This Week In Space podcast: Episode 161 — The TWiS Comedy Hour!
On Episode 161 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik catch up on headlines ... and space dad jokes! We're going to update you on the ever-slimming NASA budget, the latest news on the Voyager spacecraft, what's up with the SLS, Orion capsule, and Artemis programs? SpaceX's 9th Starship test flight, AliBaba in orbit, and the end of the universe. And more space jokes than ever for you to choke on.
Download or subscribe to this show at: https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit
Gilmour Space - "TestFlight 1 - Scrubbed"
The top fell off Australia's first orbital-class rocket, delaying its launch
If Congress actually cancels the SLS rocket, what happens next?
NASA resurrects Voyager 1 interstellar spacecraft's thrusters after 20 years: 'These thrusters were considered dead'
Trump's proposed 2026 NASA budget cuts will cede our space 'position of leadership to other nations', top scientists say
Is NASA ready for the Red Planet? US senator's 'Mission to MARS Act' aims to modernize Johnson Space Center
SpaceX will launch Starship's 9th test flight next week, Elon Musk says
Scientists calculate when the universe will end — it's sooner than expected
China launches first of 2,800 satellites for AI space computing constellation
Starlink Outpaces Launches: SpaceX Enters New Era of Profitability
Cancelled VIPER Moon Rover: New News – Lights-on or Off?
Strongest solar flare of 2025 erupts from sun, sparking radio blackouts across Europe, Asia and the Middle East
NASA Observes First Visible-light Auroras at Mars
Virgin Galactic says production of new spaceplanes on track
TOP TELESCOPE PICK:
Looking for a telescope to see planets and comets? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.
Finally, did you know you can launch your own SpaceX rocket? Model rocket maker Estes' stunning scale model of a Falcon 9 rocket that you can pick up now. The launchable model is a detailed recreation of the Falcon 9 and retails for $149.99. You can save 10% by using the code IN-COLLECTSPACE at checkout, courtesy of our partners collectSPACE.com.
This Week in Space covers the new space age. Every Friday we take a deep dive into a fascinating topic. What's happening with the new race to the moon and other planets? When will SpaceX really send people to Mars?
Join Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik from Space.com as they tackle those questions and more each week on Friday afternoons. You can subscribe today on your favorite podcatcher.
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If you are new to Garmin, new to running, or have signed up for a race, or simply want to conquer a running goal, this article shares the features that have empowered me and boosted my performance. Hopefully, these actionable tips can help you get the most out of your watch too. The Fenix 7 Pro is built for serious race training, combining advanced sports tracking, in-depth training analysis, and reliable navigation to keep you on pace and on course. Its long battery life means it can handle the longest training runs and race days, while the rugged design makes it a superbly reliable Deal 1) Set up reminders so you don't forget the important stuff One of the best little hacks I discovered last year is Garmin's customised alerts. I am not the best at remembering to take on fuel during long runs. I will bring gels with me but then completely forget when I last had one. Now I set up alerts for every 30 minutes that flash and vibrate on my watch during an activity. You could do the same for water breaks, or even as a race-day prompt for when you think your family will be cheering you on. It is a small feature that has made a big difference in keeping my energy steady during training and races. If you want to find instructions on how to set up alerts on your Garmin, hop over to my article on how Garmin's energy gel reminders have changed the way I fuel for long runs. 2) Sync with your favourite apps to cut down on admin Garmin lets you create your own workouts directly on the watch, which is useful if your coach sends you a session or you spot a workout online you want to try. But if you are following a structured training plan from one of the best running apps like Coopah or Runna, you can sync those runs straight to your watch. That way your plan is ready to follow step by step, fuss-free, without having to type in every detail yourself. You can also connect Garmin to Strava so every run uploads automatically. Even if you are not chasing a PB, the kudos and comments from friends can be a real boost. 3) Structure your own workouts for better pacing One reason I really like Garmin's custom workout feature is on race day. I can build a pace plan that breaks the distance into smaller segments with mini goals, making it feel more achievable and keeping me motivated through to the end. It's also useful for recreating a workout you've found online or designing runs to focus on specific goals, such as hill training or negative splits. Here's what happened when I asked ChatGPT to build me a race strategy for a half-marathon and built it into my watch. 4) Keep tabs on rest and recovery I don't think the rest and recovery features are necessarily what people are paying hundreds of pounds for when they buy a Garmin, but I am really grateful for the sleep and recovery stats my watch provides, especially when training for a race. Based on your training load and sleep quality, Garmin gives you an idea of how well your body has recovered from a workout and how ready you are for the next one. When you are deep in training, having the watch give a friendly nudge to take a rest day or switch to an easier session can make the difference between steady progress and overtraining. I know from experience that following those recommendations has helped me avoid burnout and stay consistent, even during the toughest weeks. 5) Use GPS and navigation to explore and get home safely A good GPS watch doesn't just record your distance. It can map out routes, track your pace with precision and help you navigate unfamiliar territory. For me personally, Garmin's Back to Start feature has been a lifesaver. While running on vacation in the French countryside, I once took a wrong turn and found myself surrounded by cows, with no one around to ask for directions. A quick glance at my watch guided me straight back to my holiday rental. 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Even if you are not chasing personal bests, seeing how all your activities add up can motivate you to keep a balanced training routine and make smarter choices about rest and intensity. 7) It offers some useful health insights, but some could be better Garmin watches do more than track runs. They keep tabs on your health too, from heart rate variability and stress to sleep and body battery. My Garmin once flagged an abnormality in my heart rate, which led me to go see a doctor and receive a heart condition diagnosis. That little warning completely changed how I train, and I'm glad my Garmin alerted me to something I otherwise would have ignored. There's also period and fertility tracking, but right now it mostly relies on what you log rather than syncing with the watch's other features. I would love to see it feed into Training Readiness or Suggested Workouts so your watch could nudge you to push harder or back off depending on your cycle. 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When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. For parents, the decision to get your child their first cell phone comes with a lot of questions. There are a handful of logistical hurdles to clear, such as choosing a kid-friendly phone and then making sure they have coverage on one of the best family cell phone just as important is what comes next — setting the ground rules for how your kid uses their new phone and how you plan to enforce them. Guidelines for device usage are crucial for a variety of reasons. They allow you and your child to set and maintain healthy boundaries around issues like screen time, ensuring that phones don't get in the way of homework and other activities or lead to detrimental effects on sleep or mental health. Clear rules also help keep kids safe, protecting their privacy and limiting riskier interactions on social media or in other online spaces. Parents can also help enforce rules governing phone use at school. Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at the University of Michigan and ambassador for the American Academy of Pediatrics' Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, notes that parents should first assess their child's or teen's readiness for the responsibility of having a cell phone. For example, you should consider whether your kid has demonstrated that they can be kind and respectful toward others when there's a conflict and that they have both an ability to complete schoolwork independently and a willingness to seek out an adult when needed. Parents should also ensure they are ready to monitor phone use. Once you've decided you and your kid are ready for a phone, here are five things you can do to ease their transition to their first cell phone. Choose the right device Parents can start the rule-setting process well before kids have their first phone in hand, as the device you select helps define boundaries. You don't necessarily need to start with the latest iPhones or Android devices — flip phones and 'dumb' phones allow your child to ease in with basic functions like calling and texting if they're not quite ready for social media and other apps available on smartphones. 'Think critically together about what are the minimum necessary apps to be able to achieve what you might need from a practical standpoint,' Munzer said. Discuss guidelines in advance "Expect and accept the bumps along the way. They're natural parts of learning, not signs of failure." — Jill Murphy, Common Sense Media While you're deciding on a device, you should begin discussing the rules and expectations for phone use with your child. Experts say this conversation should be collaborative, ongoing, and age-specific, as younger kids will have different needs from older teens, and these rules should also be adjusted over time. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that provides guidance on media use for children, has a helpful guide with age-by-age considerations, while the Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health has a list of conversation starters and prompts for parents. 'Expect and accept the bumps along the way,' said Jill Murphy, Common Sense Media's chief content officer: 'They're natural parts of learning, not signs of failure. The key is maintaining open dialogue and adjusting your approach as your child grows or situations change.' Parents should discuss rules for texting, calling, taking photos and videos, downloading and using apps (including games and social media), and posting online. 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Help your child understand the purpose of the rules you've set, and use natural consequences that have a logical connection to the violation — for example, limiting certain access to an app rather than taking away the phone. Utilize on-device parental control settings If your child has a smartphone, there are many on-device and third-party parental controls you can employ for everything from limiting screen time and app downloads to monitoring what kids are seeing and sending. On iOS, Screen Time includes settings to restrict explicit content, purchases, and downloads, as well as control access to specific settings and features. On Android, Family Link provides similar parental controls ranging from global and individual app time limits to content filters to device location notifications. The best parental control apps can augment those on-device settings, too. 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If the school communicates phone-related concerns or you notice excessive phone use during school hours, address these issues promptly using the guidelines in your plan. Giving your child or teen their first phone is an important step for building healthy media and digital device habits. Thoughtful planning and ongoing communication can help ease this transition for the entire family. More from Tom's Guide Feature phones are now having a 'renaissance' — here's why Ultimate back to school guide 2025: Laptops, Chromebooks, headphones and more Apple launches 5 upgrades to help parents protect kids online
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Firefly Aerospace eyes Japan rocket launches for Asia market
By Kantaro Komiya TOKYO (Reuters) -Firefly Aerospace is exploring an option to launch its Alpha rocket from Japan as the U.S. rocket maker expands its satellite launch services globally, a Japanese company operating a spaceport in the country's northern Hokkaido said on Monday. The plan could make Japan the second offshore launch site - and first in Asia - for Firefly, the Texas-based rival to Elon Musk's market leader SpaceX, which had its Nasdaq debut earlier this month and is preparing for an Alpha launch in Sweden. Space Cotan, operator of the Hokkaido Spaceport located about 820 km (510 mi) northeast of Tokyo, said it and Firefly signed a preliminary agreement to study the feasibility of launching the small-lift rocket Alpha from there. Launching Alpha from Japan "would allow us to serve the larger satellite industry in Asia and add resiliency for U.S. allies with a proven orbital launch vehicle," Adam Oakes, Firefly's vice president of launch, said in a statement published on Space Cotan's website. A feasibility study would be conducted to assess the regulatory hurdles, timeframe and investments for a launch pad for Alpha in Hokkaido, said Space Cotan spokesperson Ryota Ito. The plan would require a space technology safeguards agreement (TSA) between Washington and Tokyo that would allow American rocket launches in Japan, Ito added. The governments last year kicked off the negotiations but have not reached an agreement. A U.S.-Sweden TSA signed in June cleared the path for Firefly's launches from the Arctic. Four of Firefly's six Alpha flights since 2021 have ended in failure, most recently in April. While Japan's national space agency has launched rockets for decades, private rockets are nascent and most Japanese satellite operators rely on foreign options such as SpaceX's Falcon 9 or Rocket Lab's Electron. Previously, U.S. company Virgin Orbit aimed to use Japan's southwest Oita Airport for launches but the plan was scrapped after the firm went bankrupt in 2023. Colorado-based Sierra Space has an ongoing plan to land its spaceplane on Oita beyond 2027. Taiwanese firm TiSpace last month conducted what could be the first foreign launch in Hokkaido, but the suborbital flight failed within a minute. Japan's government is targeting 30 launches of Japanese rockets a year by the early 2030s and subsidises domestic enterprises such as Space One and Toyota-backed Interstellar Technologies.
