Liftoff

Liftoff is a podcast about space, the universe, and everything. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand the major developments as explained by enthusiastic space fans Stephen Hackett and Jason Snell. Hosted by Jason Snell and Stephen Hackett.

171: Apollo 17

In 1972, the final lunar mission of the Apollo program took place, finally sending a geologist to study the moon up close.

12-09
37:49

170: It Flew

In the early morning of November 16, the SLS launched for the very first time.

11-18
31:17

169: A Lot of Glory to be Bathed Within

Jason and Stephen pop open the hatch to marvel at the JWST's first images, talk about the SLS and wonder what is going on with Russia and the ISS.

07-29
38:37

168: Apollo 16

In April 1972, the crew of Apollo 16 spent 71 hours on the surface of the moon after a series of technical glitches put their landing in jeopardy. The second of three J-missions, the crew spent nearly three whole days on the surface and completed an EVA on the way home, returning one day earlier than initially planned.

04-20
36:47

167: Back in the VAB

The SLS has enjoyed some Florida sunshine but is headed back to the VAB for more work. This time, Stephen and Jason catch up on NASA's new rocket, plus some other news.

04-19
30:28

166: JWST and the Future of Liftoff

On this special episode, Stephen and Jason celebrate the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and talk about the future of the podcast. The short version is that we will no longer be publishing every other week. Moving forward, we'll be recording special episodes as major news warrants.

12-27
26:56

165: Forever Expanded in our Hearts

Days away from (hopefully) the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, Stephen and Jason talk about the hype around the mission, as well as the latest with SLS and Starliner.

12-14
37:33

164: A Dashcam for a Space Probe

The future of the International Space Station is the topic of a new report, all while the SLS inches closer to its first launch. Also: DART is on its way to a celestial crash and a spacewalk has been delayed thanks to debris from the recent Russian ASAT test.

11-30
38:54

163: What Does it Look Like Under the Bus?

Artemis' 2024 lunar landing is officially off the table. Russia has shot one of its own satellites down, leading to emergency procedures being carried out at the ISS. Yeah, not a great week in space.

11-16
40:49

162: Mixed-Use Business Park in Space

Ingenuity is flying faster than ever as JWST and SLS inch closer to launch. Then, a look at two different proposed commercial space stations.

11-02
40:55

161: Now It’s Very Much Precedented

This week, Jason preps a glass of ice water for Stephen and the two discuss recent Starliner updates, the future of the ISS and Lucy.

10-19
39:17

160: Hot Jupiters in Colorado

This week, there's news about cubesats, several commercial space programs and more. Then, a look at what is going on at Blue Origin.

10-05
54:23

159: Fun Stuff in Science

NASA has published information about its work with AR, VR and getting sleepy while in a self-driving car. Jason and Stephen talk through the reports, then get into the breaking news of NASA's two new mission directorates.

09-21
43:32

158: A Bad Roommate

It's a real roller coaster this week, except for the Astra rocket that went ... sideway off the pad. Other stories include Inspiration4, the James Webb Space Telescope and dual-core stars.

09-07
44:52

157: It's in the Slushie Now

Boeing is returning the Starliner capsule to the factory, while Cassini continues to teach us about Saturn from beyond the grave. Then, Stephen and Jason give good and bad news about Artemis.

08-24
45:50

156: You're Stealing My Rocks

Jason and Stephen are back, catching up on the news. Topics include SLS flight computers, Starliner's continued struggles, the recent incident at the ISS and a lot more.

08-10
01:04:12

155: Apollo 15

As the first J mission, Apollo 15 marked a new era of broader discovery and scientific work on the lunar surface. David Scott, Alfred M. Worden, James Irwin worked to further our understanding of the moon, and were the center of a bit of a scandal after splashdown.

07-27
01:03:58

154: 💼 🚀 💰 💸

Jason and Stephen check in on the Hubble's progress to return to normal operation and talk about Russia's upcoming ISS plans. Then, a discussion of billionaires in space and how the Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin missions are changing the world of space travel.

07-16
44:55

153: Hubble Trouble

Jason and Stephen catch up with several commercial space companies before reviewing footage of Zhurong on Mars and talking about the issues currently plaguing the Hubble Space Telescope.

07-01
36:10

152: It's Under Our Control, with Dr. Ed Lu

After catching up on a couple of present and future robotic missions, Stephen and Jason talk with former astronaut Dr. Ed Lu about his work at the B612 Foundation, which is focused on protecting Earth from large asteroid strikes.

06-15
42:20

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