Greeting Space Lovers and welcome back to Cosmic Radio. We have a great show this month. In the first part of the show we find out "What's up in the February night sky" and learn about the upcoming NASA Artemis II moon-launch and the return of The United States to the Moon. Then in the second part of the show we celebrate the return of Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the Principal Investigator of NASA's Psyche Mission: A Journey to a Metal World!
Dr. Elkins-Tanton is going to update us on the mission during its "cruise-phase".

Check-out the following links that Dr. Elkins-Tanton mentions during the show:

JPL Psyche Mission: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/psyche/
NASA Psyche Mission overview: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/mission-overview/

"Mission Ready-How to Build Teams That Perform Under Pressure" Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton Book-https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/lindy-elkins-tanton/mission-ready/9781541706033/

Tater's the Cat: https://youtu.be/k7B8lYjAOns?si=IGxjhTbJoAaJ6VOS
Ways to Participate-Capstone courses- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/ways-to-participate/
Psyche Inspired- https://psyche.ssl.berkeley.edu/get-involved/psyche-inspired/
https://epics.engineering.asu.edu/2025/09/nasa-psyche-virtual-reality-inspired-art-and-artists-showcase/
Psyche (Song) by Terry Glaze- https://youtu.be/Kj66J8fmmzU?si=tU_7Bx0ZtUXvPBNY

Sail (Song) Awolnation

NASA Artemis Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/

Have you ever heard of NASA's new Quesst Mission? We have all the answers right here! Meet NASA Test Pilot Lils Larson, he is the first to fly NASA's X-59 experimental supersonic plane that is attempting to change the sonic boom out of a supersonic boom and change it to a "sonic thump"!
NASA Quesst Mission: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/
Nils Larson-Ret. USAF Lieutenant Colonel & NASA Test Pilot: https://www.nasa.gov/people/david-nils-larson/
Supersonic Speed: https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/supersonic-flight/
Check out The Artemis Mission-Possibly launching in February 2026!!!-https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/
Sail: AWOLNATION
Highway to the Danger Zone: Kenny Loggins

Join me as we speak with Dr. Joseph Masiero from Caltech/IPAC. Dr. Masiero teaches us all about NEOs-"Near-Earth-Object" and the new NASA mission-NEO Surveyor that will
Find Near Earth Objects before they find us!
Dr. Joseph Masiero Bio: https://www.ipac.caltech.edu/science/staff/joe-masiero
NASA Neo Surveyor Mission: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/neo-surveyor/
Asteroid flying over Lake Erie: https://thedebrief.org/asteroid-impact-in-canada-may-have-left-something-behind-that-astronomers-now-want/
Astro Art Article: https://mdspace.org/nasas-webb-telescope-inspires-artechouse-exhibit-public-art/
Hoar Ice explanation: https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/hoar-frost.html
This month's soundtrack: Sail-AWOLNATION
Mars-Gustav Holst
Jupiter-Gustav Holst

Join me as we learn more about the amazing radio antennas from the NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN). Last month we learned how the DSN communicates with mission spacecrafts. This month we learn about the research the antennas have been involved in and how the DSN will help the communications with our return to the moon on the Artemis Missions!!
We also have some fun aboriginal mythology to learn!

Join me as we speak with Dr. Joseph Lazio, Project Scientist from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Deep Space Network. Dr. Lazio explains what the Deep Space Network (DSN) his job at the DSN and explain how the DSN antennas are used to track and communicate with NASA spacecrafts and the amazing research the antennas perform. This is the first part of a two part series about the Deep Space Network. It's fascinating!
Links:
Pele Story: Pele: The Fire Goddess by Pua Kanaka 'ole Kanahele and Dietrich Varez
Music: Legend of Pele the Fire Goddess (1964) Ka Lahui o Hawai'i Nei
"All Over the World"-Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
"Sail"- intro and conclusion theme AWOLNATION
The Voyage of the Hokule'a:https://hokulea.com/
DSN Madrid antenna aligned and arrayed: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia26147-six-deep-space-network-antennas-in-madrid-arrayed-for-the-first-time/
DSN Now: https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/dsn-now/

Join me as we learn what's up in the September 2025 night sky, delve into Samoan mythology then speak with Retired United States Airforce Sergeant Stanley Anderson. Stan served in the US Air Force, 1959–1979, retiring as a Master Sergeant, Computer Systems Superintendent. From 1968 to 1971 he was NCO–In-Charge of the Aircraft Operations Control Center, Patrick AFB, FL supporting Apollo missions 4 through 14 deploying Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA) providing astronaut communications around the world.

Join me on Cosmic Radio as we speak with NASA's Johnson Space microbiologist Dr. Sarah Castro Wallace. Dr. Wallace evaluates the performance of the MinION DNA sequencer in-flight on the International Space Station (ISS). She and her team are in charge of the environmental monitoring of the ISS. Dr. Wallace's passion for her work is evident in this interview. She makes microbiology and DNA sequencing in space sound more fun than a spacewalk!

Check out these links:
Dr. Wallace's work: https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts/houston-we-have-a-podcast/dna-sequencing/
Dr. Sarah Castro Wallace: Women in History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1yJwXAFAMU
Genes in Space: https://www.genesinspace.org/

Join Cosmic Radio for an interview with Cal Poly Humboldt's beloved Biology Professor Terry Henkel.
Mycology is a mainstay of the Humboldt Botany Program with courses in mycology, forest pathology and mushroom identification.
"My research investigates macrofungal biodiversity and ecological relationships in the remote tropical rainforests of South America's Guiana Shield and the Guineo-Congolian region of Central Africa. My lab also examines the overlooked but important roles that native forest pathogenic fungi have in shaping forest communities in Northern California".
Terry has an amazing and relaxed style of proficiently teaching us more about the Fungi Kingdom both here in the United States and abroad. This is my final Fungal Kingdom episode ( for now) after a powerhouse of mycologist guests including David Hibbett, Joseph Heitman and Robert Douglas-check them all out!!

Check out the following links about Dr. Henkel's research:

https://www.humboldt.edu/biological-sciences/terry-henkel-phd -Dr. Henkel Cal Poly Humboldt web page
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Terry-Henkel -Dr. Henkel's published research papers
https://www.hbmycologicalsociety.org/ -Humboldt Bay Mycological Society
https://amazonteam.org/maps/guiana-shield/ -Guiana Shield
https://tropicalfungi.org/guineo-congo/ -Magrofungi of Northern Gondwana