Turning Space Debris Into Opportunity with Ubaldo “The Space Ace” Ciminieri
Join host Susan Wise as she sits down with Ubaldo “The Space Ace” Ciminieri, Chief of Staff at CisLunar Industries, to explore how the future of space power, recycling, and innovation is turning science fiction into reality. From transforming space debris into usable materials to empowering new voices in the space industry, this episode is a reminder that space needs everyone’s talent and imagination. Susan Wise: Welcome to Stars Launch Pod: Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by StarSciences.org — where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. I’m your host, Susan Wise, and today we’re very excited
From Orbit to Organics: How Dr. Malav Trivedi Is Translating NASA’s Zero-Gravity Science to Earth’s Skincare
Dr. Malav Trivedi, the founder of Zero Gravity Sciences, operates at the intersection of high-stakes space technology and human health. A pharmacist by training with a Master’s and Ph.D. in neuroscience, his academic foundation lies in epigenetics—the study of how daily environmental factors, such as diet, sleep, nutrition, and pollution, affect gene expression and bodily metabolism. His journey to becoming a pioneer in applied space biology began by studying how microgravity might affect stem cell development and formation. This research led him to a remarkable technology developed by NASA back in the 1960s and 1970s: microgravity bioreactors. This system,
First-ever ‘superkilonova’ double star explosion puzzles astronomers
Scientists may have witnessed a massive, dying star split in two and then crash back together, triggering a never-before-seen double explosion. The explosion sent ripples through space-time and forged some of the universe's heaviest elements. Most massive stars reach the ends of their lives by collapsing and exploding as supernovas, seeding the cosmos with elements such as carbon and iron. A different kind of cataclysm, known as a kilonova, occurs when the ultradense remnants of dead stars, called neutron stars, collide, forging even heavier elements like gold. The newly identified event, named AT2025ulz, appears to combine these two types of
Space Migration & the Next Frontier: Insights from Tyler Bender, Beyond Earth Institute
Join host Susan Wise on the Stars Launch Pod as she talks with Tyler Bender, Policy Analyst at the Beyond Earth Institute, about the future of human space settlement, space policy, and how everyday careers on Earth can shape life beyond our planet. Discover insights on space migration, innovation, and building sustainable communities beyond Earth. Susan Wise: Hi, and welcome to Stars Launch Pod, Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by StarSciences.org, where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. I’m your host, Susan Wise, and joining us today is Tyler Bender, Policy Analyst for the Beyond Earth
Scientists spot ‘unprecedented celestial event’ around the ‘Eye of Sauron’ star just 25 light-years from Earth
Astronomers hoping to observe a planet around a nearby star have witnessed a much rarer "unprecedented celestial event," the team said: The violent aftermath of not one, but two collisions between the rocky building blocks of planets. Over the past two decades, astronomers witnessed two separate catastrophic collisions around the star Fomalhaut, located just 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. The detections occurred after planetesimals (rocky pieces of unformed planets) measuring much larger than the dinosaur-killing asteroid smashed each other into massive clouds of glittering debris. Read Article
The Retrieval Artist: Anna Lee Fisher on Rescuing Satellites, Making History, and Tackling Space Debris
Anna Lee Fisher carries a unique legacy in the history of human spaceflight. Not only was she selected in the inaugural class of female astronauts for the Space Shuttle program, but in 1984, during Mission STS-51A, she became the first mother to fly in space. In a recent interview with Susan Wise on the STARSLaunchPod, Dr. Fisher, a retired NASA astronaut and celebrated icon, reflected on her pioneering journey, the high-stakes mission that defined her career, and her current efforts to ensure the sustainability of the orbital environment. The STS-51A: A Rescue Mission Against the Clock Dr. Fisher’s flight