Star Sciences: Connecting, Collaborating & Accelerating Space Research

Susan Wise: Hi, and welcome to Star 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 I’d like to welcome Lori McAlister, Director of Membership at Star Sciences and producer of this podcast, Star Launch Pod.
Welcome to the show, Lori.

Lori: Susan, thanks for having me.

Susan Wise: I’m excited to talk to you because there’s so much going on with StarSciences.org. What’s new? What’s happening right now?

Lori: All right, well, we are building! We’ve recently added a lot of tools, functionality, and some really cool features to help researchers. Of course, we’ve got our podcasts — they’re open to the public, and you don’t need to be a member to watch or listen. So check them out; we’ve had some amazing guests.

Then we’ve built a directory — we’re calling it Connect. It’s our Connect Directory. So far, we have 68 global agencies listed, and it’s growing. If you want to find, say, the Indian Space Agency in India, we’ve got the contact information right there.

You don’t have to search the internet — we’ve already done all the searching for you. Our team has spent a lot of time researching and compiling everything to make it easier for our users.

We’ve also built the Collaborate Café. Come in, start a forum, and begin conversations. This is where—

Susan Wise: This is—

Lori: —where collaboration happens.

Susan Wise: This is the magic area.

Lori: Exactly!

Susan Wise: So do you just dive in there? Start up a question and—

Lori: Yeah!

Susan Wise: —people just kind of join in?

Lori: That’s right. People join in on conversations. There are several different categories — we’re building ones specifically for educators and students, so everyone can stay connected.

Susan Wise: That’s cool.

Lori: We also have an Events Page. We’re scouring the internet for all the upcoming events — conventions, congresses, school-hosted events — and adding them to our calendar. When you’re a member, you can add your own events, and we’ll even help manage registration. That’s going to be very helpful for our members.

Susan Wise: Wow, that’s exciting!

Lori: I know — it’s so interesting, right?

Susan Wise: Yeah!

Lori: We’ve also added a bunch of resources and tools. Under our Resources tab, we’ve got an exclusive AI Research Navigator. We built this AI specifically for our members — it searches patents and research studies, and we’re continuing to expand its capabilities. I believe we’re adding PubChem, which is a chemical research site, so users will have access to chemical information as well.

We’ve added Toolkits — fantastic eBooks created by our team to help with funding applications: how to fill out forms, how to prepare, who to submit to, and how to ensure you’re aligned with funders.

We’ve also got information on Commercialization and Tech Transfer — how to turn your research into a product, innovation, or startup. We help you connect with innovators and founders.

There’s also guidance on writing and publishing — how to prepare, submit your paper to journals, and avoid rejection. A lot of really helpful tools are there.

Susan Wise: When we at Star Sciences say “Connect, Collaborate, and Accelerate,” this is exactly what we’re talking about. It’s like a hub — one place that makes it so much easier and more convenient to get things done and find the information you’re looking for.

Lori: Right! That’s our purpose, our goal, our mission in a nutshell. We want to accelerate research — to make things faster. It took a team of people to find all this information, and now it’s right at your fingertips.

Susan Wise: I love it.

Lori: It’s kind of like the Google of space sciences — we’ve gathered everything together.

Susan Wise: The Google! I love it. And I just love how busy the team has been — and it’s showing. I heard you got to do something really cool recently, something to do with STEM?

Lori: I did! Just this past weekend, I was invited to attend the SmallSat Education Conference at Kennedy Space Center. Kevin Simmons, a previous guest of ours, was the organizer.

Susan Wise: Yes!

Lori: Wow, what an amazing group of kids.

Susan Wise: They are — aren’t they mind-blowing?

Lori: Totally mind-blowing — 11- and 12-year-olds setting up experiments!

Susan Wise: Mm-hmm, yep.

Lori: You know, when people talk about “kids these days,” I don’t think they’ve met these kids.

Susan Wise: They don’t. They’re brilliant.

Lori: They really are. They’re super focused and supported by clubs like The Wolf Pack, which fundraises so that kids without resources can get involved and follow their passions.

Lucas — who will be a guest on an upcoming episode — is doing research on sending plastic-eating bacteria into space to help with space debris. Amazing, right? The future looks bright if these are the kinds of kids interested in space exploration and problem-solving.

Susan Wise: And I love that Kevin’s giving these kids a great place to collaborate, do research, and learn.

Lori: Exactly! Lucas is a member, and we’re going to help him and his club start some forums in the Collaborate Café. The entire conference was amazing. Our keynote speaker was Major General Charles Bolden — the former Director of NASA. What an inspiring story he shared!

He was gracious enough to take questions for an extra hour after his talk. He spoke at length about imposter syndrome — one of the students asked a really smart question, and he said, “Every day, I ask myself, ‘Who am I to be here?’” He reminded everyone that the universe doesn’t put you where you don’t belong — most of the time, you are where you belong. It was so powerful.

I also got to meet a couple of astronauts — including Steve Smith.

Susan Wise: Steve Smith!

Lori: Yes, I met Steve Smith, who worked on the Hubble Telescope. He was one of the astronauts who helped “put the glasses on it,” so to speak. I remember watching those videos with bated breath, wondering if they’d fix it.

Susan Wise: Yeah!

Lori: My husband came with me to the conference, and he joked that he wore thick “Coke bottle” glasses growing up and was teased for it — and now, even NASA tech needs glasses! It was just such a wonderful, eye-opening experience. We met so many people involved in STEM, and we want to support STEM in every way we can.

Susan Wise: I think you also got to catch a launch while you were there, didn’t you?

Lori: There was a launch!

Susan Wise: Icing on the cake! I was living vicariously through you, watching your photos on social media — I loved it.

Lori: It was so nice of SpaceX to send up a Falcon 9 while we were there — I’m sure they did it just for the kids.

Susan Wise: Yes!

Lori: It was another really exciting moment — watching the kids experience their first launch. The excitement was just incredible.

Susan Wise: Oh, yeah.

Lori: Truly unforgettable.

Susan Wise: All right, Lori — what’s next for Star Sciences? What’s happening now?

Lori: Well, another aspect we’ve built is our Writing and Publishing Tools page. It includes helpful links to journals, submission guides, and other resources — everything you’d usually spend hours searching for on Google is all right there.

We’re also putting out a Call for White Papers. So, if you have white papers, please become a member and add them to our library. It’s a great way to gain recognition and help others in the research community.

Susan Wise: Mm-hmm.

Lori: That’s how we do it — by sharing access to information.

What’s new? We’re building a Job Board called the Career Hub. It’s still in progress, but it’s going to be an amazing resource once it’s up. We’re also working on some fun Mission Gear — a shop with swag and merch.

Susan Wise: Where’s my swag bag? That’s what I want to know!

Lori: (laughs) We’re working on it! We want everyone to join us — become a member, start collaborating. Our goal is to accelerate the process of connecting research with innovators, turning discoveries into real-world products.

Susan Wise: I love what you’re doing, Lori. You and your team have been working so hard, and now we’re seeing all these wonderful things coming to life. I really appreciate the update — and I want to continue checking in for more updates as things progress.

Lori: Absolutely.

Susan Wise: How about monthly updates?

Lori: Perfect — let’s do that!

Susan Wise: It’s a deal.

Lori McAlister, Director of Membership at Star Sciences and producer of Star Launch Pod — thank you so much for checking in. I can’t wait to catch up again and hear about all the new things you’re doing.

Lori: Stay tuned in!

Susan Wise: Yes, absolutely. Thanks again for joining us. Be sure to visit StarSciences.org, where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. We’re also offering a free one-year membership — just enter promo code FRIENDS321.

And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and subscribe. Until next time — keep looking up!

Lori: Thank you, Susan.