Space

Elayne Arrington says she knew she excelled in mathematics when she showed up a classmate in a high school geometry class.

The people have spoken: a token from Kennywood Park will be sent to the moon's surface as part of Pittsburgh company Astrobotic's first lunar payload, scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2021.

The annual orionid meteor shower will be at its peak Sunday and Monday, giving Pittsburghers a fabulous view of space debris streaking across the night sky.

Orionids get their name from the constellation Orion, which is where the meteors appear to come from. However, it's a bit of a misnomer. According to Mike Hennessy, an educator at the Carnegie Science Center, the meteors actually come from Halley's Comet.

Next month, 12 new astronaut trainees will arrive in Houston, Texas for two years of intense training to prepare them for future missions into outer space.

One of those people, Warren “Woody” Hoburg, grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from North Allegheny High School.

90.5 WESA’s Liz Reid spoke with Hoburg, from his office at MIT, where he teaches aeronautics and astronautics.

Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

LIZ REID: What does it mean to be a part of the astronaut candidate class? What does that involve?

Neil deGrasse Tyson is perhaps the most famous living astrophysicist. He’s got a popular podcast called “StarTalk Radio,” which regularly ranks among the top science podcasts on iTunes. In 2014, he hosted the sequel to Carl Sagan’s groundbreaking TV series “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage,” called “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.”

NASA’s Juno spacecraft began orbiting Jupiter on Monday, becoming the first to reach the Solar System’s largest planet since Galileo in 2003. The craft plans to study Jupiter’s evolution and composition, but what are officials hoping will come from the mission? We’ll ask Brendan Mullan, Point Park University astrophysicist.

The transit of Mercury, a rare planetary event, will take place on Monday, May 9th. In other celestial three Earth-like planets have been discovered around a red-dwarf star. Joining us to explain the scientific significance of this news is Point Park University professor and astrophysicist Brendan Mullan.

A pair of Pennsylvania natives foresee big things for NASA’s current crop of astronauts.

“I think we’re going to see (Mars) in our career,” said Lt. Col. Andrew R. Morgan, of New Castle, who joined the space program in 2013.

Veteran astronaut and Emsworth native Michael Fincke orbited Earth for 363 days between 2010 and 2011, setting a record for longest cumulative time in space before fellow astronaut Scott Kelly surpassed it late last year. Like Kelly, Fincke began training in 1996.

Researchers revealed last week they could confirm the existence of Einstein’s final general theory of relativity prediction after reportedly hearing the “chirp” of two black holes colliding.  The noise occurred billions of miles away, but was heard at several stations throughout the United States. Carnegie Mellon University physicist professor Ira Rothstein explains what this discovery means for researchers and how it’ll impact scientific theories going forward. We'll also talk briefly with Syracuse University senior and Fox Chapel High School graduate Samantha Usman, who was involved with the research and helped co-author the study.

Between now and February 20th you can see the five brightest planets in our solar system at the same time. It’s the first time this has happened since 2005. Point Park University professor and astrophysicist Brendan Mullan stopped by our studio to discuss happenings in outer space.

The star “KIC 8462852” might not mean much to the average person. That is, it might not have until October 19, when the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute announced it would begin searching for signs of orbiting intelligent life around the star. The evidence? Fluctuations in the light coming off the star that might indicate a “megastructure” in orbit around it. Point Park University professor and astrophysicist Brendan Mullan sat down with Essential Pittsburgh’s Paul Guggenheimer to explain what has the scientific community so interested.

This morning NASA's New Horizons space craft is expected to pass fewer than 7,800 miles above Pluto's surface and send back pictures. Images have already revealed plenty of surprises about the mysterious "dwarf planet." Charissa Sedor, assistant manager of the Buhl Planetarium at the Carnegie Science Center, tells us what these latest finds reveal. 

August Wilson is well known for his 20th century cycle of works about the black experience in America. But now an additional play written shortly before Wilson’s death is debuting in Pittsburgh. Actor Eugene Lee and Director Todd Kreidler, Wilson’s friend and protégé, explain what “How I Learned What I Learned” reveals about the playwright’s life as a poet in the Hill District.

"His quality of mind is actually something that comes out in the show, and that's something Eugene really brings out. The way he can twist and turn. I always say that August was a blues man with a jazz mind." - Director Todd Kreidler

Also in this show, a look at how the USDA is taking a new approach to fighting hunger, and CMU students prepare to launch a Xombie into space.

Earlier this week, SpaceX had to delay the launch of an unmanned cargo ship headed for the International Space Station. Some of that cargo includes spare parts needed by the Space Station scientists. But very soon, because of 3D printing technology, people in remote locations such as the Space Station will be able to create their own spare parts and tools on the go.

Last fall, the first zero gravity 3D printer was sent to the Space Station and test parts have been created based on digitally downloaded designs.

This news, along with the announcement of a large General Electric additive manufacturing facility coming to the Pittsburgh area, highlights the major advancements in 3D printing technology and its role in the future growth of our technology base.

University of Pittsburgh professor Howard Kuhn is a well known researcher and consultant in the world of additive manufacturing/3D printing. He joins us to talk about the advancements and evolution of the industry.

The 3D printer on the Space Station utilizes the most basic process available. The machine is fairly simple, which Kuhn says will allow the industry to move forward and make more advancements through experimentation.

So, your life's dream has always been to send something to the moon? You may soon have your chance. A Pittsburgh company called Astrobotic is introducing a new service called MoonMail that will allow individuals to send their keepsakes to the surface of the moon. 

But with whose permission, and for what purpose? Astrobotic CEO John Thornton joins us to talk about the future of space freight.

Thornton describes Astrobotic as a “lunar logistics company” -- something like FedEx or UPS but with service to the moon. There’s been a great amount of interest in lunar freight, explains Thornton, including a plan to put a tiny house on the moon’s surface.

Technology using ultraviolet light to analyze and examine pieces of matter invented by University of Pittsburgh chemistry professor Sandy Asher is expected to be part of NASA's Mars 2020 Rover mission. The goal is to determine whether life exists on the Red Planet. Sandy Asher joins us to talk about the UV technology he's developed.