Podcast appearances and mentions of delta ii

On this day in 2001, NASA launched the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, which was contracted out to Lockheed Martin and had an expected cost for the entire mission of $297 million. It was on that crisp April morning Odyssey was launched on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Learn more in today's KTAR timeline brought to you by Beatitudes Campus. 

Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy Installations and Environment, is a leader who has taught his team to, "Eat no for breakfast." He lives by a value he learned from his mother at an early age: "If you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself."   SUMMARY In this edition of Long Blue Leadership, Dr. Chaudhary discusses his role in modernizing and reoptimizing Air Force installations to withstand kinetic, cyber, economic, and extreme weather threats. He emphasizes the importance of ruggedizing installations for the Great Power Competition. Dr. Chaudhary shares his background, including his upbringing in Minneapolis and his parents' immigrant journey, and highlights the values instilled in him. He also discusses his work on the implementation of microgrids and microreactors to enhance energy resilience at critical installations like Eielson Air Force Base.   5 QUOTES "If you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself." - This quote from Dr. Chaudhary's mother reflects the importance of dedication and doing one's job well. "We eat no for breakfast." - This quote highlights Dr. Chaudhary's team's determination to not accept limitations and push boundaries. "Love what you do. Love our nation." - Dr. Chaudhary emphasizes the importance of passion and patriotism in leadership. "America is not about what goes on entirely in Washington. It's about neighbors. It's about what you do for your neighbors." - This quote reflects Dr. Chaudhary's belief in the power of community and service. "Get out of the way and let them in." - Dr. Chaudhary's advice on enabling the next generation of leaders to excel.   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Ravi Chaudhary and His Role 03:07 The Importance of Air Force Installations 06:08 Dr. Chaudhary's Early Life and Family Background 09:03 Lessons from Family: Service and Community 11:52 Reflections on the Air Force Academy Experience 14:54 Leadership Lessons from Cadet Days 18:01 The Role of Innovation in the Air Force 20:48 Strategic Imperatives for Future Operations 23:59 Optimism for the Future of the Air Force Academy 25:07 A Lifelong Dream: Becoming a Pilot 27:31 Launching Innovations: The GPS Program 28:36 Inspiring the Next Generation of Pilots 30:14 Adapting to Modern Challenges in Aviation 32:40 Navigating Change: The Evolution of Standards 34:57 Learning from Failure: A Personal Journey 35:42 The Role of the Assistant Secretary 38:55 Preparing for Great Power Competition 41:09 Innovative Energy Solutions for the Future 44:58 Leadership Lessons and Final Thoughts   5 KEYS TO LEADERSHIP Embrace failures as opportunities for growth. Dr. Chaudhary shared how his failures, like failing a check ride, ultimately helped him grow as a leader. Keep moving forward, even in the face of adversity. Dr. Chaudhary emphasized the importance of keeping your "legs moving" and not giving up when faced with challenges. Leverage the bonds formed with your team. Dr. Chaudhary highlighted how the bonds he formed with his classmates at the Academy carried over into his missions, demonstrating the power of camaraderie. Empower and enable the next generation. Dr. Chaudhary expressed optimism about the capabilities of the current cadets and emphasized the need to get out of their way and let them excel. Maintain a service-oriented, patriotic mindset. Dr. Chaudhary's passion for serving his country and community was evident throughout the interview, underscoring the importance of this mindset in effective leadership.   ABOUT DR. CHAUDHARY '93 BIO Dr. Ravi I. Chaudhary is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Chaudhary is responsible for the formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs, and budgets to meet Air Force energy, installations, environment, safety, and occupational health objectives. Dr. Chaudhary most recently served as the acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy. Prior to this role, he served as the Director of Advanced Programs and Innovation, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, at the Federal Aviation Administration. He provided technical leadership and oversight for the commercial space industry, to include research and development activities to support Department of Transportation and White House National Space Council initiatives. Prior to this role, he served as Executive Director, Regions and Center Operations, at the FAA. In this role, he was responsible for leadership, integration and execution of aviation operations in nine regions nationwide. Dr. Chaudhary served as second in command to the Deputy Assistant Administrator and was responsible for providing Department of Transportation and FAA-wide services in the areas of operations, safety, policy, congressional outreach and emergency readiness for the National Aerospace System. Dr. Chaudhary commissioned in the Air Force in 1993 upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy. He completed 21 years of service in a variety of command, flying, engineering and senior staff assignments in the Air Force. As a C-17 pilot, he conducted global flight operations, including numerous combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as a ground deployment as Director of the Personnel Recovery Center, Multi-National Corps, Iraq. As a flight test engineer, he was responsible for flight certification of military avionics and hardware for Air Force modernization programs supporting flight safety and mishap prevention. Earlier in his career, he supported space launch operations for the Global Positioning System and led third stage and flight safety activities to ensure full-operational capability of the first GPS constellation. As a systems engineer, he supported NASA's International Space Station protection activities to ensure the safety of NASA Astronauts. Dr. Chaudhary is a DoD Level III Acquisition Officer and has published numerous articles in future strategy, aircraft design, business transformation and space operations.  - Bio Copy Credit to AF.MIL   CONNECT WITH DR. CHAUDHARY LINKEDIN  |   INSTAGRAM  |  TWITTER     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Guest, The Honorable Dr. Ravi I. Chaudhary '93  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 00:00 My guest today is the assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy installations and environment, the Honorable Dr. Ravi Chaudhary USAFA, Class of '93. Against the backdrop of Great Power Competition, Dr. Chaudhry leads the modernization and reoptimization of the Air Force to ruggedize our installations across the globe against what he describes as kinetic threats, as well as non-kinetic cyber, economic and extreme weather threats. He has served as acting deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for energy; the director of advanced programs and innovation, Office of Commercial Space Transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration; and he has led in the commercial space industry research and development in the support of the Department of Transportation and the White House, National Space Council. We'll talk with Dr. Chaudhry about his life before, during and after the Academy. We'll discuss his role, modernizing and re-optimizing initiatives and strategies for the Air Force. We'll touch on leading through new and changing threats and making decisions with climate in mind, and we'll discuss Dr. Chaudhary's work with the secretary of the Air Force and leadership at the base, command and warfighter levels. Finally, we'll ask Dr. Chaudhary to share advice for developing and advanced leaders. Dr. Chaudhary, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. We're so glad to have you.   Dr. Chaudhary 01:18 Navier, thank you so much. Thank you for that way too kind of an introduction, and I only have one regret. On this weekend, did you have to mention that I was in the Navy for a little while? You just about blew me away. I know you've got some white clear liquid here. I'm just about ready to find out what the clear liquid is.   Naviere Walkewicz Cheers.   Dr. Chaudhary 01:40 Off we go, and we'll let our audience speculate, and depending on how it goes, we'll critique ourselves. Just an honor to be here, and congrats to you on your career of service in the Air Force.   Naviere Walkewicz Thank you so much. This is truly a pleasure. And I think what we love about Long Blue Leadership is it's really about our listeners getting to know you. And we have so many different listeners that are really excited. So let's start with the hat. I've noticed we've got a hat on right here. “Air Force Installations: Best in the World.” Let's talk about it.   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, let's talk about that. Because we do have the best installations in the world. Our installations are power projection platforms. Every Air Force installation has a mission that begins and terminates with it. If you go all the way back in our history, Gen. Hap Arnold had this to say about our installations: “Air bases are the determining factor in air operations.” Think about that. Think about why we need to make sure that our installations are ready to go, and why we invest in them as an Air Force. It's because you can't get the jets out of town unless they have a good runway that works, unless they are hardened and ready to absorb the types of blows that have come to us in the past. And I'm telling you right now that we've got to be ready for this future, in a decade of consequence in Great Power Competition. We've got to focus on ruggedizing and ensuring that our installations are as survivable as they ever have been.   Naviere Walkewicz Absolutely. Well, I can say that that is certainly true, having been at bases where we've seen some challenges, it does halt and sometimes stop operations. So yeah, you're right. Yeah. So it's incredible the work you're doing, and we're going to talk about that today. But before we get there, can we rewind the clock a little bit?   Dr. Chaudhary Please don't rewind it too far, but I have a feeling you will.   Naviere Walkewicz Just a little bit. Just enough to kind of get to know who Ravi was as a young boy. What were you like growing up? Tell us about your family and where you grew up.   Dr. Chaudhary That's cool. So, I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I grew up there all my life. My parents came from India in 1960s and they always dreamed to do the unusual, it was the American Dream that brought them to this country. And they had kids, you know, and growing up as a South Asian American, you know, people in community would be like, “Hey, you know, why are you going to join the military? Why are you going to, you know, once you just be a doctor or engineer or lawyer or something like that?” Kind of fit the stereotype. But I always thought about it this way: If my parents would give up everything they wanted in their life, their language, their culture, everything to pursue their dreams, wouldn't they want that for their children as well? And so off I went to the Air Force Academy, and the values that my parents instilled in me rang true just about every single day. In fact, when I grow up, my mom would always tell me this. She'd say, “You know, if you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself.”   Naviere Walkewicz That sounds very familiar to me.   Dr. Chaudhary And she would say, in the Sanskrit word for that — and my faith tradition is Hinduism — the Sanskrit word for that is “dharm.” If you follow your dharm, everything will take care of itself. And lo and behold, I'm getting choked up a little bit, because when I showed up and opened that Contrails and saw that quote, I knew that Mom and Dad had prepared me, had prepared me for the challenges that would come, not just the Academy, but everything from 9/11 to deploying to Iraq to raising a family and making sure they have everything they need to prosper. So, all that brought me to an institution that honestly brought out the flavor and gave me in the same opportunity that this country gave my father. So, it's just been a pinch-me career, and it's just an honor to be here with you today and with the entire AOG team talking about this.   Naviere Walkewicz 05:36 That's amazing. I mean, I, thinking about what you just said, that your parents came and they pursued a dream. What was that like in your household? What did that look like?   Dr. Chaudhary 05:45 Here's what it looked like. My dad — he actually came to this country with about $165, $80 of which went to his tuition. He was at University of Missouri, and then he eventually went to University of Minnesota. The rest he used to get a house and fill the fridge. And so, when he was looking for an opportunity to serve, he wanted to be in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and serve as a fed and so he didn't get that chance. So, what he did, he literally drove, put me and my brother and my mom in a car and drove to Washington. When he drove to Washington, he dropped us off at the Lincoln Memorial and walked up the stairs of the Capitol. Two senators from Minnesota, one was walking out, Sen. Walter Mondale. He said hello to him. He didn't know him from Adam. And then he went to the office of Hubert Humphrey and he sat down with him, and he told his story to Hubert Humphrey and Hubert Humphrey said, “This is what America is all about.” And he was kind enough to give my dad a shot in Minneapolis. And he spent his entire career, 25 years, as a federal inspector in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.   Naviere Walkewicz My goodness.   Dr. Chaudhary It's an incredible story. But you know what? It all came together about a year and a half ago when I was confirmed and during my swearing, and it was honored to have Sec. Kendall swear me in, but to have my dad walk up the front steps of the Pentagon with my mom and I. We go up the stairs, and I said, “Dad, would you turn around for a second?” And he turned around. I said, “You know, you can see the Lincoln Memorial and you can see the Capitol.” And I said, “Look what you've done in one generation.” That is the embodiment of the American dream. And as he was kind of — I'm getting choked up — he wiped the tears from his eyes. He realized that that that what this country has given to us is something that we've got to always think about giving back and giving back, and that's really what my career has always been about, giving back to the country that has given my family everything.   Naviere Walkewicz 07:59 That is amazing. Wow. I mean, I'm almost without words, because I can see what your dad has instilled in you, made possible, but instilled in you as a servant leader as well. I'm just… that's pretty impressive. So, tell me about your mom, because it sounds like she also instilled some pretty incredible traits in you and some beliefs in how to treat people. What did that look like in, her leadership in your life?   Dr. Chaudhary 08:26 What can I say about my mom? She's a pillar of the community back in Minneapolis. She runs a nonprofit called Seva. In Hindi, seva means service, to serve, serve your fellow citizens, serve your nation. And again, I told you about her, her enduring quote, “If you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself.” So, in that nonprofit, she is actually bringing cultural-specific services, health services, to the Asian American community. One thing she did during Covid was incredible. She pulled together a meal team, and she served somewhere around 20,000 seniors. And it wasn't just Asian Americans, anybody in the Minneapolis community that was struggling, that couldn't get food, that was having a tough time. And then, as you know, after the George Floyd tragedy occurred, the town, the city went through a tough time, and there was an area right around one of the police stations where the riots were going on and everybody was fleeing when. When the community was fleeing, she was mobilizing her team to go in. They were going in and they were rescuing people from shelters to get them to a safe place. And two days later, she brought a team into the community that was still smoldering and set up meal stations to just give people sandwiches, bread, whatever — to just make everybody feel good and move forward, and that's what America is about. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the times and differences, but we realize that America is more than just Washington. America is about neighbors and neighbors caring for each other. So, where did I learn that? I learned that from my mom, but the Air Force Academy brought it out, and I applied that every single day, whether it was a mission launching GPSs, doing engineering — tough engineering problems, or flying missions into the CENTCOM AOR, where we had to bring crews to bear to execute incredible missions. And so, reflecting on that — boy, you're really tearing me up today…   Naviere Walkewicz No, not at all…   Dr. Chaudhary …because you're bringing this all out of my heart, and it's just an honor to be here and humbling to tell the story. But I know that there are thousands and thousands of grads out there that have just as inspiring stories, and that's why I love to come to AOG. That's why I like to spend time with our cadets today, which was just as incredible. I went down to Jacks Valley and got to see the assault course as well. Luckily, I didn't have too many flashbacks.   Naviere Walkewicz I was going to say, did you have your rubber ducky with you?   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, I did not. They didn't push me through it, but the demo was incredible. And I know our secretary was equally impressed with the cadets and the caliber of students that are here, the caliber of our cadets, and how I'm so optimistic for the future of our Air Force and Space Force.   Naviere Walkewicz 11:33 Absolutely. And I can share, based off of what you shared about your mom and dad, there's no reason why you're [not] able to take on a job that almost seems impossible with the scope and breadth of what you're responsible for. So, I can't wait to get into that as well. Can we go to when you're at the Academy? I want to know more about you as a cadet, because as interesting as you are as an adult, what were you like as a cadet?   Dr. Chaudhary 11:54 There's a lot that I really shouldn't disclose. Okay, so we've got to be really, really careful. So, me and my classmates, we have this thing called “mutually assured destruction.” You know stories about me, I know stories about you. Just leave it there. But let me tell you, the Academy was just the honor of a lifetime. But you know what — going through it with your classmates is something. I was just having lunch with our cadets today. I was a grad of Delta Tau Deuce, and to spend time with them and tell them stories, and hear about their stories, about what Deuce is like these days, was absolutely just, I was just blown away with it. But yep, I was primarily in Deuce. I had the just pleasure of beaing a squadron commander and having peers that really care for each other, peers that I keep in touch with. To this very day, I have them up on text.   Naviere Walkewicz Oh, wow.   Dr. Chaudhary And we share with each other. We have challenges. We go through it together, but I will tell you one story about why your cadet story matters, and you don't realize it until the balloon goes up. When I graduated from pilot training, I graduated essentially the day after 9/11 and I was actually in the planning room when 9/11 happened, and within a few weeks — I did my check ride that day — within a few weeks, I was at Charleston Air Force Base, and my squadron commander had me look out the window and said, “We don't have time to mission qual you. We don't have enough pilots. We're going to marry you up with a crew to go down range.” And you know what he did? He married me up with two people, one who was my classmate from the Class of 1993,   Naviere Walkewicz Really?   Dr. Chaudhary Two was a member of my squadron from Deuce, and he was a new aircraft commander. We had an experienced first pilot, and I didn't know nothing from nothing. I was a brand-new co-pilot. And so, getting ready for that, for those missions, a new environment for me, required something that our squadron commander knew that if I put three Academy graduates together, the bond that they've had in their years was going to carry them through toughest conditions, in unknown conditions. And sure enough, we clicked and did well. But to anybody who's a current cadet and listening in and wondering, “Hey, is this bonding — is what's going on now, the time that we have together here in the Academy going to amount to anything?” I'm here to tell you, it does and through my own life experiences, and quite honestly, in a number of missions, we fly working it together as a team. The bonds we create as cadets carry over for decades.   Naviere Walkewicz 14:54 So maybe you can share some of those bonding moments at the Academy. You said you were a squadron commander. What were some of the lessons you learned from a leadership aspect, in leading your peers, but also while still trying to bond with them?   Dr. Chaudhary 15:08 Yeah, when you look back, sometimes you're separated by age and rank, right? You got age and you got rank and your peer groups kind of set you that way. At the Academy, it's completely different because your peers, as a senior, you're all peers and colleagues, and to take on a leadership role is what I would say is the toughest challenge of all. To lead a team of peers and colleagues can be challenging. And there's challenges that really kind of come with everything like that, but to me, you can't do it without collaboration, without consulting folks and being inclusive in how you give people a voice. Now the jury is out — I'm not going to judge whether I was successful or not. Probably not, you know? But I will say we did one thing: It was gonna be we were gonna be the athletic squadron of the year. We were a beast. In fact, we decided that we were gonna go for one thing: We were the athletic squadron. And so, we did.   Naviere Walkewicz That's impressive!   Dr. Chaudhary We kicked some serious buttt. So, back in the day, you do what was called a sweep. So, if you swept all your sports and intramurals that day, you would, the next day, you would get Mitch's Mountains. And so, the lore of Mitch's Mountains was incredible. And today, interestingly enough, we had what I would call Mitch's Mountain version 2.0 — probably half the calories and twice the caffeine. I don't know what it is. But I actually whipped out a picture of an old Mitch's Mountain. And I show them, they're like, it was really funny, because to see the look in their eyes and to see an original Mitch's Mountain, it was like, oh, you know they looked at and they're like, “That's what a Mitch's…” And they're like, “There's an Oreo cookie on top!” I'm like, for us, “Ok, this is a nice 2.0” and everything, like you gotta go back to…   Naviere Walkewicz 17:05 So, how many of those did you get? If you were actually the athletic squadron, you must have swept multiple days.   Dr. Chaudhary 17:12 You see the love handles on me right now? That was the one challenge. Because, you know, [you‘ve] got to stay in shape. But we kicked some serious butt; we would sweep all the time. I was actually on the water polo team…   Naviere Walkewicz 17:25 …we share that. I did not enjoy it. It sounds like you might.   Dr. Chaudhary 17:30 I don't know. So, I'm a decent swimmer. I'm pretty good. Grew up in Minnesota, tons of lakes. I could say I'm a decent swimmer, but I can tell you I am not a water polo player. So, what they used me for in water polo…   Naviere Walkewicz Were you the buouy?   Dr. Chaudhary I was the anti-buoy, because whoever was the good player, they'd say, “Go and put your arms over that one and get them underwater,” so that our fellow water polo teammate could go in and score. And so, probably one of my most beloved plaques in my life is my water polo plaque because we were Wing champs.   Naviere Walkewicz Oh, my goodness!   Dr. Chaudhary We ran the tables and were Wing champs, and that plaque still sits on my desk. It's one of my most beloved things. You know, my wife, she's getting ready to toss it. I'm like, “No, no, not that!”   Naviere Walkewicz Not the water polo plaque!   Dr. Chaudhary She's like, “Oh, what about this graduation plaque from the Academy?” You can get rid of that, but don't get rid of my water polo plaque. That is beloved. So anyways, I was asking cadets today, “What's Deuce like?” I'm like, “So are you guys a training squadron?”   Naviere Walkewicz What are they like?   Dr. Chaudhary They're like, “We're the standards squadron.” And I'm like, “Wow, that's impressive.” I'm like, “What about Mach One? Are they the training?” So, they're like, “Mach One. Nah, not really.” They're like, “We're No. 1 in SAMIs. We're No. 1 is…? I'm like, “Oh, wow, they still have SAMIs and stuff like that.” Have fun. Yeah, that was a haze for me. Triple threats were always a haze, yes, so I never liked that, because well…   Naviere Walkewicz 18:49 Maybe the Deuce team does now.   Dr. Chaudhary 18:53 Mach One, they loved it. I've got friends from Mach One. They're gonna kill me, but yeah, they love it. They're all into it. Cleaning their rooms and Deuce would be on the corner going, “Would Mach One please go to bed?” So anyway, sorry. But yeah, it was an interesting time, you know, talking with some of our cadets.   Naviere Walkewicz 19:26 I love these stories. So, were you this happy as a cadet?   Dr. Chaudhary 19:31 No, I was not a happy cadet. I was a surviving kid. I was trying to get through the next day. And honestly, to me, it was always a wonder to be there, and I was always grateful for being there to serve. I was in a tough major, aero major, and honestly, it didn't come right away to me. And so I was not one of those sterling cadets that just rocks the house and everything. I was on the Comm List for a good portion of the time, but the academics took some time for me. I spent a lot of time in the aero lab. And, you know, the cool thing is, …  I did projects and drag reduction, and we we tested these winglets on the tips of wings, and we did flow visualization. I had this professor. His name was Tom Yechout, and I was talking to some aero majors today. They're like, “You know, Tom Yechout?” And I'm like…   Naviere Walkewicz He's still there.   Dr. Chaudhary “He teaches controls here” I go, “Well, he taught me flight controls as well.” But he supervised me, and one time, I think, maybe at the last reunion, he brought me to the cabinet, and he opened up the cabinet and he showed me the hardware that we used for our project.   Naviere Walkewicz 20:39 From your class?   Dr. Chaudhary 20:43 Yeah.   Naviere Walkewicz That's amazing!   Dr. Chaudhary And here's why I'm telling you that: When in my interview with Sec. Kendall, he sat me down and he was talking about, “Hey, in your in your team, we're doing some drag reduction activities.” And he's like, “What do you know about blended wing body aircraft?” And it turns out, not only had I done some research on that, I had done a project at Staff College and to me, you know, my message to cadets out there who are working on a project who are wondering, “Hey, is this going to amount to anything? Does this matter?” I'm here to tell you that it does, because the type of work that goes on at this Academy is literally out of this world. We got folks who are working with SpaceX. I went down and that we're actually doing a project called the blended wing aircraft, which is like a big flying manta ray. It's going to reduce fuel consumption by roughly 30% to reduce fuel for fuel consumption across our Air Force and extend our range.   Naviere Walkewicz How are we going to do that?   Dr. Chaudhary Well, we're going to build a prototype in 2027. One of my sections is operational energy, and we have a team dedicated to reducing drag on aircraft, finding efficiencies. Why is this important? Well, it's because in Great Power Competition, we know that our adversaries are going to come after our logistics and fuel — our resources. And as a logistician, you know that. Our adversaries are targeting our installations, they're going to target our fuel resources. So, what's the best thing we can do? We can be as efficient as we can with our fuel and flying C-17s, is one thing you get to know real quick that if you land at an austere location, you're going to drain that fuel bladder almost instantly. And what does that mean? That means less sorties. That's less fire missions if you're flying Apache's out of there. That means less fuel for generators if you lose power. That means less ability to get your CAPs in the air, and we've got to embody that as a department and be ready for what that challenge holds for us. So getting efficient with our field, to me, isn't something that we're going to do because we're nice. We're going to do it because it's going to be an imperative. It's going to be a strategic imperative, and we've got to be ready for that. And so, we've been working hard at those things. The blended wing body aircraft is a long-term thing that it's been out there for a long time, but we've got to proof it. And so, it's really cool…   Naviere Walkewicz It's almost full-circle for you.   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, it's incredible. And we just were at this, at the plant for Jet Zero. We did a visit there to spend some time with them and look at look at their production facility. And what do I see when I walk in the conference room? Five cadets sitting on the end of the table, learning, taking notes, interacting with the top systems engineers. And interestingly enough, one of those cadets had come and visited me and spent the summer — actually, three of them. She was part of a team of three that came and visited my organization and worked on the impacts of strategic temperature changes and how it will affect payloads for tanker aircraft. And so, they did this research, presented me this paper, and now here I am seeing them at industry being on the leading edge. And to me — let me tell you that filled me with so much optimism and excitement for the future, and most importantly, what we're producing here at the Air Force Academy, a top-notch engineering school that is regarded across the industry. So, a little turn to academics there, but big shout out to what we're doing across our academic programs. I just think we're on the right track, and we need to keep up the momentum.   Naviere Walkewicz 24:30 No, that's huge. I was actually going to ask you, how are you leveraging some of our cadets in some of the things you're doing? But it sounds like they're already doing it.   Dr. Chaudhary 24:40 Check! Done. They're rocking the house. Just, just leading the way. It's awesome.   Naviere Walkewicz 24:43 That's amazing. Yeah. So, let's talk about — and I'm really curious — so, after you graduate the Academy, did you know you always wanted to be a pilot, by the way? Did you know you wanted to fly?   Dr. Chaudhary 24:50 I can't remember a day where I wasn't drawing airplanes. And you're asking me about when I was younger. You know, “What kind of kid were you?” I was a kid who was drawing airplanes. OK, I was the kid with the airplane books. I was a kid who was checking out every single airplane book and library and learning about them and trying to understand them and wanting to know more. And so naturally, it was just — I can't think of a day where I didn't want to be an aerospace engineer, be a pilot. And you know, sometimes the ebb and flow of demand for the Air Force —there was a time of reduction in pilots for the for the Academy, and I didn't get that opportunity then and it was a bummer. But you know, if you do your full duty, the rest will take care of itself. And so, I landed at Los Angeles Air Force Base where we launched this program. I got to launch rocket programs. And you may have heard of this particular payload: It's called GPS.   Naviere Walkewicz 25:44 I might have heard of that one, yes…   Dr. Chaudhary 25:47 …and it was the first time we were doing it. And we're young lieutenants, and we're at Los Angeles Air Force Base, and I was getting the responsibility for third-stage engines and ordnance systems and some of the avionics, and my boss said, “We don't have time. We're launching rockets every single month. I need you to go out to this corporation called Thiokol, and I want you to buy that rocket.” And by the way, he said it in a way that was like, “Don't screw this up,” right?   Naviere Walkewicz The undertone was there.   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, we've had that don't-screw-it-up moment. And so that was one of them. And so, the one thing that I remember is that our Academy demands a lot, and it demands a lot for a reason. Because leaders will be demanding a lot of brand new officers. Now the jury's out as to how well I did, but we had three we had three successful missions, and we delivered full operational capabilities for our department. And to me, I look back on that. I, believe it or not, still keep in touch with the captain who welcomed me, who brought me on the team and, in 2018, I got the incredible opportunity to let the last Delta II rocket go. And I brought my wife and my daughter with me, and that kind of brought the whole band back together. And it was cool to have kind of the old space cowboys and in the room again going, “Well, let's, let's let this rocket go for one last time.”   Naviere Walkewicz That is really cool.   Dr. Chaudhary And the best part of it was, after that rocket went and you felt the rumble — the rumble of a rocket, there's nothing like it in the world. When you feel the rumble go into your stomach — I leaned over my daughter. I go, “What do you think?” She said, “I am doing that.”   Naviere Walkewicz 27:34 I was just going to ask you, did it bleed over into your daughter?   Dr. Chaudhary 27:38 Now, she's a cadet at Georgia Tech. She just finished field training, and of course, like every good Academy graduate should do, buck the system. So, she bucked the system with her dad and said, “I'm gonna do ROTC and go to Georgia Tech. So, good luck this weekend against Navy. I'll kind of vote for you, but just want to let you know the Academy is a lot easier than Georgia Tech.” So, she and I jaw back and forth, but watching her grow has been really cool. And I got a chance to take her up and fly and get her ready for her career. She wants to be a pilot. And let me tell you, we got nothing on this next generation. They are ready for technology. They are ready for the leading edge, and we've just got to enable them. Honestly, we've got to get the hell out of the way and let them in. There's one situation, we had new avionics on the aircraft. I won't bore you with the details, but it allows you to deconflict from traffic. It's a GPS-based instrument, and I was kind of flying with her one time a few years ago, and I said, “All right, well, this is what is so, you know that little piece, you know 2,000 below you, positive means 2,000 above you. It's closing it…” She's like, “Dad, Dad, Dad, stop, stop!”   Naviere Walkewicz 28:58 She knew…   Dr. Chaudhary 29:00 She knew how to interact with that technology, and honestly, I didn't. I was learning how to interact with that technology. So, we've got to really make sure that we're blazing a path for our next generation, but at the same time, make sure that that we're not getting in their way. And I think sometimes we do that as grads. We're like, “I was like this when I was there…” You know? I was at Mitchell Hall today, and I saw the 0-96 up there and it's memorialized. And I walked by that thing…   Naviere Walkewicz 29:32 Did you scan the QR code to fill one out?   Dr. Chaudhary 29:33 Yeah, I did not do the QR code. I was like, that's too much for me. But when you look at it, you know, I thought, I'm like, that's probably where that thing ought to be right now. It's a great remembrance of why it's important, why standards are important, and then the example of how it paid off in combat conditions and saved a life was pretty important. But I'll be honest with you, we find other ways today with this next generation. I can remember flying one mission and we lost SATCOMMS with a particular field, and we were roughly maybe six hours out for Iraq in the combat zone, and we didn't know the status of the field. And one of the things you need to do is make sure the field's not under attack. So, before we did that, we're like, “Hey, how do we get our 30-minute… You know, it just wasn't happening. But you know what we're doing. We had brevity codes. And all along the line, all the C-17s that were lined up miles after miles going all the way back to Azerbaijan at 30,000 feet. We're all on. We're communicating. … We're using brevity code, so, we're not giving anything away. We're using our brevity code, and we're saying this is the status of the field. And we're relaying, we're literally relaying a half world away. That's a testament to our pilot corps, testament to duty. And so it's really in the spirit of that 0-96 there that we've adopted. So, when people say, “Oh, that tradition is going to ruin us, you know, we're going to lose standards.” I could tell you that, even though we got rid of that thing, that we're still an effective force. And I think we have to understand that a little more and as we kind of move through a period of change at USAFA — I was talking to our cadets about, “Hey, what do you think about the changes?” and, “Yeah, well, restrictions, but I understand on the importance.” I'm going to hearken back to 1991 or so, when the first Gulf War kicked off, and we were cadets when that thing kicked off, and almost instantly we moved into BDUs. We started wearing those every day. We started creating the warfighter mindset. We sealed off to make sure that we had good security. We canceled a lot of passes, and you  know what we did? We moved from a fourth-class system to a four-class system. Sound familiar? Sound familiar? That was after the war kicked off. Think about that. After the war kicked off. Our superintendent is trying to do it before the war kicks off, to make sure that we're ready, ready to fight the fight and get into it. So, I have a lot of respect for our superintendent and taking this step. I do agree that we've got to get execution right. Sometimes you get some growing pains with those things, but I think we've got to step back in the grad community and digest a little bit and get behind some of the changes that have been going on. And I was talking to some cadets last night, I go, “What do you think of this?” And they're like, “We understand it. It hurts a little bit.” Because the expectations … the environment that we're in has now changed. And you know, honestly, I'll shoot straight from the hip and say that sometimes it feels like the goal post is being moved on you, because you meet one standard, and then they move again. Yeah, you know, things get tough, but we're a resilient institution, and when you get down to the brass tacks of who we are as grads, the core of what we do and execute our mission will never go away. And we've just got to blaze a path for our next generation to be successful.   Naviere Walkewicz 33:24 Absolutely. Well, speaking of blaze a path — and I think some of our listeners want to hear sometimes, you know they have times when they fail at things in leadership. How do you grow from that? Can you share a time when you experience failure and what it looked like, to help inspire them through that.   Dr. Chaudhary 33:42 Yep. Well, worst day of my life was when I failed a check-ride. I failed a simulator check-ride in the C-17. And it hurt. It hurt bad. I had aspirations in my career. I was like, “What's this gonna mean for me?” But you know some really smart folks, and that's when you turn to people who you really go to for advice, and it's like, you know, “Ravi, there are those who have and those who will.” So honestly, I just needed a smack in the head. They're like, “Get over it, man. You know, whatever you failed check-ride. Go out there, clean that thing up and those ups and downs in a flying career occur.” I'm being 100% honest with you, my failures are stacked up right next to my successes. And so, I think, to me, the failures were the things that helped me grow, grow through things and sometimes you think, “OK, well, that failure was unfair. I got, you know, I got a raw deal out of that.” Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, but you keep moving forward. Keep taking one step after another. Now I'm not a football guy. I love football. Watch about I never played football, but I do know what running back coaches say. I think, I'm not sure, they say, “Above all, always keep your legs moving. Don't ever up when you're running. Keep your legs moving.” And so, to me, I've always taken that advice. I've given that advice to other people too, especially when they come to me with challenges.   Naviere Walkewicz 35:09 That's great advice. So maybe we can talk about your role now a little bit. And so, can you actually explain what you do? It might actually be shorter to say what you don't do, because when I look at the description, it's quite a bit. We have listeners that are parents and that maybe don't have a lot of military background and really understand. So, I think it's wonderful to share with the full community.   Dr. Chaudhary 35:31 Yeah, let me talk about the position. So, the job is one of those long titles. It's the assistant secretary for energy, installations and the environment. First thing first. I'm not a military member. I am a presidential appointee, so my job is as an appointee, a Senate-confirmed appointee. That means that you go through a hearing like you see in TV, and you get voted on, right? You get the vote. I was lucky enough to have after a period of being held, I had a bipartisan vote. And so that was pretty neat to have that. But my role specifically is to ensure that our installations are ready for the fight, for the future fight, and for current conditions. Things that I lose sleep over: Right now we're in a decade of consequence that our secretary and chief regularly say that decade of consequence includes great power competition in which China and Russia seek to shape the world order in ways that that work to their advantage, in autocratic manner, and so we've got to be ready for that, and that includes establishing an important deterrence. So, my job is to make sure installations are strong and present an approach of deterrence, and when deterrence failed, be ready to win. So, what does that mean for us? That means ensuring that our installations have power capabilities, that have strong runways, that have strong hangars, strong facilities, and included in which — families live on installations as well — to ensure we have top-notch housing. So, you'll see me reaching across all those areas, but importantly enough, making sure that those installations have the right power is critical. Our adversaries have declared their intent and have the capacity to go after our critical infrastructure, and that's the one thing that keeps me up at night: making sure that we have critical redundancies and opportunities to if somebody comes after our infrastructure tries to cut our power, we have redundant capabilities, that our control systems are cyber hardened. And you mentioned earlier, both kinetic and cyber threats. So roughly in the past two decades, as China has modernized our CENTCOM theater has really shaped an environment in which CONUS installations are under threat a little bit, but not entirely. We could be relatively confident that Grand Forks would be generally safe from ISIS from a major attack. In Great Power Competition, all of that goes out the window. Our adversaries, to include Russia and China, know how to go after critical infrastructure. They know how to employ cyber capabilities, and that's why we've got to make sure that we are pursuing cyber hardened energy control systems that protect you from those threats, and the ability to island from the local grid when we need to. So, here's one thing we're doing. I'm on a march over the next five years to bring 20 or so micro grids across our most critical installations. A micro grid — it's kind of like a power bar. You plug it in the wall and you can plug in renewable energy, you plug in wind, geo, you know, all kinds of things into that — solar — to build critical redundancies. So ultimately, building those redundancies allows you to harden your capabilities at the installation and micro-reactors give you the ability to manage and distribute power where you need it. Now we can also put in battery storage. So, battery storage allows you to — when the balloon goes up, boom, put in a firewall with the local community and get the jets out of town. Keep your employed in-place mission moving and build critical redundancies. Then once the jets are out of town, plug back in and share that power with a local community, because we know that our adversaries are going to be driving civil disruption to affect the efficiency of our installations as well, too. So that dynamic is really complex.   Naviere Walkewicz Wow, and the time is compressed.   Dr. Chaudhary And the time is compressed, so we won't have time to react as quickly. So, we've got to prepare for an all-new environment in our installations. And it goes right back to the Hap Arnold quote. We've got to make sure that they're ready to ensure our operations are effective. And I was recently at Eielson Air Force Base, and what we're doing at Eielson is really novel. We're going to put in a small, modular micro-reactor, a small baby nuclear reactor.   Naviere Walkewicz Is there a small version of that?   Dr. Chaudhary Yeah, there is a small version, but it hadn't been developed yet, and we decided that we're going to push on with this new capability and bring it to Eielson Air Force Base. The key is to now — back in the day, we used to do something, proof it military-wise, and then see if it's viable in the in the commercial market, right? Not anymore. We're going to do it all concurrently. So, we're going to pursue a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license. We've been engaging the local community. They love it, including tribal nations, who know that power advantages are going to be important for sharing in the community. And so that will be the first micronuclear reactor in any installation. We're looking to award in the spring or sooner, and then get this thing up and running in 2027. Why is this important at Eielson? And you're like, “Whoa, it's way up in Alaska.” Eielson is a critical entry point for the INDOPACOM theater.   Naviere Walkewicz I was gonna say, where it's located…   Dr. Chaudhary It's where the one of the highest concentrations of our 5th-gen fighter force is at. It's where we do air defense, and it's where our mobility forces will be moving from Fort Wainwright all the way down range. So that's a critical node, and there's a few more of those that we've got to really, really stay focused on. So, energy and, by the way, a happy Energy Action Month as well. This month is Energy Action Month where we're looking at how we can improve power consumption across our Air Force and be more efficient. And bringing these micro-grids online is going to be a crucial, crucial aspect of that.   Naviere Walkewicz 42:07 Well, something I've learned about you is that you're not afraid to push the envelope, push the speed, but do it, like you said, concurrently and to find some solutions. And I don't know that there's anyone else that could do it just like are you're doing it.   Dr. Chaudhary 42:19 It's not me, it's my team. I have an incredible team of folks that refuse to accept anything [less] than excellence in our department. In fact, we have a saying in our organization that, “We eat no for breakfast.” So, I dare you to tell us no and that we can't do something. One of our coolest announcements recently that we were told “no” to for roughly three years, was a new apartment complex at Edwards Air Force Base. So, some folks may not know this, but Edwards Air Force Space is very isolated, and it's located in the desert, and so it takes roughly 45 minutes to get to the base once you get through the gate. And so, isolation of our military members, especially our junior enlisted, has been around for roughly four decades or more. And when we said, “Hey, let's do a venture-backed business model that allows us to bring state of the art departments not in MILCOM timeline like right now, timeline…” And so, we just announced an all-new venture commercial apartment complex that we just broke ground on, and we're going to start building, hopefully done by 2026 and these are timelines that allow us to move the Air Force forward aggressively. Another thing that we're doing is, I just announced a $1.1 billion investment in our dormitories and CDCs. As you know, quality of life is so critical. Back to this: If we're going to be, say that we're the number, have the number one installations in the world, we've got to live up to it, and that means our families need that too, as well. So, you've heard a lot about the GAO reports, everything from mold to decrepit housing. We're going to fix that, we're going to get ahead of it, and we're going to stay ahead of it. And so that's why our secretary, in our most recent president's budget, announced this. All we need is a budget now, yeah, and so, so our secretary is pressing hard for that, and we know that once that budget is approved, we can get working on these things and start changing quality of life and start upping our game in our installations.   Naviere Walkewicz 44:23 Well, I'm gonna take one of those leadership nuggets as “just eat no for breakfast,” but we're gonna learn more about your final takeaway lessons. Before we do that with you. Dr Chaudhary, I wanna thank you for listening to Long Blue Leadership. The podcast publishes Tuesdays in both video and audio, and it's available on all your favorite podcast platforms, watch or listen to all episodes of Long Blue Leadership at longblueleadership.org. Dr Chaudhary, this has been incredible. If you might leave our listeners with one thing, what would you like to share with them when it comes to leadership, or maybe just some lessons or anything about you that you'd like to share?   Dr. Chaudhary 44:57 Love what you do. Love our nation. I love my country because it's given me and my family everything. And I want everybody to believe that, you know, sometimes we get in these periods where we feel divided right across the spectrum, and it doesn't matter what your affiliation is, sometimes you just feel that. But I want folks to remember that America is not about what goes on entirely in Washington. It's about neighbors. It's about what you do for your neighbors. And to me, that's our biggest strength as a nation. You know, many years ago, our forefathers felt that the values of equality, fair treatment and self-determination would be enough to topple an empire, and it is. We should believe that too, and I want everybody to know that. So, it's an honor to be here. But before I go, I want to say thank you for just an intriguing hour. It's an honor to be here, and I want to give you my personal challenge coin…   Naviere Walkewicz Oh my goodness…   Dr. Chaudhary …and say thank you so much. It embodies a lot of what we do, military family housing, airfields, of course our beautiful 5th-gen fighter aircraft and our wind power and capabilities as a symbol of what we've got to do for installation school.   Naviere Walkewicz 46:16 That is an honor, sir. Thank you. Thank you so much. Oh my goodness, thank you.   Dr. Chaudhary 46:20 It was a great hour, and just a pleasure to spend time with…   Naviere Walkewicz 46:26 It was my pleasure. There's so much I wanted ask you and I know we're limited on time … Is there anything we can do for you?   Dr. Chaudhary 46:36 Just keep doing what you do. Keep making sure that our grads out there have a voice, have a say, and can contribute to all this institution has to offer our nation. And so, you're doing it, and I can't thank you enough for it.   Naviere Walkewicz 46:49 Thank you very much.     KEYWORDS Air Force, Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, leadership, installations, energy, community service, innovation, military, great power competition, sustainability, Air Force Academy, leadership, aviation, innovation, energy solutions, GPS, pilot training, military standards, personal growth, resilience     MORE FROM DR. CHAUDHARY ON THE FOR THE ZOOMIES PODCAST with C1C ANDREW CORMIER '25     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation      

「ASUS、ワイヤレスゲーミングヘッドセッド「ROG DELTA II」。2.4GHz接続で最大110時間再生可能」　ASUS JAPANは、ゲーミングブランドRepublic Of Gamersより、2.5GHz接続で最大110時間の再生に対応するヘッドセット「ROG DELTA II」を、10月4日に発売する。価格はオープンだが、税込38,700円前後の実売が想定される。

This week on the podcast we go over our reviews of the Noctua NH-D15 G2 CPU Cooler and the ASUS ROG Delta II Wireless Gaming Headset. We also discuss OpenAI making their own chips, new announcements from Acer including their first gaming handheld, a Ryzen 7 7800X3D scam, and more!

On this day in 1997, Tulsa resident Lottie Williams was struck by falling debris from a Delta II rocket.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spaceflight News— Mars oxygen and helicopter sighting (space.com) (HT Stygarfield: nasa.gov) — Vega C delayed after engine test failure (europeanspaceflight.com) (spacenews.com)Short & Sweet— Virgin Galactic completes first fully commercial flight (spacenews.com) (spacenews.com)— Euclid telescope prepares for launch (spacenews.com)— Dream Chaser prepares for launch (spacenews.com)Questions, Comments, Corrections— Unc' Willy: L2 is closer than the sun, and CMB was discovered in 1964 (discord.com)This Week in Spaceflight History— July 7, 2003: The launch of MER-B (Opportunity) aboard the Delta II Heavy (en.wikipedia.org) (mars.nasa.gov) (theorbitalmechanics.com) — ULA has an excellent payload guide for Delta II (ula.bsshost.me)— Next week (7/18 - 7/24) in 2017: Do you ever feel like a sample bag/drifting through the wind, wanting to sue again?

This edition features stories on the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and new high-powered laser technology being developed there, keeping personal information on computers safe, the launch and deployment of a very advanced Delta II satellite that will conduct astronomy observation, Airmen participating in C-130 Hercules aircraft specialized training with their counterparts in Israel, and the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Retraining Program. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Alina Richard.

¿Qué ha pasado a nivel tecnológico las últimas dos semanas? Muchísimas, muchísimas cosas. He vuelto de vacaciones. Una semana más que no había planeado, pero ya estoy aquí. Andorra muy bonita y muy fresquita. La vuelta a España, pues tan calurosa que me hizo tirarme varios días básicamente hibernando viendo la tele, persianas bajadas y aire acondicionado. — Os resumo lo más interesante de estos últimos días. ¿Qué ha pasado a nivel tecnológico las últimas dos semanas? Muchísimas, muchísimas cosas.

Photo:  A booster rocket (or engine) is either the first stage of a multistage launch vehicle, or else a shorter-burning rocket used in parallel with longer-burning sustainer rockets to augment the space vehicle's takeoff thrust and payload capability.  Here: A GEM-40 strap-on booster for a Delta II launch vehicle. #Spaceflight: Amazon chooses boosters. Bob Zimmerman BehindtheBlack.com

A NASA spacecraft is celebrating a major milestone today: 20 years in orbit around Mars. It's the longest-operating Mars mission in history. Mars Odyssey launched on April 7th, 2001. [launch audio: 3, 2, 1, we have ignition, and liftoff of a Delta II rocket carrying NASA on an odyssey back to Mars...] At launch, it was called 2001 Mars Odyssey in honor of the movie and novel “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The craft entered orbit around Mars on October 23rd. It then spent months using a technique known as aerobraking to dip into the planet's upper atmosphere and sculpt its final orbit. Mars Odyssey's instruments have mapped the entire Martian surface. They've also mapped the composition of the surface. Among other things, they've revealed salt, clay, and other compounds that formed in watery environments. The findings indicate that Mars was once much warmer and wetter than it is today — and perhaps even a comfortable home for life. The orbiter also has detected vast layers of water ice buried beneath the red dirt all across the planet. Some of those deposits might someday provide drinking water, oxygen, and rocket fuel for human explorers. Odyssey's pictures have helped scientists pick out landing sites for Mars landers and rovers. And the craft has served as a relay station for those missions. It continues its work today — two decades after entering orbit around the Red Planet. Tomorrow: a two-toned “walnut” at Saturn.  Script by Damond Benningfield Support McDonald Observatory

This week Space Explored's Seth Kurkowski and Daryl Sausse discuss SpaceX's highly successful Starship flight, the frenzy of Starlink launches coming from the cape, new attractions at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and more. Subscribe YouTubeSpotifyApple PodcastsOvercast Follow Seth Kurkowski @SethKurk Daryl Sausse @SausseImages Rapid Unscheduled Discussions @RUDsPodcast Read More SpaceX lands first Starship vehicle vertically, still wows onlookers with a fireball spectacleStarship SN10 aborts on test stand before high altitude flight, new attempt later todayNew launch date for scrubbed SpaceX Starlink-17SpaceX to send another 60 Starlink satellites to space on top of an iconic boosterDelta II display coming to Kennedy Space Center Rocket GardenSpaceX returning to west coast recovery operations per new job postingsStarship SN11: SpaceX rolls out next test vehicle to the launch site to begin testing campaignSpaceX doubling down on Boca Chica; New permit shows future Starship launch site plansArtemis I booster stacking is now complete; Awaits first Core StageSpaceX to launch their 22nd batch of Starlink satellites Support Shop on Amazon to support the Space Explored Podcast. Enjoy reading Space Explored? Help others find us by following on Apple News and Google News. Be sure to check us out on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, join our Discord!

Spaceflight news— NASA selects four small-scale missions to further develop (nasa.gov) (spacenews.com) — Pioneers program (science.nasa.gov) — Aspera (news.arizona.edu) — Pandora (twitter.com/elsisrad) — StarBurst (twitter.com/Dr_ThomasZ) — PUEO - Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PDF: arxiv.org)Short & Sweet— Dynetics submits details for its HLS bid. (executivebiz.com)— NASA extends Juno and InSight (nasa.gov)— DARPA satellites damaged (HT Mike Stewart: spacenews.com)This week in SF history— 17th January, 1997: Loss of GPS-IIR-1 on Delta II (en.wikipedia.org) (youtube.com) (youtube.com) — Richard Gariott’s interview on Off-Nom (HT Ben Hallert: youtube.com)— Next week (1/19 through 1/25) in 1967: simulated launch, not-so-simulated conflagration

Ana Guzman, ideaXme space ambassador and leading space communications and space exploration television producer interviews Caley Burke, Aerospace Engineer and Trajectory Analyst for NASA's Launch Program. Ana Guzman comments: In my next interview for ideaXme, I was able to sit down and chat with Caley Burke, aerospace engineer at NASA’s Launch Services Program. She works on the interface between the spacecraft and launch vehicle teams to get the spacecraft delivered to their final destination in space. As part of her work, she analyzes trajectories of the rockets launching NASA and NOAA robotic spacecraft missions. Reducing Risk During Delivery of NASA's Exploratory Missions: Her position contributes to space exploration by providing expertise in reducing risk during the delivery of NASA exploratory missions to space and maintaining a wealth of knowledge in the expendable launch vehicle market. We discuss factors taken into account when deciding which trajectories and rockets are chosen for each mission, launch windows and opportunities from different parts of the world, and why a launch window to Mars occurs only every two years. Caley worked on the launches of Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and the Mars 2018 lander, InSight, on an Atlas V, NuSTAR on a Pegasus XL, and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) on a Delta II. She did early work on the Joint Polar Satellite System 2 (JPSS-2) mission to launch on an Atlas V rocket. NASA Kennedy Space Center: She started her NASA career as a Pathways intern in 2002 at Kennedy Space Center with the International Space Station (ISS) and later transferred to the Launch Services Program in 2003. She attended MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) via the Kennedy Graduate Fellowship Program and performed fluid slosh in microgravity research on the Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) platform on the ISS. For additional information from this interview, visit the following: For visitor and launch schedule info: www.kennedyspacecenter.com NASA Launch Services Program https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/ Social Media: Twitter @NASA_LSP @NASAKennedy @RocketCaley (Personal account; not representing the government) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NASALSP/ http://www.facebook.com/nasakennedy YouTube http://www.youtube.com/NASAKennedy More NASA Kennedy social media: https://www.nasa.gov/socialmedia/ Interview credit: Ana Guzman ideaXme Space Ambassador. Follow on Twitter: Ana Guzman @mupwa and ideaXme @ideaxm Ana is a leading space exploration television producer and space communications expert. She comes to ideaXme with nine years experience working at NASA’s Johnson Space Center serving different roles in their communications and multimedia teams. As part of the ideaXme team, she wishes to continue working in outreach and educating the public in different topics regarding all things space. Visit ideaXme: www.radioideaxme.com Find ideaXme across the internet including on iTunes, SoundCloud, Amazon Podcasts, Radio Public, TuneIn Radio, I Heart Radio, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. ideaXme is a global podcast, creator series and mentor programme. Our mission: Move the human story forward!™ ideaXme Ltd.

We are joined by SUPER special guest Tony Taliancich, Director & General Manager of ULA Launch OperationsTony explains exactly what his job entailsWe discuss our favorite ULA launchesThe sun got its headshots done and it looks like baked macaroni and cheeseWe pick Tony’s brain about Mars, launch day rituals, Vulcan, facility modifications, and much moreMeanwhile, in the chat....Question thief, Harry Stranger, asks Tony what got him into spaceWe continue to quiz Tony, and MOST of our questions got an answerNew display coming soon at KSC!!!! The last built Delta II will be planted in the rocket garden on some undisclosed date in the futureFaceBook https://www.facebook.com/PressingForFlight Twitter https://twitter.com/Pressing4FlightYouTube https://youtu.be/m1Q-wF7K1Mc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Vesmírná technika I 15. září 2018 startovala poslední raketa Delta II a jejím úkolem bylo vynést družici ICESat-II. Ta nese jediný vědecký přístroj jménem ATLAS. Právě s jeho pomocí může družice provádět extrémně přesná měření výšky ledovců s mimořádně vysokou snímkovací frekvencí.

Vesmírná technika I Americká raketa Delta II odešla před několika týdny do pomyslného důchodu. Neměla by však upadnout v zapomnění, protože svého času na ní ležela velká tíha – právě ona vynášela celou řadu důležitých družic – od navigačních až po vědecké.

We give you more this week with special guest Tahlya returning to join us once again, yay, this is awesome right from the start. This episode is full of fun and laughter, starting with a new record from a weird type of Zirconium at capturing and absorbing neutrons like a sponge. Johnny better watch out, he might get trapped.Then we look at the news from Venom 2 and the new director. Is it going to be good or bad? We don’t know yet but the premise holds strong, just hope that Guardians of the Galaxy survives the new director it is facing. The DJ has definitely delivered with this topic, although he makes a suggestion of a cameo from Spiderman, so not a cool idea.Then we give you even more again, with a double header from Tahlya with Resident Evil 2 news giving fans of the classic franchise. This then moves into the Kingdom Hearts latest release. This is confusing when we look at the release schedule. For example Kingdom Hearts X followed by Kingdom Heart 2.8. Seriously, did these guys employ an Apple genius reject? This leads into the most entertaining part of the episode when we discover Tahlya has an issue with David Cage, a Frenchman with the most inept directing style. Listen as Tahlya gives us more.So strap on in and hang on tight as we let this sucker run wild and free for an amazing ride through an array of topics. Please, remember to take care of yourselves and each other, and in this heat keep hydrated.EPISODE NOTES:Weird type of Zirconium- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/weird-type-zirconium-soaks-neutrons-spongeVenom 2- https://au.ign.com/articles/2019/01/07/venom-2-confirmed-new-director-may-be-hiredResident Evil 2- https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/resident-evil-2-demo-1203102565/Kingdom Hearts 3- https://www.businessinsider.com.au/what-is-kingdom-hearts-3-2019-1?r=US&IR=TGames currently playingTahlya– Horizon Zero Dawn - https://www.playstation.com/en-au/games/horizon-zero-dawn-ps4/Buck– Skyrim - https://store.steampowered.com/app/489830/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Special_Edition/DJ– Injustice 2 - https://store.steampowered.com/app/627270/Injustice_2/Other topics discussedPeriodic table song (2018 version)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz4Dd1I_fX0More info on Zirconium-88- https://www.isotopes.gov/catalog/product.php?element=Zirconium&type=rad&rad_product_index=75Radioactive spider- http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Radioactive_SpiderGamma Bomb- http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Gamma_BombBrian Banner – Bruce banner aka Hulk’s dad- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_BannerHulk (2003 movie)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulk_(film)James Bond in film- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_in_filmStep Brothers director might direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3- https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/12/21/step-brothers-director-adam-mckay-was-approached-for-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3Pirates of the Caribbean film series- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_(film_series)Cutthroat Island- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutthroat_IslandBlack Sails- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sails_(TV_series)Kingdom Hearts games- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kingdom_Hearts_mediaJolt Cola the drink- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolt_ColaSquare Enix- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_EnixDavid Cage- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_CageDetroit: Become Human- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit:_Become_HumanCubic Motion- https://www.cubicmotion.com/Beyond: Two Souls- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond:_Two_SoulsRey must be Luke Skywalker’s daughter- https://www.reddit.com/r/saltierthancrait/comments/8j5iam/why_rey_is_must_be_lukes_daughter_all_evidence/Mark Sheppard (actor)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_SheppardLife of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_GalileoQueen – Made in Heaven- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_HeavenNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nausicaä_of_the_Valley_of_the_Wind_(film)Real world Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind gliderhttps://www.wired.co.uk/article/nausicaa-valley-wind-real-world-gliderMetropolis (1927 movie)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCDQzGTBA3EMetropolis (2001 anime movie)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(2001_film)Queen - Radio Ga Ga- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Ga_Ga#VideoShoutouts6 Jan 2019 – Star Trek and Doctor Who actor William Morgan Sheppard passes away - https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/william-morgan-sheppard-death-cause-age-star-trek-doctor-who-mad-men-tribute-a8715406.html8 Jan 1642 - Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei passes away - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/astronomer-galileo-dies-in-italy10 Jan 2016 - David Bowie’s passes away - https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35278872Famous Birthdays4 Jan 1643 – Sir Isaac Newton, English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time, and a key figure in the scientific revolution. Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton5 Jan 1941 - Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese animator, filmmaker, screenwriter, cartoonist, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, a film and animation studio famous for works such as Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo and The Wind Rises. He has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and as a maker of anime feature films, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest animation filmmakers, born in Bunkyō, Tokyo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki8 Jan 1947 – David Bowie, English singer, songwriter and actor (Labyrinth. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s and also famous for his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, born in Briston, London - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_BowieEvents of Interest8 Jan 1889 - Herman Hollerith is issued US patent #395,791 for the 'Art of Applying Statistics' — his punched card calculator.- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Hollerith- https://patents.google.com/patent/US395782A/en10 Jan 1927 - Fritz Lang's futuristic film Metropolis had its world premiere at the Ufa-Palast am Zoo in Berlin on 10 January 1927 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(1927_film)12 Jan 2005 - Deep Impact NASA space probe, designed to study the interior composition of the comet Tempel 1 (9P/Tempel), by releasing an impactor into the comet. launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Impact_(spacecraft)IntroArtist – Goblins from MarsSong Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJFollow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/Email - Nerds.Amalgamated@gmail.comTwitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamatedSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nux69rftdBeeEXwD8GXrSiTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/top-shelf-nerds/id1347661094RSS - http://www.thatsnotcanonproductions.com/topshelfnerdspodcast?format=rssSpecial thanks to Tahlya from the General Queeries Podcast - https://www.thatsnotcanonproductions.com/generalqueeriespodcast

2018 has been one heck of a year! Let's dive into a quick review of 2018. Here's to 2019 and more podcast episodes. Thank you to everyone that listens, I hope you have a happy and prosperous New Year! A huge shout out to all the new fans of The Space Shot on Facebook! Welcome to the podcast, I'm glad you could join us! Let me know if you have any questions, email me at john@thespaceshot.com. Send questions, ideas, or comments, and I will be sure to respond to you! Thanks for reaching out :) Do me a favor and leave a review for the podcast if you enjoy listening each day. Screenshot your review and send it to @johnmulnix or john@thespaceshot.com and I will send you a Space Shot sticker and a thank you! You can send me questions and connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, by clicking one of the links below. Facebook (https://m.facebook.com/thespaceshot/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/johnmulnix/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/johnmulnix) I've also got a call in number that I'm going to be testing here soon, so keep an eye out for that! Episode Links: Ultima Thule Livestream Flyby (watch on 12/31) for live coverage. Watch Here (https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive) Check out Facebook for more! Have a happy New Year!

II tund Palju õnne sünnipäevaks, Rene Eespere!

With 100 successful consecutive missions, and 155 total launches since 1989, the Delta II will go down in history as an incredibly dependable and capable vehicle. The team talks about their favorite missions, as they discuss memorable experiences. Listen directly to events that took place right from the final launch of Delta II. You'll hear from ULA hosts Heather McFarland and David McFarland as well as: • Bill Cullen, Vulcan launch operations leader and Atlas V launch director • Steve Huff, systems operations engineering leader • Kathy McLaughlin, East and West Coast technical services manager • Paul Fratto, electrical ground lead for Delta IV • Dana Vandersarl, mission assurance for the propulsion team for Delta II • Todd Girkins, propulsion systems chief engineer for Delta II For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch.

Family. This word comes up again and again when reminiscing about the teams that built and launched the Delta II rocket. Discover how these teams came together to overcome challenges and some fun ways they bonded. You'll hear from ULA hosts Heather McFarland and David McFarland as well as: • Bill Cullen, Vulcan launch operations leader and Atlas V launch director • Steve Huff, systems operations engineering leader • Kathy McLaughlin, East and West Coast technical services manager • Paul Fratto, electrical ground lead for Delta IV • Dana Vandersarl, mission assurance for the propulsion team for Delta II • Todd Girkins, propulsion systems chief engineer for Delta II For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch.

Learn about the history of the Delta II program from a first-hand perspective. From the program’s remarkable beginnings, to how this rocket launched 155 times, hear from the team who was there through it all. You'll hear from ULA hosts Heather McFarland and David McFarland as well as: • Bill Cullen, Vulcan launch operations leader and Atlas V launch director • Steve Huff, systems operations engineering leader • Kathy McLaughlin, East and West Coast technical services manager • Paul Fratto, electrical ground lead for Delta IV • Dana Vandersarl, mission assurance for the propulsion team for Delta II • Todd Girkins, propulsion systems chief engineer for Delta II For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch.

NASA EDGE provided live coverage of the scheduled tower rollback for United Launch Alliance’s final Delta II rocket carrying the ICESat-2 spacecraft.

NASA EDGE provided live coverage of the scheduled tower rollback for United Launch Alliance’s final Delta II rocket carrying the ICESat-2 spacecraft.

Während die Ariane 5 ihren 100. Flug feiert, geht die Delta II nach vielen Jahrzehnten in den Ruhestand. Vorzeitig in den Ruhestand geschickt wird auch das AR-1, welches mit dem BE-4 um den Platz als Triebwerk für die Vulcan Rakete wetteiferte, und jetzt verlor. Auch etwas verloren hat die ISS, nämlich Luft. Ein 2mm großes Leck sorgte kurz für Aufregung Anfang September, doch jetzt ist wieder alles dicht. SpaceX stellt mit Yuzaku Maezawa den ersten BFR-Passagier zum Mond vor und die JAXA hat zwei Rover auf einem Asteroiden gelandet.

Wir starten ein neues Format: Countdown Kompakt. Die wichtigsten Themen aus der aktuellen Folge in maximal 20 Minuten zusammengefasst.

On September 15, 2018, the last Delta II rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force base, in California. It carried into orbit IceSat-2 — a satellite equipped with perhaps the most sophisticated space laser ever built.   NASA didn’t put it up there to shoot down rogue asteroids. Instead, it’s taking aim — with exquisite precision — at Earth.   On this episode of Orbital Path, Dr. Michelle Thaller talks with Tom Wagner. He’s been looking forward to the launch of IceSat-2 for a decade. Officially, Wagner is NASA’s Program Scientist for the Cryosphere. That means he studies the frozen regions of the Earth: Antarctica. The Arctic Ocean. The glaciers of Greenland. All places critical to understanding our planet’s changing climate.   From 300 miles above, the six laser beams of IceSat-2 won’t harm even the most light-sensitive earthling, Wagner says. But, as he describes it, the satellite will allow scientists to precisely map the retreat of ice at the poles. And that promises to teach us a great deal about how Earth’s climate will change in the years to come. Orbital Path is produced by David Schulman. Our editor is Andrea Mustain. Production oversight by John Barth and Genevieve Sponsler. Support for Orbital Path is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science, technology, and economic performance. Image credit: NASA

From a Californian satellite and the retirement of the Delta II to Hayabusa and Opportunity updates, it's been a busy couple of weeks. Plus, a review of Hulu's *The First.*

Last weekend, the Delta II rocket—for 30 years a regular fixture on launchpads in the United States—lifted off for the final time. The vehicle, built by the United Launch Alliance, had long carried the title of the most reliable rocket in service. With a record 153 successful launches out of 155 flights, the 125-foot-tall monolith, with its sporty teal-and-white paint scheme, is now officially a figure of the past.

This week in SF history— September 18–19, 1980, Damascus Missile Disaster (wikipedia.org)Spaceflight news— BFR announcement (youtube.com) — dearmoon.earthShort & Sweet— PD Aerospace announces a new spaceplane with “hybrid” engine. (japantimes.co.jp)— Orion parachute test is a success. (parabolicarc.com)— Delta II has launched for the last time. (spacenews.com)

In this episode we talk about Apple's new hardware, new smartwatch chips, Google, Elon Musk, Delta II rockets, Star Wars, CyberPunk 2077, Halo 5, Call of Duty and Steam Uncensored.

Our weekends planned boating trip was cancelled due to this summers especially nasty Gulf Coast red tide, so let's talk about a new roller coaster coming next year to Busch Gardens, attendance levels at Sea World, and a new addition to the world famous rocket garden at Kennedy Space Center. This show includes: We caught a case of the Red Tide Blues this weekend. Here's a link to the latest information on which beaches are effected. http://myfwc.com/redtidestatus A new launch coaster is revealed for 2019 at Busch Gardens https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/amusement-parks/busch-gardens-tampa-bay-tallest-launch-roller-coaster Sea World attendance is on the rebound. https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/06/investing/seaworld-attendance-earnings/index.html The retired Delta II rocket to join the rocket garden at Kennedy Space Center https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/go-for-launch/os-delta-2-rocket-garden-20180916-story.html Contact us! Website: www.SunshineStatePodcast.com Twitter: @FloridaPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floridapodcast Email: Contact@sunshinestatepodcast.com

Denne gang finder vi den store kost og fejebakke frem. Det er tid til at gøre forårsrent. Vi taler nemlig om rumskrot. Hvad er problemerne med rumskrot og hvad kan vi gøre for at mindske problemerne? Vi har også fundet nogle nyheder frem. Denne gang bl.a. om Stephen Hawkings bortgang i en alder af 76 år, om opsendelsen af Danmarks til dato største rummission ASIM og om den interstellare asteroide ’Oumuamua. Rettelse: I episode fik vi sagt at Elon Musk vil opsende 1200 satelliter i forbindelse med Starlink. Det korrekte tal er hele 12.000 satelliter. Shownotes Nyheder Stephen Hawking er død 76 år gammel http://pov.international/stephen-hawkings-romantiske-univers/ ASIM er klar til opsendelse https://videnskab.dk/teknologi-innovation/asim-danmarks-stoerste-rumprojekt-klar-til-opsendelse ’Oumuamua, den interstellare asteroide, stammer formentligt fra et solsystem med to sole https://videnskab.dk/naturvidenskab/rum-cigar-stammer-fra-et-solsystem-med-to-sole ESAs næste exoplanet-mission er fundet https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ESA_s_next_science_mission_to_focus_on_nature_of_exoplanets James Webb Space Telescope er udsat - igen https://videnskab.dk/teknologi-innovation/nasa-har-udskudt-opsendelsen-af-james-webb Tema - Rumskrot Tiangong-1 styrter snart mod Jorden https://videnskab.dk/teknologi-innovation/nu-styrter-kinesisk-rumstation-ned-her-er-hvad-du-boer-vide ESAs rumskrot-aktiviteter https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Debris/Space_debris_by_the_numbers Lottie Williams blev i 1997 ramt af et stykke af en Delta II-raket https://www.npr.org/2011/09/21/140641362/where-falling-satellite-lands-is-anyones-guess Seks japanske sømænd  blev ramt af rumskrot i 1969 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_debris#To_Earth Risikoen, ifølge ESA, for at blive ramt af et stykke af Tiangong-1, er 10 millioner gange mindre end den årlige chance for at blive ramt af et lyn http://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/2018/03/26/tiangong-1-frequently-asked-questions-2/ Kessler-syndrom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome ESAs mission for at fjerne rumskrot - e.Deorbit http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Clean_Space/e.Deorbit Envisat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envisat Hvad skal man gøre hvis man finder et stykke af Tiangong-1 eller andet rumskrot? https://www.livescience.com/62112-what-if-you-find-china-space-station-debris.html Humanity Star er ikke mere https://www.thehumanitystar.com Japanske Astro Live Experiences vil levere kunstige stjerneskud https://videnskab.dk/teknologi-innovation/japansk-firma-vil-saelge-dig-kunstige-stjerneskud

*Recurring Martian Streaks could be just sand rather than water A new study claims dark streaks often seen on the Sun facing slopes of Martian gullies and ravines could be caused by moving sand rather than melting sub-surface permafrost. The conclusions provide an alternative to previous speculation that the features – known as recurring slope lineae or RSLs – were caused by flowing meltwater from permafrost layers seeping out from the sides of gullies and ravines. *Could cosmic dust be transporting life between worlds? A new study suggests that life on Earth might have originated from biological particles brought to the planet in streams of cosmic dust particles. The findings would mean fast-moving flows of interplanetary dust that continually bombard Earth’s atmosphere could deliver tiny organisms from far-off worlds, or send Earth-based organisms to other planets, according to the research. *Listening for alien signals. Way back on August the 15th 1977 astronomers at Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope supporting the SETI Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence picked up a strange and very strong narrow band radio signal coming from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. Now a new campaign is underway to listen for alien signals – not from Sagittarius but from M-31 Andromeda. *NASA Launches NOAA Weather Satellite to Improve Forecasts The penultimate launch of a Delta II rocket has successfully placed the first of a new generation of advanced weather satellites into a Sun synchronous orbit. The Joint Polar Satellite System-1 or JPSS-1 blasted into deep black early morning skies from the Vandenberg Air Force base in California. *Maxus-9 provides a little microgravity The European Space Agency has launched a Maxus sounding rocket to see how microgravity effects microorganisms. The mission which blasted off from Sweden’s Esrange Space Center-- flew on a sub-orbital ballistic trajectory delivering its five onboard experiments to the edge of space. *The Science Report A new weapon in the fight against peanut allergies. The link between mother’s weight during pregnancy and life-threatening childbirth complications. Just like people new studies show Budgies sweat. NASA finds a mantle plume deep below Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land. Health experts urging governments to consider suing big tobacco over public health costs. For enhanced Show Notes including photos to accompany this episode, visit: http://www.bitesz.com/spacetimeshownotes Subscribe, rate and review SpaceTime at all good podcasting apps…including Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes), Google Podcasts, Stitcher, PocketCasts, Podbean, Radio Public, Tunein Radio, google play, Spreaker etc  Help support SpaceTime : The SpaceTime with Stuart Gary merchandise shop. Get your T-Shirts, Coffee Cups, badges, tote bag + more and help support the show. Check out the range: http://www.cafepress.com/spacetime Thank you. Plus: As a part of the SpaceTime family, you can get a free audio book of your choice, plus 30 days free access from audible.com. Just visit www.audibletrial.com/spacetime or click on the banner link at www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com Email: SpaceTime@bitesz.com Join our mailing list at http://www.bitesz.com/join-our-mailing-list  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/spacetime. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Falcon Heavy gets a launch date for very soon, and SLS gets an even further away launch date, along with more in this jam packed Talking Space! On this episode we have a busy launch round-up featuring the Vega rocket, SpaceX, a new Minotaur-C, China bouncing back from failure, and more. We also have the upcoming penultimate flight of the Delta II, a classified SpaceX payload, a first launch from SLC-40 since the AMOS-6 failure last year, and AMOS returning back to SpaceX with a new satellite. We discuss all of this, along with the newly announced launch date for the long-anticipated SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch from LC-39A. However, they also had a bit of a setback with a Merlin engine exploding on the test stand in McGregor, Texas.  We then go into the first hearing for NASA administrator candidate Jim Bridenstine and some of the bizarre questions asked of the controversial candidate. We then go into NASA pushing the launch of SLS most likely to mid-2020, and a report by the NASA OIG on how even that might be unreasonable. Then it's onto names on Mars and a KBO that needs a name. We also must sadly mention the passing of Gemini XI and Apollo XII veteran Richard "Dick" Gordon at age 88. We reminisce on our memories of one of the last of his kind. Show recorded 11-8-2017 Host: Sawyer Rosenstein Panelists: Gene Mikulka and Mark Ratterman