Erin Sembroski didn’t know her husband Chris had entered a contest to fly to space. Then he won the Generosity seat on the Inspiration4 on a SpaceX rocket and had to tell her the news.

This episode is an amazing story about the Commercialization of Cislunar Space by a company named ThinkOrbital. It’s also the story of how two talented people were bold enough to share their innovative idea to design something…different, better, and for all space explorers.

Today on the show, you’ll enjoy getting to know the impressive Stephanie Murphy- how she’s overcoming obstacles as a female principal owner in the competitive commercial space industry, what it takes to fly payloads in space, her team’s ability to champion challenging flight schedules (from concept to flown in 3 years!) and what it feels like to receive a new contract from NASA to be the first woman-owned company that will land testing equipment on the moon!! 

Mike Mullane is a NASA astronaut who has written several award-winning and popular books detailing his space exploration experience. Years later, his son, Patrick Mullane, would also write a popular book about his own unique experience watching his father become an astronaut.

Built in 1966 to support the Apollo space missions, the NASA tracking station in Guam (GWM) was equipped with a 30-foot USB antenna and VHF Air-Ground Voice and Telemetry capabilities. Guam was the first dedicated Apollo station built, and it’s where Brian Riehle and his team helped to track and communicate with 5 Apollo missions, including Apollo 11! Beth had the privilege of meeting Brian at the Inspiration4 Mission launch, thanks to family friend and astronaut, Dr. Sian Proctor!

What kind of space suit will we need to go back to the moon? How long does it take to make a space suit? Why are space suits white? What’s the first thing that could kill you in space? (It’s not what you think). Dan Klopp’s division at ILC Dover has been making space suits for NASA for over 50 years, so he’s perfectly positioned to provide us with a space suit tutorial in this episode of Casual Space!

A mixed-use business park. In space. That’s the description of the newly introduced Orbital Reef Commercial Space Station. More good news, this is not the ONLY commercial space station proposed, there are BIG plans on the LEO horizon… listen as Beth and Chad examine a future of orbiting laboratories providing solutions on, off and for planet Earth

Christina Korp has traveled the world as a singer, producer, tour manager and as an Astronaut Wrangler. She’s produced groundbreaking, mass participation experiential artworks and event that focus on inspiring people and giving back to the planet.

Does filming in space change the way in which we view space? How will filming in space change our perspective? When actors, directors, and artists go to space, can they help us see ourselves, and our planet Earth in a different way?

When it comes to marketing, Izzy knows a thing or two. And when it comes to marketing for space, Izzy House wrote the book on it- literally! Her new book, Space Marketing aims to empower companies within the space industry promote space, generate excitement, and implement marketing strategies and tactics to help companies thrive. The space business model is changing, and the companies that are successful right now do ONE THING CONSISTENTLY. On this week’s episode, Izzy shares with Beth one of the simplest marketing strategies that works, yet so many companies just don’t do…

You could say Tim Bailey is a space celebration connoisseur. As the Executive Director for Yuri’s Night- THE biggest space party in the world…Tim is qualified to rate and review the Inspiration4 “splashdown” party held just a week ago when the crew returned safely to Earth. (Acrobats? Star Wars bands? Flying astronauts? COLLECTIVE SOUL?!) 

On Sept 15, 2021, our friend and colleague Dr. Sian Proctor achieved her life-long dream of launching into space and becoming an astronaut on the Crew Dragon as part of the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission! My fellow analog astronauts Dr. Brandy Nunez and Makiah Eustice share our impressions and insights of this historic flight in an intimate conversation together- 24 hours after witnessing the launch live from the Kennedy Space Center at historic Launch complex 39-A.

Jesse Forte was NOT originally scheduled to be on the M4 Lunares X team. A crew member that could not attend the mission left an opening for a new, “first-time” analog astronaut to come and participate in our lunar simulation this July. On today’s episode, He’ll tell us how (an incredible vision board) and what’s next for this inventor, author, musician, creator, entrepreneur, and now- analog astronaut, Jesse Forte.

My conversation with author and philosopher of the Overview Effect Frank White continues - including the announcement of the Overview Effect Film Festival- on this episode of Casual Space. 

Frank White returns to Casual Space: Author, space philosopher and consultant joins Beth to share a lot of news! A new edition of the Overview Effect is out- and Frank announces a new project coming to you in November! We discuss non-professional space explorers (astronauts?), the need to migrate off Earth, and examine the many interpretations of the Overview Effect.

Astronaut Bruce McCandless III is perhaps best remembered as the subject of a famous NASA photograph (below right), flying alongside the space shuttle in the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) -- the first astronaut to fly untethered from his spacecraft…

Awesome!

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Did you know that the people and environment around you that you interact with can impact and even change the inside of your gut flora?