Red Planet Live The Mars Society - Red Planet Live

On this month's episode, Ashton hosts a panel with Laura Forczyk & Ling Xin about reporting on space & current state of space exploration.

Ling Xin, originally from Beijing and now based in Ohio, is a science journalist known for her coverage of space, astronomy, and physics. With contributions to publications such as the South China Morning Post, Scientific American, Science, Physics World, Nature, and others, she brings complex scientific concepts to life for readers around the world.

Laura Forczyk, an experienced space analyst, is a familiar face on various national and global news outlets, including CNN, Bloomberg, New York Times, CNBC, The Guardian, BBC, and Politico. Alongside her media appearances, she brings a wealth of experience as a space scientist, author, coach, and small business owner.

Ashton interviews Dr. Jan Špaček, an astrobiologist and senior research scientist at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution -- about many topics including Mars Sample Return, life on Mars, and life on Venus.

Listen in as we explore the thrilling world of Martian exploration and the ongoing quest to discover life beyond Earth. Jan explains that since the Viking missions of the 1970s, NASA hasn't focused on searching for life on Mars; however, his project, ALFA, aims to change that. This episode also discusses possible US competition on Mars, like China’s future mission to probe Mars' subsurface ice. We discuss the critical importance of Mars Sample Return missions before human exploration, the potential for life on Venus, and the intriguing economics of commercial spaceflight versus traditional NASA missions.

Tune in to explore the intersections of science, technology, and the big existential questions that drive us to reach for the stars.



AlfaMars



#MARS

#LifeonMars

Ashton Zeth interviews Leonard David, renowned space journalist. Topics range from Curiosity rover, Bill Nelson, potential for a space race, and life on Mars.

Ashton Zeth interviews former NASA astronaut Jose M. Hernandez alongside his son, Dr. Julio Hernandez, a researcher at Purdue University and former Mars analog astronaut.Jose worked at NASA Johnson Space Center from 2001 to 2011, where he served as an astronaut, legislative analyst, branch chief, and materials research engineer. He was on the STS-128 shuttle mission, during which he oversaw the transfer of thousands of pounds of equipment between the shuttle and the International Space Station and helped with robotics operations.More recently, Jose serves as President and CEO of Tierra Luna Engineering, LLC, a California-based engineering consulting firm that focuses on aerospace engineering, non-destructive evaluation, failure analysis, and general engineering services.Last year, Amazon released “A Million Miles Away”, a biopic film about Jose and his inspiring path as a migrant worker from Mexico to an American astronaut. Starring actor Michael Pena, the movie received high acclaim as a “great family movie with messages of determination and perseverance.”Julio is a Characterization and Research Engineer at the Hypersonics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center within the Purdue Applied Research Institute. He obtained his Ph.D. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering in July 2023, focusing on self-sensing composite materials and additive manufacturing.

In addition, he previously served as a botanist for Crew 245 during his two-week tenure as a Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) analog astronaut in 2021. 

Ashton Zeth interviews astrobiologist Dr. Graham Lau, host of "Ask an Astrobiologist". Dr. Graham Lau also serves as a logistics coordinator for the ⁠University Rover Challenge (URC) ⁠held by the Mars Society and the Communications & Marketing Director for the Blue Marble Institute.



Dr. Graham Lau's links: 

⁠Ask An Astrobiologist⁠

⁠Cosmobiota⁠

⁠University Rover Challenge⁠

Blue Marble Institute

The Mars Society's live podcast, RedPlanetLive interviews the people instrumental to settling and exploring Mars. In this episode Ashton Zeth interviews the Dr. Shawna Pandya, a scientist-astronaut candidate!