Explore the inspiring story of Alyssa Carson, a passionate space enthusiast aiming to become an astronaut and destined for Mars. From childhood curiosity to citizen science and space education, Alyssa shares her journey, insights into space missions like Artemis, and practical advice for the next generation.

In this episode:

● Alyssa shares her lifelong fascination with space and her earliest memories of curiosity about the cosmos

● The impact of space camp in shaping her passion and skills

● How her diverse experiences—water survival, zero G flights, pilot's license—prepare her for space

● The evolving goals of the space industry, including Artemis, Mars missions, and space tourism

● The importance of resilience, problem-solving, and staying adaptable in pursuit of space dreams

● Opportunities in astrobiology and microbiology related to Mars exploration

● Her perspectives on the future of space travel accessibility for ordinary people

● Tips and motivational words for young people dreaming of space careers

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and Alyssa's space origin story

02:38 - The significance of space camp in her journey

05:42 - Building skills through diverse training experiences

09:28 - The interdisciplinary nature of astrobiology and microbiology

12:36 - Her studies at Florida Tech and focus on Mars exploration

16:15 - How "The Martian" movie aligns with her interests

17:27 - Moving into her PhD and future plans in space industry

21:34 - The trajectory of lunar and Mars missions, space tourism potential

23:33 - The significance of Artemis and lunar exploration for humanity

28:36 - Upcoming opportunities and her advice to young space enthusiasts

33:34 - Closing thoughts and Alyssa's message for aspiring astronauts

Resources & Links:

● So You Want To Be An Astronaut: The Book

● Ready For Lift Off: Becoming An Astronaut Of The Mars Generation

● Alyssa Carson - Official Website

● NASA Artemis Program

● Florida Tech Astrobiology Program

Connect with Alyssa Carson:

● Twitter

● LinkedIn

This episode is a must-listen for anyone dreaming of a future beyond Earth, offering a blend of personal motivation and industry insights.

Keep looking up at the stars and stay curious about the future of space in the UK and beyond!

Stay connected with us!

Use #Astroben across various social media platforms to engage with us!

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astrobenpodcast/

In Episode 117 of The Astro Ben Podcast, Ben sits down with Mamta Patel Nagaraja, former Associate Chief Scientist for Exploration and Applied Research at NASA, who recently left the agency amid its office closures in February 2025. Mamta reflects on her career leading biomedical and physical sciences for the ISS, Artemis, and commercial space missions, while sharing candid insights on NASA's challenges and opportunities in 2025. From streamlining science communication to navigating a toxic work environment, her story is one of resilience and reinvention. Now a free agent in STEM, Mamta discusses her future plans and offers some advice to the new NASA administration.

OUTLINE:

Here's approximate timestamps for the episode.

00:00 Intro to Mamta Patal Nagaraja

00:57 Mamta's passion for Space

03:20 Working for NASA

06:12 How to/can you quantify "is a mission worth it?"

08:30 NASA cuts and how it was done - the timing of Manta's departure from NASA

12:15 Jared Isaacmans involvement?

15:00 What is NASA's mission?

17:45 How to predict/predict other committed programs?

22:17 Space science communication

24:52 Whats next post NASA?

27:54 Mamta's advice to new leadership at NASA

33:49 Whats next for Mamta?

36:57 Wrap Ups and Socials

Follow Mamta on Social:

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@mamta02

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mamta2002

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamtapatelnagaraja/

Stay connected with us!

Use #Astroben across various social media platforms to engage with us!

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@astrobenpodcast

Website: www.astroben.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrobenpodcast/

X: https://x.com/Gambleonit

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astrobenpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astrobenpodcast/

OUTLINE:

Here's approximate timestamps for the episode.

00:53 Introducing Marino

01:56 Marino's interest in Space

04:50 Technical background

06:19 Avio

08:56 Vega C Program

13:34 Lack of European ambition?

19:30 Reusability of rockets

21:20 AI

23:14 Geopolitics in Europe effecting the Space industry

26:29 Space Tourism

27:59 Ambition for Avio

30:34 Advice to next generation

31:53 Wrap Up and Socials

Follow Avio on Social:

Website: https://www.avio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avio_spa/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvioGroup

X: https://x.com/avio_group

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GroupAvio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avio-s-p-a/

Stay connected with us!

Use #Astroben across various social media platforms to engage with us!

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@astrobenpodcast

Website: www.astroben.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrobenpodcast/

X: https://x.com/Gambleonit

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astrobenpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astrobenpodcast/

This week on The Astro Ben Podcast, Ben sits down with Mark Sasson, co-founder and CEO of Pinpoint Search Group, as he launches Operation Voyager to tackle the space sector's talent gap in March 2025. From his roots in cybersecurity to his new frontier in space, Mark shares a compelling story of industry evolution, drawing parallels between these booming fields. We dive into proven strategies for attracting top talent, the unique hiring challenges facing space companies, and how to build effective recruiting processes in an industry still finding its footing.

OUTLINE:

Here's approximate timestamps for the episode.

00:00 Intro to Mark Sasson

01:09 Pinpoint getting into the Space Sector

03:01 Segments

03:58 Growth industries

05:12 Pinpoint

08:00 How Pinpoint works

09:40 Operation Voyager

11:00 Startups attracting top talent

14:06 Graduates entering the space force

18:30 Is space industry still mainly technical?

20:53 Remote work vs in real life

22:38 Company culture

25:00 Trends in keeping staff engaged

27:45 Soft skills for space industry candidates

30:00 Most exciting parts about space industries future

32:00 Wrap Up and social

Follow Mark/Pinpoint on Social:

Website: https://pinpointsearchgroup.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinpoint-search-group/

X: https://x.com/Pinpoint_Search

Stay connected with us!

Use #Astroben across various social media platforms to engage with us!

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@astrobenpodcast

Website: www.astroben.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrobenpodcast/

X: https://x.com/Gambleonit

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astrobenpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astrobenpodcast/

In this week's episode of The Astro Ben Podcast (sponsored by SkyFi), we dive into the cosmos with the legendary Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer known for his extensive work in cataloging space objects and his invaluable contributions to the space community. Ben and Jonathan discuss his journey, the importance of space tracking, and his monumental effort to transition his private space library to the UK, for which he's currently seeking support through a GoFundMe campaign (link below). Tune in to learn about the significance of his work, the future of space cataloging, and how you can contribute to preserving space history!

This weeks episode is sponsored by Sky Fi.

Check them out: https://skyfi.com/

OUTLINE:

Here's approximate timestamps for the episode.

00:00 Intro and thanks SkyFi!

00:52 Intro to Jonathan Mc Dowell and journey to Jonathan's Space Report

02:48 Educational foundation

04:57 Chandra X-ray Center (X-ray cousin of the Hubble!)

07:10 AI and effect on Astrophysics

08:45 Space tracking

10:58 UFO Misinterpretations

13:15 Most unusual item catalogued

15:16 Space Junk

17:09 Public Engagement

18:16 Favourite era of space history

22:14 Jonathans library

26:48 Moving the library!

27:47 Book recommendations

30:30 Space culture

33:10 Final thoughts

34:44 Wrap Up and Socials

Follow Jonathan on Socials:

Website: https://planet4589.org/

X: https://x.com/planet4589

Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fund-jonathans-space-report-library-transition

Stay connected with us!

Use #Astroben across various social media platforms to engage with us!

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@astrobenpodcast

Website: www.astroben.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrobenpodcast/

X: https://x.com/Gambleonit

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astrobenpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astrobenpodcast/

In this episode, sponsored by Sky Fi, Ben journeyed with Kate Van Dam from her days as a Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot to her current role leading strategy at SkyFi. They explore SkyFi's mission to democratise access to geospatial data, touching on the ethical implications, privacy concerns, and the revolutionary potential of this technology. Kate shared insights on how her military background shapes her strategic vision, how SkyFi navigates the evolving space industry landscape, and the role of AI and machine learning in transforming geospatial analysis. They also discussed upcoming SkyFi projects and the next frontier in commercial space technology. Kate also discusses "Austin 4 America" and tells people how to get free tickets!

This weeks episode is sponsored by Sky Fi.

Check them out: https://skyfi.com/

OUTLINE:

Here's approximate timestamps for the episode.

00:48 Introducing Kate Van Dam - frome Helicopter Pilot to SkyFi

06:48 A "Ariel view" of the world

09:40 The accessibility of pictures anywhere from space and mass use of technology

13:00 What is hyper spectral imaging and other uses of SkyFi

14:48 Increase in commercial activity and priorities for customer

18:40 Integrating AI and ML and security concerns

22:28 Upcoming projects for SkyFi (update mentioned here: https://skyfi.com/en/blog/planet-launches-single-order-tasking-powered-by-skyfi )

24:42 Austin 4 America - free tickets here! https://www.austin4america.org/

27:03 Kate's personal thoughts about Space

29:03 Wrap Up & Socials

Follow SkyFi:

Website: https://www.skyfi.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyfi.app

X: https://x.com/SkyfiApp

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skyfi-imaging/posts/?feedView=all

Austin 4 America: https://www.austin4america.org/

Stay connected with us!

Use #Astroben across various social media platforms to engage with us!

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@astrobenpodcast

Website: www.astroben.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrobenpodcast/

X: https://x.com/Gambleonit

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@astrobenpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astrobenpodcast/