Today In Space

By: Alex G. Orphanos Science Communicator
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  • Summary

  • The award-winning independent podcast about space, science, and the power of the scientific mindset! Hosted by Alex G. Orphanos, science communicator, maker, and engineer. Our mission: to spread love and spread science!
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Astronomy
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Episodes
  • The Space Conundrum | MORE Space Progress Means MORE Societal Chaos - But WHY?

    The Space Conundrum | MORE Space Progress Means MORE Societal Chaos - But WHY?
    Jan 30 2025

    Welcome back to Today In Space! It’s the end of January, and we couldn’t start off the year without a recap of one of my favorite space theories—the Space Conundrum. As space progress accelerates, so does the chaos in society. But why does this happen? Why are they correlated? And more importantly, where is this all heading?”

    We’re going to explain what the space conundrum is, how it led to a world changing event the first time and why these times, as crazy & wild as they are, are actually a cycle we’ve seen before. So in favor of mental health & focus, let’s search for answers in the chaos of space progress and humanity!

    Sources:

    Chasing the Moon: The People, the Politics, and the Promise That Launched America into the Space Age https://amzn.to/3PVy13M

    https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/chasing-moon/

    Star Bound: A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard's Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight) https://amzn.to/3PUfRzH

    Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceX https://amzn.to/4hmK2eP

    Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age by Eric Berger https://amzn.to/4jFLc6E

    Escaping Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age https://amzn.to/42G1Flv

    SpaceX: Elon Musk and the Final Frontier https://amzn.to/40GDwZ8

    https://www.britannica.com/event/American-civil-rights-movement/From-Black-power-to-the-assassination-of-Martin-Luther-King

    https://www.britannica.com/topic/1960s-counterculture

    https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War/The-U-S-role-grows

    Keywords:

    space conundrum, space progress, societal chaos, mental health, space race, moon landing, technological disruption, space investment, global instability, AI impact, space exploration, space dominance, mental wealth, creative energy, space history

    Timestamps:

    00:00 The Space Conundrum: Introduction and Personal Journey
    05:54 Exploring the Space Conundrum Theory: What is it?
    07:26 Hypothesis 1 & 2 for WHY the Space Conundrum Happens?
    08:20 The Impact of Space Progress on Society
    10:05 The Role of Space in Society's Future
    18:44 Personal Reflections and Advice in the Chaos

    --------------------------

    Here's to building a fantastic future - and continued progress in Space (and humanity)! Spread Love, Spread Science

    Alex G. Orphanos

    We'd like to thank our sponsors:

    AG3D Printing

    Follow us: @todayinspacepod on Instagram/Twitter @todayinspace on TikTok /TodayInSpacePodcast on Facebook

    Support the podcast: • Buy a 3D printed gift from our shop - ag3dprinting.etsy.com • Get a free quote on your next 3D printing project at ag3d-printing.com • Donate at todayinspace.net

    #spacecraft #technology #aerospace #spacetechnology #engineer #stem #artemis #astronaut #spacewalk #crewdragon #falcon9 #elonmusk #starship #superheavybooster #blueorigin #newglenn #rocket #jaredisaacman #nasahistory #spaceshuttle
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    22 mins
  • AI & Business w/ David Hirschfeld, CEO of Tekyz | Tech Talk

    AI & Business w/ David Hirschfeld, CEO of Tekyz | Tech Talk
    Jan 23 2025
    This week, on Today In Space...our first 'Tech Talk' about AI & Business (with some aspirational takes on the role of AI in Humanity's future on Earth and in Space). Our guest David Hirschfeld, CEO of Tekyz, shares the knowledge of his 35-year career in software, including his origin story founding a vending machine software company that grew to 800 customers in 22 countries! We discuss business and AI; including Tekyz's take on the importance of product-market fit and early customer engagement given that "95-98%" of startups fail. David introduced "Launch First," a strategy for pre-launch sales to validate market demand, sharing success stories of securing $70,000 in 60 days for a real estate product and $250,000 for clinical trial software. Long story short - David was a wealth of knowledge and practical expertise, and we talked about almost anything and everything tech, AI, and even philosophy and business along with some laughs! With the way 2025 is shaping up, AI and technology will continue to make a difference in our lives. Our goal is to dive-in head first, try to understand the unknown and talk to experts along the way and share it with you. Our goal is to face our fear of the unknow and try to understand the magic behind it, using the scientific mindset as our guide. If AI's promise of impact is anywhere close to humanity discovering fire, then every little bit of understanding we have will help us make a better future for the world tomorrow. While we definitely recommend you do your homework, all you need to do is get comfortable, get ready to listen, and dive in with us. Alex shares some of his thoughts and concerns about AI, and the two have a great debate of ideas and topics, some of which include: The Value-Add for AI and how it can help you Concerns about AI and Corruption The Quality of data used to train AI models The Energy consumption of AI at scale The future of AI in Space Travel Examples of real life applications of AI to make life better for individuals and businesses We thank David for joining us and being such a great guest! We look forward to checking in with him in the future and see if any of his predictions were spot on. Check out his new podcast, "Scaling Smarter" at https://tekyz.podbean.com/. People interested at becoming a guest can schedule at scalingsmarter.net Note: The description above was drafted entirely by Otter. AI from the audio recording of this podcast. It was edited by a human, Alex G. Orphanos. Keywords: software industry, enterprise projects, vending software, trade show success, startup challenges, product market fit, customer feedback, Mom Test, clinician mindset, Launch First, pre-launch sales, AI tools, code generation, market disruption, self-driving cars, AI innovation, Star Trek economy, financial greed, AI training, useful data, internet infrastructure, power consumption, AI race, large language models, agentic workflows, workflow automation, podcast automation, AI as friend, AI feedback, AI bottlenecks Timestamps: 00:00 David Hirschfield's Career Journey 04:18 Early Startup Experiences and Lessons 10:41 The Importance of Understanding People in Business 14:06 Launch First and Pre-Launch Sales Strategy 27:35 The Role of AI in Business and Future Predictions 28:06 The Impact of AI on Everyday Life and Business 01:00:17 The Evolution of AI and Its Practical Applications 01:09:16 The Future of AI and Its Broader Implications 01:09:05 AI's Potential and Ethical Concerns 01:13:58 AI's Energy Consumption and Practical Applications 01:19:49 Advancements in AI Technology and Workflow Automation 01:22:48 The Future of AI in Human Space Travel 01:24:12 AI as a Collaborative Tool and Personal Reflections 01:24:30 Closing Remarks and Contact Information -------------------------- Here's to building a fantastic future - and continued progress in Space (and humanity)! Spread Love, Spread Science Alex G. Orphanos We'd like to thank our sponsors: AG3D Printing Follow us: @todayinspacepod on Instagram/Twitter @todayinspace on TikTok /TodayInSpacePodcast on Facebook Support the podcast: • Buy a 3D printed gift from our shop - ag3dprinting.etsy.com • Get a free quote on your next 3D printing project at ag3d-printing.com • Donate at todayinspace.net #space #rocket #podcast #spacex #science #3dprinting #nasa #spacetravel #spaceexploration #spacecraft #technology #aerospace #spacetechnology #engineer #stem #3dprinted #ai #aiforbusiness #aiforcreativity #bottlenecks #articificalintelligence #LLM
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    1 hr and 37 mins
  • Starship VS New Glenn | A Tale of Two Heavy Lift Rockets | Tortoise & Hare of the Space Industry

    Starship VS New Glenn | A Tale of Two Heavy Lift Rockets | Tortoise & Hare of the Space Industry
    Jan 18 2025

    On this episode, in the wake of Blue Origin’s maiden launch of New Glenn and SpaceX’s fascinating Starship Flight 7 it’s time to take a step back and tell the tale of Two Heavy Lift Rockets. After a decade of space progress from both companies, they each took different engineering approaches to building a rocket. Depending on when you look at their progress, it might feel like one approach is better than the other.

    But is there a real answer to the “right approach” to building a rocket? Or is success only measured by how well that rocket flies and sends payloads into orbit? The race between the Tortoise (Blue Origin) & the Hare (SpaceX) is in full swing now that New Glenn is orbital. Is there an end to the race? We hope not anytime soon - and that the American Space Program continues to grow thanks to these two innovative companies and the thousands of people that make it happen behind the scenes.

    This was a hard episode to put together, especially given the timing. While I think it came out better than it would have been originally, we hope it shares a glimpse of the next 5-10 years, the challenges these companies will face, and how painful yet beautiful the quest of reaching the final frontier really is.

    Alex G. Orphanos

    Timestamps:

    00:00 SpaceX vs. Blue Origin: A Tale of Two Heavy Lift Rockets
    05:51 SpaceX's Evolution From Falcon 9 to Starship
    09:11 Blue Origin's Strategic Approach with BE-4
    11:59 Starship's Flight 7 Anomaly and Its Impact on SpaceX
    16:35 The Future of Starship and New Glenn
    19:06 Final Thoughts on a Tale of Two Heavy Lift Rockets

    Keywords:

    SpaceX vs Blue Origin, heavy lift rockets, Starship issues, New Glenn launch, engineering decisions, reusable rockets, American space program, human space progress, New Year resolutions, Magic Mind, rocket development, Falcon nine, BE-4 engine, orbital dominance, space industry

    --------------------------

    Here's to building a fantastic future - and continued progress in Space (and humanity)! Spread Love, Spread Science

    Alex G. Orphanos

    We'd like to thank our sponsors:

    AG3D Printing

    Follow us: @todayinspacepod on Instagram/Twitter @todayinspace on TikTok /TodayInSpacePodcast on Facebook

    Support the podcast: • Buy a 3D printed gift from our shop - ag3dprinting.etsy.com • Get a free quote on your next 3D printing project at ag3d-printing.com • Donate at todayinspace.net

    #spacecraft #technology #aerospace #spacetechnology #engineer #stem #artemis #astronaut #spacewalk #crewdragon #falcon9 #elonmusk #starship #superheavybooster #blueorigin #newglenn #rocket #jaredisaacman #nasahistory #spaceshuttle
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    21 mins

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