Sun through the optical system; the resulting alignment was found to be less than half a degree from the expected position.
* Apollo 13 also required manual course corrections with many normal guidance functions unavailable. During one critical burn, Lovell used Earth’s illuminated limb in the spacecraft window as a visual reference while Haise controlled another axis and Swigert timed the engine firing.
* These procedures were especially difficult because Aquarius had been designed to land two astronauts on the Moon, not navigate three men and a docked command module through deep space back to Earth.
* The crew eventually used sightings of the Sun, Moon, and Earth rather than conventional stellar observations to maintain and verify spacecraft orientation while Mission Control calculated the trajectory from the ground.
* Apollo 13 splashed down safely in the Pacific on April 17, transforming a failed lunar landing into one of NASA’s defining rescue stories—and showing that when computerized navigation became unreliable, Lovell’s understanding of spacecraft attitude and celestial references could still help point...]]>1537falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-crossed-space-three-times-why-nasa-never-gave-him-wings--74912376
Before Joe Engle ever joined NASA, he had already crossed the United States Air Force’s official boundary of space three separate times in the X-15. On one flight he climbed to 280,600 feet, high enough to see the black sky above the curved Earth and become the youngest American pilot then qualified as an astronaut. Yet the wings recognizing those flights did not come from NASA. Engle had reached space as a military test pilot, years before he would ride a conventional spacecraft into orbit. How did a man become an astronaut before NASA ever made him one?

The rocket plane took him into space three times—but the wings on his uniform belonged to the Air Force

In this episode, we follow Joe Engle from the dangerous X-15 program at Edwards Air Force Base to NASA’s astronaut corps, tracing sixteen rocket-plane flights, three journeys above the Air Force’s fifty-mile space boundary, and the unusual path that made him an astronaut before he ever flew an orbital mission. We follow his selection for Apollo, the lunar landing assignment he lost, his role in proving the Space Shuttle could fly like an aircraft, and his eventual return to space aboard Columbia, asking where the boundary really lies between test pilot and astronaut when a man can cross into space without ever reaching orbit.

Person: Joe H. Engle
Date: 1963–1965 (X-15 flights); June 29, 1965 (highest X-15 flight)
Location: Edwards Air Force Base and the high atmosphere above the western United States
Vehicle: North American X-15
Event: Three flights above the U.S. Air Force’s 50-mile astronaut threshold
Recognition: Qualified for U.S. Air Force astronaut wings before joining NASA
Status: Selected by NASA in 1966; later flew STS-2 and STS-51-I

* Engle entered the X-15 program as a U.S. Air Force test pilot in 1963 and ultimately flew the rocket-powered research aircraft sixteen times, operating a vehicle capable of reaching hypersonic speeds and altitudes at the edge of space.
* On June 29, 1965, Engle flew the X-15 to approximately 280,600 feet, or more than fifty-three miles above Earth, making him the youngest pilot at the time to qualify for astronaut status under the Air Force definition.
* Three of Engle’s sixteen X-15 flights exceeded fifty miles, the altitude used by the U.S. military for awarding astronaut wings, meaning he had technically traveled into space three times before NASA selected him as an astronaut in 1966.
* The distinction behind the title is institutional: NASA did not award Engle those original wings because the X-15 flights were conducted while he was an Air Force pilot. The United States Air Force officially recognized him as a military astronaut.
* Engle later served as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 14 and was originally positioned for Apollo 17, but geologist Harrison Schmitt replaced him when NASA decided the final lunar mission should include a professional scientist.
* After Apollo, Engle became one of the key pilots in the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests, flying Enterprise during atmospheric glide tests that demonstrated the winged spacecraft could safely return to a runway.
* In November 1981, Engle commanded STS-2, the second orbital Space Shuttle mission and the first reuse of a crewed orbital spacecraft, personally flying portions of Columbia’s reentry using techniques rooted in his X-15 experience.
* He returned to orbit as commander of STS-51-I in 1985, giving him an unusual career spanning rocket-plane spaceflight, Apollo-era lunar training, experimental Shuttle testing, and operational orbital missions.

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© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912376Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:38:02 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTHe Crossed Space Three Times—Why NASA Never Gave Him Wings Before Joe Engle ever joined NASA, he had already crossed the United States Air Force’s official boundary of space three separate times in the X-15. On one flight he climbed to 280,600 feet,...
Before Joe Engle ever joined NASA, he had already crossed the United States Air Force’s official boundary of space three separate times in the X-15. On one flight he climbed to 280,600 feet, high enough to see the black sky above the curved Earth and become the youngest American pilot then qualified as an astronaut. Yet the wings recognizing those flights did not come from NASA. Engle had reached space as a military test pilot, years before he would ride a conventional spacecraft into orbit. How did a man become an astronaut before NASA ever made him one?

The rocket plane took him into space three times—but the wings on his uniform belonged to the Air Force

In this episode, we follow Joe Engle from the dangerous X-15 program at Edwards Air Force Base to NASA’s astronaut corps, tracing sixteen rocket-plane flights, three journeys above the Air Force’s fifty-mile space boundary, and the unusual path that made him an astronaut before he ever flew an orbital mission. We follow his selection for Apollo, the lunar landing assignment he lost, his role in proving the Space Shuttle could fly like an aircraft, and his eventual return to space aboard Columbia, asking where the boundary really lies between test pilot and astronaut when a man can cross into space without ever reaching orbit.

Person: Joe H. Engle
Date: 1963–1965 (X-15 flights); June 29, 1965 (highest X-15 flight)
Location: Edwards Air Force Base and the high atmosphere above the western United States
Vehicle: North American X-15
Event: Three flights above the U.S. Air Force’s 50-mile astronaut threshold
Recognition: Qualified for U.S. Air Force astronaut wings before joining NASA
Status: Selected by NASA in 1966; later flew STS-2 and STS-51-I

* Engle entered the X-15 program as a U.S. Air Force test pilot in 1963 and ultimately flew the rocket-powered research aircraft sixteen times, operating a vehicle capable of reaching hypersonic speeds and altitudes at the edge of space.
* On June 29, 1965, Engle flew the X-15 to approximately 280,600 feet, or more than fifty-three miles above Earth, making him the youngest pilot at the time to qualify for astronaut status under the Air Force definition.
* Three of Engle’s sixteen X-15 flights exceeded fifty miles, the altitude used by the U.S. military for awarding astronaut wings, meaning he had technically traveled into space three times before NASA selected him as an astronaut in 1966.
* The distinction behind the title is institutional: NASA did not award Engle those original wings because the X-15 flights were conducted while he was an Air Force pilot. The United States Air Force officially recognized him as a military astronaut.
* Engle later served as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 14 and was originally positioned for Apollo 17, but geologist Harrison Schmitt replaced him when NASA decided the final lunar mission should include a professional scientist.
* After Apollo, Engle became one of the key pilots in the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests, flying Enterprise during atmospheric glide tests that demonstrated the winged spacecraft could safely return to a runway.
* In November 1981, Engle commanded STS-2, the second orbital Space Shuttle mission and the first reuse of a crewed orbital spacecraft, personally flying portions of Columbia’s reentry using techniques rooted in his X-15 experience.
* He returned to orbit as commander of STS-51-I in 1985, giving him an unusual career spanning rocket-plane spaceflight, Apollo-era lunar training, experimental Shuttle testing, and operational orbital missions.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/they-bolted-a-121-pound-cap-they-still-didn-t-find-the-hole--74912374
A seven-ton Progress cargo ship slams into Mir’s Spektr module during a manual docking test, crushing a solar array, buckling a radiator, and opening the station to vacuum. The crew hears air escaping and seals Spektr before the rest of Mir can depressurize. For months, astronauts search inside and outside the dead module for the puncture. Then Atlantis arrives carrying a 121-pound Solar Array Cap built for a future repair attempt. Engineers have designed a way to cover the suspected breach—but they still cannot say exactly where the hole is. How do you repair a spacecraft when you know it is leaking but cannot find the wound?

They built the patch before they could prove where the station had been punctured

In this episode, we follow the Mir crisis from the June 25, 1997 collision with Progress M-34 through the desperate attempts to restore power, locate the pressure leak, and recover the crippled Spektr module. We trace internal and external spacewalks, inspections of damaged radiators and solar-array mounts, and the STS-86 mission that delivered a 121-pound Solar Array Cap for a possible sealing operation. At the center is an engineering nightmare: Mir could survive with Spektr isolated, but restoring the module required finding a breach that refused to reveal itself.

Station: Mir
Module: Spektr
Date: June 25–October 1997
Location: Low Earth orbit
Event: Progress M-34 collision, Spektr depressurization, and attempted repair preparations
Repair Hardware: 121-pound / 55-kilogram Solar Array Cap
Status: Spektr remained depressurized and isolated for the remainder of Mir’s operational life

* On June 25, 1997, Mir commander Vasily Tsibliyev was manually controlling the unmanned Progress M-34 during a redocking test when the cargo spacecraft approached too quickly and collided first with a Spektr solar array and then with the module itself.
* The impact damaged the solar array and radiator and breached Spektr’s pressure hull. The crew heard the escaping air and rapidly isolated the module, preventing the entire Mir complex from depressurizing.
* Closing Spektr created another emergency because electrical cables from its solar arrays passed through the hatch. The crew had to disconnect them before sealing the module, sharply reducing the station’s available electrical power.
* On August 22, Anatoly Solovyev and Pavel Vinogradov entered the depressurized Spektr wearing spacesuits, restored electrical connections through a modified hatch, and searched for evidence of the leak, but they could not identify the puncture from inside.
* On September 6, Solovyev and NASA astronaut Michael Foale spent six hours outside Mir inspecting suspected impact areas, damaged radiator structures, and the base of the solar array. They narrowed the likely location but still found no obvious hole.
* During STS-86, Scott Parazynski and Vladimir Titov performed a five-hour, one-minute spacewalk on October 1 and attached a 121-pound Solar Array Cap to Mir’s docking module for possible later use in sealing the suspected breach.
* The cap was essentially repair hardware waiting for a target. Engineers believed the leak was probably associated with the damaged solar-array attachment area, but uncertainty over the precise location and character of the breach prevented a straightforward external repair.
* Spektr was never fully repressurized. It remained sealed off from the inhabited portion of Mir, making the episode one of the strangest spacecraft-repair problems of the Shuttle-Mir era: engineers successfully built and delivered a patch for a hole they could never confidently expose.

Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.
Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912374Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:37:58 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThey Bolted a 121-Pound Cap — They Still Didn't Find the Hole A seven-ton Progress cargo ship slams into Mir’s Spektr module during a manual docking test, crushing a solar array, buckling a radiator, and opening the station to vacuum. The crew hears...
A seven-ton Progress cargo ship slams into Mir’s Spektr module during a manual docking test, crushing a solar array, buckling a radiator, and opening the station to vacuum. The crew hears air escaping and seals Spektr before the rest of Mir can depressurize. For months, astronauts search inside and outside the dead module for the puncture. Then Atlantis arrives carrying a 121-pound Solar Array Cap built for a future repair attempt. Engineers have designed a way to cover the suspected breach—but they still cannot say exactly where the hole is. How do you repair a spacecraft when you know it is leaking but cannot find the wound?

They built the patch before they could prove where the station had been punctured

In this episode, we follow the Mir crisis from the June 25, 1997 collision with Progress M-34 through the desperate attempts to restore power, locate the pressure leak, and recover the crippled Spektr module. We trace internal and external spacewalks, inspections of damaged radiators and solar-array mounts, and the STS-86 mission that delivered a 121-pound Solar Array Cap for a possible sealing operation. At the center is an engineering nightmare: Mir could survive with Spektr isolated, but restoring the module required finding a breach that refused to reveal itself.

Station: Mir
Module: Spektr
Date: June 25–October 1997
Location: Low Earth orbit
Event: Progress M-34 collision, Spektr depressurization, and attempted repair preparations
Repair Hardware: 121-pound / 55-kilogram Solar Array Cap
Status: Spektr remained depressurized and isolated for the remainder of Mir’s operational life

* On June 25, 1997, Mir commander Vasily Tsibliyev was manually controlling the unmanned Progress M-34 during a redocking test when the cargo spacecraft approached too quickly and collided first with a Spektr solar array and then with the module itself.
* The impact damaged the solar array and radiator and breached Spektr’s pressure hull. The crew heard the escaping air and rapidly isolated the module, preventing the entire Mir complex from depressurizing.
* Closing Spektr created another emergency because electrical cables from its solar arrays passed through the hatch. The crew had to disconnect them before sealing the module, sharply reducing the station’s available electrical power.
* On August 22, Anatoly Solovyev and Pavel Vinogradov entered the depressurized Spektr wearing spacesuits, restored electrical connections through a modified hatch, and searched for evidence of the leak, but they could not identify the puncture from inside.
* On September 6, Solovyev and NASA astronaut Michael Foale spent six hours outside Mir inspecting suspected impact areas, damaged radiator structures, and the base of the solar array. They narrowed the likely location but still found no obvious hole.
* During STS-86, Scott Parazynski and Vladimir Titov performed a five-hour, one-minute spacewalk on October 1 and attached a 121-pound Solar Array Cap to Mir’s docking module for possible later use in sealing the suspected breach.
* The cap was essentially repair hardware waiting for a target. Engineers believed the leak was probably associated with the damaged solar-array attachment area, but uncertainty over the precise location and character of the breach prevented a straightforward external repair.
* Spektr was never fully repressurized. It remained sealed off from the inhabited portion of Mir, making the episode one of the strangest spacecraft-repair problems of the Shuttle-Mir era: engineers successfully built and delivered a patch for a hole they could never confidently expose.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: 1320falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-skull-that-rode-hubble-silent-witness-in-discovery-s-highest-orbit--74912372
Discovery climbs higher than any Space Shuttle has ever flown, carrying the Hubble Space Telescope toward an orbit more than 380 miles above Earth. Hidden far below the famous telescope, inside a middeck locker, is another passenger: an eleven-pound human skull cut into sections, packed with more than one hundred radiation detectors, reassembled, and covered in tissue-like plastic. It has no name, no voice, and no living body attached to it. Yet on Hubble’s historic flight, this skull is there to answer a question every future astronaut will face: how much radiation actually reaches the human brain in space?

The telescope looked outward into the universe while a dead human skull measured what space was doing to the people inside

In this episode, we follow the strange journey of NASA’s “phantom head” from laboratory preparation to three Space Shuttle missions, culminating aboard Discovery during STS-31 and the deployment of Hubble. We trace why scientists needed an actual human skull, how dosimeters were embedded at different depths inside it, and why Hubble’s unusually high orbit offered a valuable radiation environment to test. While the world watched Discovery release one of the most important telescopes ever built, an anonymous donor’s remains were quietly collecting data meant to protect astronauts on the much longer missions NASA hoped would someday follow.

Artifact: Human skull / “phantom head”
Date: April 24–29, 1990
Location: Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-31
Mission: Deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope
Experiment: In-flight Radiation Dose Distribution
Purpose: Measure radiation penetration through the human skull at multiple depths
Status: Third orbital flight of the skull; flown during the highest-altitude Space Shuttle mission then achieved

* The skull came from a person who had donated their body to science. NASA sources at the time said its relatively small size suggested that it was probably female, although the donor’s identity was not publicly known.
* Researchers cut the approximately eleven-pound skull into multiple sections, installed more than one hundred radiation-sensitive detectors throughout it, reassembled it, and surrounded it with plastic designed to approximate human soft tissue.
* The experiment was designed to determine how much ionizing radiation penetrated the head and how the dose changed at different depths—information relevant to astronauts spending longer periods in orbit or eventually traveling toward the Moon and Mars.
* The skull had already flown aboard Discovery on STS-28 in August 1989 and Atlantis on STS-36 in February 1990, allowing researchers to collect measurements under different orbital conditions before its third flight.
* On April 24, 1990, it launched aboard Discovery with Hubble on STS-31. The shuttle entered an orbit around 613–615 kilometers above Earth and briefly reached roughly 621 kilometers, about 386 miles—the highest altitude ever reached by a Space Shuttle orbiter.
* Radiation exposure varies with altitude and orbital inclination, so Discovery’s exceptionally high Hubble trajectory gave researchers a different radiation environment from the skull’s previous missions.
* While Hubble was deployed from Discovery’s payload bay on April 25 to begin observing distant stars and galaxies, the skull remained inside the crew cabin collecting measurements invisible to the public spectacle outside.
* The contrast made STS-31 an unusually symbolic mission: Hubble was designed to measure ancient light crossing the universe, while only meters away human remains were being used to measure one of the invisible hazards that would determine how far living humans could safely follow.

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Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501

© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74912372Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:37:54 +0000OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENTThe Skull That Rode Hubble: Silent Witness in Discovery's Highest Orbit Discovery climbs higher than any Space Shuttle has ever flown, carrying the Hubble Space Telescope toward an orbit more than 380 miles above Earth. Hidden far below the famous...
Discovery climbs higher than any Space Shuttle has ever flown, carrying the Hubble Space Telescope toward an orbit more than 380 miles above Earth. Hidden far below the famous telescope, inside a middeck locker, is another passenger: an eleven-pound human skull cut into sections, packed with more than one hundred radiation detectors, reassembled, and covered in tissue-like plastic. It has no name, no voice, and no living body attached to it. Yet on Hubble’s historic flight, this skull is there to answer a question every future astronaut will face: how much radiation actually reaches the human brain in space?

The telescope looked outward into the universe while a dead human skull measured what space was doing to the people inside

In this episode, we follow the strange journey of NASA’s “phantom head” from laboratory preparation to three Space Shuttle missions, culminating aboard Discovery during STS-31 and the deployment of Hubble. We trace why scientists needed an actual human skull, how dosimeters were embedded at different depths inside it, and why Hubble’s unusually high orbit offered a valuable radiation environment to test. While the world watched Discovery release one of the most important telescopes ever built, an anonymous donor’s remains were quietly collecting data meant to protect astronauts on the much longer missions NASA hoped would someday follow.

Artifact: Human skull / “phantom head”
Date: April 24–29, 1990
Location: Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-31
Mission: Deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope
Experiment: In-flight Radiation Dose Distribution
Purpose: Measure radiation penetration through the human skull at multiple depths
Status: Third orbital flight of the skull; flown during the highest-altitude Space Shuttle mission then achieved

* The skull came from a person who had donated their body to science. NASA sources at the time said its relatively small size suggested that it was probably female, although the donor’s identity was not publicly known.
* Researchers cut the approximately eleven-pound skull into multiple sections, installed more than one hundred radiation-sensitive detectors throughout it, reassembled it, and surrounded it with plastic designed to approximate human soft tissue.
* The experiment was designed to determine how much ionizing radiation penetrated the head and how the dose changed at different depths—information relevant to astronauts spending longer periods in orbit or eventually traveling toward the Moon and Mars.
* The skull had already flown aboard Discovery on STS-28 in August 1989 and Atlantis on STS-36 in February 1990, allowing researchers to collect measurements under different orbital conditions before its third flight.
* On April 24, 1990, it launched aboard Discovery with Hubble on STS-31. The shuttle entered an orbit around 613–615 kilometers above Earth and briefly reached roughly 621 kilometers, about 386 miles—the highest altitude ever reached by a Space Shuttle orbiter.
* Radiation exposure varies with altitude and orbital inclination, so Discovery’s exceptionally high Hubble trajectory gave researchers a different radiation environment from the skull’s previous missions.
* While Hubble was deployed from Discovery’s payload bay on April 25 to begin observing distant stars and galaxies, the skull remained inside the crew cabin collecting measurements invisible to the public spectacle outside.
* The contrast made STS-31 an unusually symbolic mission: Hubble was designed to measure ancient light crossing the universe, while only meters away human remains were being used to measure one of the invisible hazards that would determine how far living humans could safely follow.

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