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Today In Space

Today In Space

Written by: Alex G. Orphanos Science Communicator
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About this listen
The award-winning independent podcast about space, science, and the power of the scientific mindset! Hosted by Alex G. Orphanos, science communicator, maker, and engineer. Our mission: to spread love and spread science! Astronomy & Space Science Science
Episodes
  • SpaceX Starship Flight 15 LIVE Hangout | Booster Aborts Catch, Starship In Orbit
    Nov 14 2026

    We were live for a launch hangout of Starship Flight 15 - the very first Starship Orbital Launch with a booster and ship CATCH opportunity at the launchpad!

    • The Super Heavy Booster was aborted before making it all the way to the launchpad, probably due to some Raptor engine issues (but we'll find out later).

    • The Starship is still in orbit! It deployed all 26 v3 Starlink Satellites into orbit and is still orbiting earth.

    If Starship makes it the whole orbital trajectory then Saturday 4PM ET the Starship might be caught on the tower.

    Note: This live broadcast was cut short on Youtube due to a false removal of our Youtube channel. Luckily, we were live on other platforms and still had the recording. After my appeal was approved, the channel is back online! Grateful that youtube took care of this quickly. What a crazy Friday 13th!

    SPREAD LOVE, SPREAD SCIENCE, AND STAY CURIOUS.

    GET MY FIRST BOOK
    The Book of Uncommon-Sense 3D Printing is out now in hardcover and on Kindle: https://ag3dlabs.com/book

    MORE TODAY IN SPACE
    https://todayinspace.net

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    1 hr and 59 mins
  • Make It So | What Patrick Stewart & Captain Picard Meant to This Aerospace Engineer
    Oct 31 2026

    This week we lost Sir Patrick Stewart, at 86. For a lot of us he was the "measure of a man". And it's safe to say that without Captain Picard I would not have gone to school for an aerospace engineering degree, would not love space as much as I do, and this podcast wouldn't have started — never mind run regularly for over a decade now.

    So this one isn't space news. It's what Sir Patrick Stewart and Captain Picard meant to me.

    Picard never led by the tip of the spear. He wasn't Kirk. There's a real business book about exactly this, "Make It So: Leadership Lessons from Star Trek: The Next Generation," t was the first time I understood that a fictional character could change how you run a business and how you live your life. Affiliate link for the book is here if you are interested (https://link.amazon/B0au0xffL)

    I talk about the leadership dynamics of the "Ready Room", the optimistic view of a Humanities AI future from Gene Roddenberry and Captain Picard, and how Partrick Stewart made me want to strive for creativity and was a pillar in my family. I close the episode with three quotes of his that really hit me.

    I'd love to hear what he meant to you. Put it in the comments and let's honor his memory together — or email me at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com if you'd rather.

    May his memory be eternal.

    Be well, stay safe, and stay curious.

    SPREAD LOVE, SPREAD SCIENCE, AND STAY CURIOUS.

    CHAPTERS
    00:00 We lost Sir Patrick Stewart
    01:13 Tell me what he meant to you
    01:51 A pillar of leadership
    02:16 Picard doesn't lead by the tip of the spear
    02:43 "Make It So" — the leadership book
    03:21 My first engineering job, and the mentor who made the connection
    04:05 The Ready Room
    05:06 Grunts, red shirts, and respect
    05:37 How Picard handled conflict
    06:49 Shakespeare, Ian McKellen, and the arts
    07:35 The Starfleet mentality: become more human
    08:33 Why this matters more as AI grows
    09:49 My dad's VHS collection
    10:43 Rest in peace, Sir Patrick
    10:58 Three quotes that stayed with me
    11:49 Go live life

    THE THREE QUOTES, AND WHERE THEY'RE FROM

    "We have powerful tools: openness, optimism, and the spirit of curiosity."
    — Picard, Star Trek: Picard, S1E8 "Broken Pieces" (2020)

    "Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I'd rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey, and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again."
    — Picard, Star Trek Generations (1994)

    "What we leave behind is not as important as how we lived."
    — Picard, Star Trek Generations (1994)

    THE BOOK I MENTION
    Make It So: Leadership Lessons from Star Trek: The Next Generation — Wess Roberts, Ph.D. and Bill Ross, Pocket Books, 1995. Amazon Affiliate link - https://link.amazon/B0au0xffL

    CORRECTIONS
    A few things I want to get right. The leadership book came out in 1995, not 1994 — Pocket Books ran the first hardcover that September. And when I introduced the three quotes I said they were all Next Generation. The second and third are Picard in Star Trek Generations, which is the TNG cast, so that one's close enough. But the first — openness, optimism, and the spirit of curiosity — is from Star Trek: Picard, season one. Same captain, different log entry.

    GET MY FIRST BOOK
    The Book of Uncommon-Sense 3D Printing is out now in hardcover and on Kindle: https://ag3dlabs.com/book

    MORE TODAY IN SPACE
    https://todayinspace.net

    What did Sir Patrick Stewart mean to you? Tell me in the comments.

    #patrickstewart #captainpicard #startrek #thenextgeneration #makeitso #leadership #startrekpicard #spacepodcast #todayinspace

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    12 mins
  • Just Solve The Next Problem: Lessons from my 5-Week Comic Con Cosplay Gauntlet
    Oct 18 2026

    On this week's episode, it's storytime after a very fun but also challenging NYCC trip. My third cosplay was my most ambitious yet, and with that ambition came complexity and things out of control! I'll tell you about the challenges I went through getting to the Cosplay showcase last Saturday, but more importantly I'll share how the wisdom of Mark Watney from the Martian kept me grounded. I'll talk about the Engineer's mindset I used to stay calm, focus on the next problem, and science the shit out of this ambitious cosplay! Never give up, never surrender!

    Subscribe for more space, science, & stem mindset content, and let us know your thoughts on this flight in the comments below.

    Timestamps:
    00:00 The Five Week Cosplay Challenge
    03:41 Unexpected Project Obstacles
    06:18 Adapting the Build Plan
    11:10 The Hotel Room Crunch
    14:12 Comic Con Showcase Results
    16:41 Lessons in Engineering Mindset

    Pick up a copy of my first book "The Book of Uncommon-Sense 3D Printing" out now in hardcover and on Kindle: https://ag3dlabs.com/book

    MORE TODAY IN SPACE https://todayinspace.net.
    SKYE is free space news & mission tracking, and it runs every 30 minutes: https://todayinspace.net

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    26 mins
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