EVSN: Escape Velocity Space News

On July 20, the world celebrates International Moon Day. This UN designated holiday marks the anniversary of humanity's first landing on the Moon. The Apollo 11 landing in 1969 is now only a distant memory or a date from history for most people, but it is worth thinking about as the world prepares to return humans to the Moon in the coming decade. Joining us to discuss International Moon Day is Dr. Jekan Thanga, the head of the Space TREx Laboratory at the University of Arizona. Come learn how his interdiciplinary team is taking a page from the past as we plan for a Lunar future.

Our solar system readily provides us with free samples of other worlds in the form of meteorites. The trick comes in first recognizing them, and then in understanding what science is locked in their minerals. One major center for collecting and studying these space rocks is Arizona State University's Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies which houses the Carleton B Moore Meteorite Collection. Join us as we discuss the collection with Director Rhonda Stroud.

The physics behind modern spaceflight explores everything from aerodynamics to thermodynamics with a lot of kinematics playing a role along the way. We welcome on guest Trisha Muro to discuss her new book, "It's (Just) Rocket Science", which explores how we can learn physics through spaceflight missions.

How is this the last episode of the season? July snuck up on us. We'll be back Sept 2 with Season 5! For now, we've got astronomers asking questions; questions like "Did you eat a planet?" and "How did you get there?" Expect the unexpected with a side of rockets.

In this episode we look at the hidden and unexpected geology that may lurk beneath East Antarctica's ice sheet, evidence of past worlds and lost moons that may once have populated our solar system, and evidence of a past Supernova that today may be showering the Earth with material.