If you feel the excitement of standing at the threshold of a new era in human history, you've come to the right place. At Space Café Podcast, our bi-weekly hour-long episodes go beyond current events in space exploration – we're peering into the future of our species among the stars. Each week, we: Engage with visionaries who are actively shaping our cosmic destiny Explore groundbreaking technologies turning science fiction into reality Discuss the implications of becoming a multi-planetary ...
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Lunar Colonization Podcasts
MECO is opinion and analysis of spaceflight, exploration, policy, and strategy, by Anthony Colangelo.
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NASA selected Blue Origin to (maybe) deliver the once-cancelled VIPER rover, modified Sierra Space’s ISS resupply contract which likely puts the nail in the coffin of Dream Chaser, and released the draft of its new commercial space station strategy. All different stories with one message: prove it. But maybe not in a good way. This episode of Main …
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The Ocean Isn’t Flat: ESA’s gravity maps, climate facts, and Earth’s hidden shape
58:33
58:33
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58:33Guest: Robert Meisner, Earth Observation, ESA, ESRIN The Cosmic Scoop: In this eye-opening episode, Markus travels to ESRIN, ESA’s Earth Observation hub in Frascati near Rome, to sit down with Robert Meisner – a man who has spent nearly 40 years watching our planet from above. Together they dive into the hidden landscapes of the ocean surface, the …
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Who Needs Legs in Space? The Incredible Journey of John McFall
1:03:39
1:03:39
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1:03:39John McFall — surgeon, Paralympic medalist, father of three, and ESA parastronaut selectee — joins Markus to explore how human spaceflight changes when we design for ability, not assumptions. From winter survival in the Pyrenees to EVA realities and cosmic radiation, John shares what it takes to open space to everyone. Cosmic Timeline [00:00:00] Sq…
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T+309: EchoStar’s Spectrum Sale, Starlink’s Financials (with Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space)
43:01
43:01
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43:01Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me to talk about EchoStar’s spectrum sales and constellation cancellation, SpaceX’s spectrum purchase, and the financials of Starlink. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Bob, Heiko, Creative Taxi, Josh from Impulse, Russell, Donald, Will and Lars f…
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Earth's Lost Rings: A 466-Million-Year-Old Warning
58:37
58:37
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58:37Guest: Dr. Andy Tomkins – Geologist, Professor at Monash University, and lead author of the groundbreaking study proposing that Earth once had a Saturn-like ring system. The Cosmic Scoop: What if Earth once had rings like Saturn? Dr. Andy Tomkins joins Markus to unravel the evidence that, 466 million years ago, a colossal asteroid breakup may have …
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Casey Handmer, Founder of Terraform Industries, joins me to talk about the state of NASA in 2025, talent acquisition and retention, productivity, and so much more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Joakim (Jo-Kim), Creative Taxi, Heiko, Joel, Frank, Josh from Impulse, The Astrogators at SEE, David…
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T+307: Executive Order on Regulatory Reform (with Tom Marotta)
30:47
30:47
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30:47Tom Marotta of The Spaceport Company joins me to talk about the executive order this week focused on commercial space regulatory reform, what problems it seeks to solve, his experience on both sides of those issues, and how we should understand the positioning of the order. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive produ…
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Solar Lets You Visit. Nuclear Lets You Stay. A delicate conversation.
1:04:34
1:04:34
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1:04:34Guest: Dr. Bhavya Lal – Former NASA Chief Technologist, MIT-trained nuclear engineer, and architect of U.S. space nuclear policy. The Cosmic Scoop: Nuclear power’s bad Earthly reputation hides its potential as a lifeline beyond our planet. Space is already radioactive—and if we want to stay and build on the Moon, Mars, or Europa, nuclear offers “po…
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T+306: Lunar Outpost (with Michael Moreno, VP of Strategy)
41:56
41:56
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41:56Michael Moreno, VP of Strategy at Lunar Outpost, joins me to talk about what they’ve been up to at the company, the NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract, the idea of services as a business on the Moon, and more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Lee, Russell, Fred, The Astrogators at SEE, David,…
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Planet Earth, Digitized: Can ESA’s Virtual Twin Save Us?
47:17
47:17
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47:17This week, Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programs at the European Space Agency (ESA), joins Markus to dive into one of the most ambitious and groundbreaking projects of our time: building a digital twin of our planet. Through Destination Earth (DestinE), ESA is creating a dynamic, real-time model of Earth—a tool designed to simulat…
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Former Space Agency Head: The Real Reason We Aren't on the Moon (It's Not Technology)
1:14:35
1:14:35
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1:14:35Giorgio Saccoccia – former President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), propulsion engineer, and lifelong “space fan.” From lunar outposts and electric thrusters to space-as-diplomacy, Saccoccia brings four decades of insight into turning quick “flags-and-footprints” missions into a permanent human presence beyond Earth. Key Moments ⏱ Time Topic | …
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T+305: The Starship 36 Explosion, and ESA Policy (with Adrian Beil, NASASpaceflight)
1:06:14
1:06:14
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1:06:14A special simulcast of this week’s Off-Nominal—the other show I do, if you somehow haven’t heard of it!—because it’s exactly the topic list with exactly the guest I had up next on my list. I’m joined by Adrian Beil of NASASpaceflight to talk about the recent mayhem at Starbase, and to kick around European space policy topics in the run up to the ES…
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Forget Mars: Blue Origin Wants Earth as a National Park!
52:04
52:04
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52:04Heather Nelson, Director of the Club for the Future at Blue Origin, is at the forefront of inspiring the next generation to dream boldly about humanity’s role as an interplanetary species. In this expansive conversation, Heather provides a rare peek behind the curtain of Blue Origin’s ambitious plans and philosophical vision for the future of human…
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T+304: The Musk/Trump Breakup, Jared Isaacman’s Withdrawn Nomination, and Starship Flight 9 (with Lori Garver)
49:36
49:36
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49:36Lori Garver, former NASA Deputy Administrator, joins me to talk about the chaos of the last week: the withdraw of Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA Administrator, Starship Flight 9, and of course, the wild public breakup of Elon Musk and President Trump. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—David, Donal…
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This Architect Is Redesigning Humanity for Life in Space
1:02:13
1:02:13
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1:02:13🚀 The Cosmic Scoop In this expansive and deeply human conversation, Phnam Bagley challenges everything we think we know about architecture. From floating tables to engineered space hearts, she reimagines what it means to design for a future where gravity is optional and emotion is essential. Together, we explore the untold questions of life in spac…
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Hearing a Universe: How a Blind Scientist Uncovers Hidden Patterns in Astronomical Data
1:02:55
1:02:55
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1:02:55Guest: Wanda Diaz Merced This very special episode of the Space Café Podcast introduces Wanda Diaz Merced, a visionary scientist who, after losing her sight in her twenties, pioneered a groundbreaking new method of exploring space through sound—sonification. Wanda shares her remarkable story and insights, showing us that blindness does not limit on…
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T+303: The Trump 2024 Transition (with Mark Albrecht)
53:42
53:42
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53:42Mark Albrecht joins me to talk about his time on the Trump 2024 Transition Team, the thinking behind some of the policy decisions we’re starting to see in the space and national security spheres, and more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Will and Lars from Agile, Theo a…
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Someone is Seriously Putting a Swedish House on the Moon—Right Now!
1:29:30
1:29:30
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1:29:30Guest Introduction: In an extraordinary fusion of art, engineering, and cosmic ambition, Swedish artist Mikael Genberg and space engineer Emil Vinterhav have realized what many deemed impossible—a traditional Swedish red house, journeying through space toward the lunar surface. This Moonhouse symbolizes humanity’s unyielding aspiration and our inna…
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We take a tour of Marotta Controls in Montville, New Jersey, to see how they work, how they develop, produce, and test products at rate, and we learn about the most feared topic in space—valves! This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Heiko, Donald, Stealth Julian, Warren, Kris, Fra…
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T+301: Hypersonics and Constellations (with Caleb Henry)
42:05
42:05
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42:05Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me to talk megaconstellations, the hypersonics industry, and more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Heiko, Donald, Stealth Julian, Warren, Kris, Frank, Steve, Bob, Better Every Day Studios, The Astrogators at SEE, Joaki…
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