This Week in Space 173: The Return of the Malik
Date: August 15, 2025
Hosts: Rod Pyle, Tarek J. Malik
Podcast: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)
Episode Overview
This episode marks the return of Tarek J. Malik after his travels, as he and Rod Pyle dive into the latest space news. Major topics include the successful third flight of ULA’s Vulcan rocket, bold proposals about using Juno for an interstellar visitor, the prospects of a future Pluto orbiter, the passing of legendary astronaut Jim Lovell, and wide-ranging discussions on commercial space, lunar power, spaceport booms, and quirky Mars "helmets." As always, the pair blend humor, science, and a healthy dose of nerd culture throughout.
Key Topics & Insights
1. Tarek's Return & Singapore Adventures
[03:41–07:45]
- Tarek returns from a trip to Singapore, sharing stories about celebrating their National Day, sampling local food, and space-themed surprises (like "Moon Juice kombucha machines").
- Cultural differences between Singapore’s lively National Day and Norway’s more reserved festivities are contrasted.
- Rod jokes about being left to host solo, and the duo riff on early 2000s rocket plane projects that never quite materialized.
"We celebrated National Day in Singapore while we were there. It was their 60th anniversary, and that was interesting to celebrate that kind of a holiday in another country."
— Tarek Malik, [04:35]
2. Remembering Jim Lovell
[07:45–09:55]
- News of Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell's death is discussed with shared anecdotes.
- Rod recalls Lovell’s humility and approachability at events.
- Tarek notes how Lovell’s book "Lost Moon" and the "Apollo 13" film inspired a generation of space journalists.
"He'd say, 'Tell me about you.' That moment for me is like, why the hell would you want to know about me? But a really nice guy and just a big loss to the space community."
— Rod Pyle, [08:20]"A lot of space reporters cite that book and then the movie as something that really got them into wanting to write about this stuff."
— Tarek Malik, [09:12]
3. ULA’s Vulcan Rocket: Third Successful Launch
[09:57–13:25]
- Vulcan completes its third, most powerful launch, including a new military navigation satellite and anti-spoofing technology.
- This solidifies Vulcan as a viable competitor to SpaceX for US military launches.
- Tarek describes his own Vulcan model (with repair stories), and Rod explains ULA’s future plans to recover engines and reduce costs.
"This finally gives it its place as the second US launch provider, which is good because we want dissimilar systems in case one goes down."
— Rod Pyle, [12:21]
4. Could Juno Chase ‘3I Atlas’—the Next Interstellar Visitor?
[15:33–18:33]
- Harvard’s Avi Loeb proposes using the Juno spacecraft to chase the new interstellar object, "3I Atlas", as its mission near Jupiter nears end.
- Tarek and Rod debate the feasibility, noting Juno’s limited fuel and the extreme speed of Atlas. Tarek points to the importance of having future "standby sentinel" missions.
- European Space Agency’s plans for a future quick-reaction interstellar probe are discussed.
"It really does feel like a long shot. It's nice that they're even looking at it because...Three I Atlas is moving something like 37 miles a second."
— Tarek Malik, [17:06]
5. Back to Pluto: Persephone Mission Proposal
[20:24–25:21]
- NASA is considering an ambitious mission, "Persephone", to orbit Pluto, which would give us a prolonged close-up study versus New Horizons’ flyby. This would take 27 years to arrive, potentially requiring 50 years total for full science.
- Key objectives: mapping the planet, searching for subsurface oceans, and comparing geological changes since New Horizons in 2015.
- Technical and funding hurdles: need for at least five RTGs, current lack of sufficient plutonium, high mission cost, and extremely long operational horizon.
"One of the key targets they have is to determine if there's possibly a warm subsurface ocean on Pluto, as we found on so many moons in the solar system..."
— Rod Pyle, [21:01]
6. Virgin Galactic’s Next Steps: ‘Delta Class’ & Profitability Challenges
[28:10–33:05]
- Construction of Virgin Galactic's Delta class spaceplane (for commercial tourism) is delayed to 2026.
- Motivation: to improve reusability, flight cadence, and clear the backlog of paying passengers.
- Rod questions whether the business model can ever be profitable given costs and current pace.
"This thing's going to have to really, no pun intended, take off, fly frequently and spawn a bunch of twins."
— Rod Pyle, [29:00]
7. Quirky Mars Rocks: ‘Helmets’ & Pareidolia
[33:05–38:05]
- Perseverance rover spots a funky, helmet-shaped rock formation, sparking speculation and jokes.
- Hosts discuss how humans tend to see familiar shapes in alien landscapes (pareidolia), referencing past Mars anomalies.
- Rod recounts a humorous Star Trek set story, and they daydream about discovering true biological fossils or life—a “dinosaur femur moment.”
"There is not a wishing hat in Harry Potter. It is the Sorting Hat... Calling this rock a hat is extremely generous."
— Tarek Malik, [33:29]"We're all waiting for that dinosaur femur moment... What happens to space budgets if you discover a big fossilized bone up on Mars?"
— Rod Pyle, [37:38]
8. Artemis II: Progress & Lunar Race with China
[40:33–44:35]
- Orion for Artemis II is fully fueled and integration proceeds; first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo now set for no earlier than February 2026.
- The hosts debate whether China might attempt to beat NASA with their own crewed lunar flyby, noting China's recent successful rocket engine tests.
- The logistical and political hurdles involved in sticking to the NASA timeline are highlighted.
9. Lunar Nuclear Power: Strategic and Legal Questions
[44:51–48:22]
- NASA’s plans for a 100 kW fission reactor on the Moon, following China’s similar announcement, sparks strategic speculation:
- Is this to lay claim to lunar real estate or establish exclusion zones under the guise of safety?
- Technical and funding challenges are acknowledged; political will remains uncertain.
"If you get there first, do you get to declare the first big exclusion zone since the Outer Space Treaty prevents you from grabbing property?"
— Rod Pyle, [46:57]
10. Commercial Space Stations & the ISS Replacement
[48:22–52:36]
- The US issues new executive orders pushing for more commercial space stations and a downselect of contenders.
- Discussion includes Axiom, Voyager, Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef, and upstart Vast.
- Concerns raised about lack of true hardware progress, possible agency funding/leadership turmoil, and the ticking clock on ISS’s lifetime.
"This suggests that like in the absence of having definitive leadership at the agency...this is a way to say, go do this, here's something to go and set some rules on..."
— Tarek Malik, [51:26]
11. Global Spaceport Boom
[55:16–59:49]
- New spaceports in Canada, Scotland (SaxaVord), and Portugal are highlighted.
- Rod questions if there’s enough launch business to justify the proliferation, given closures (ex: Cornwall, SpinLaunch), and competition from mega-launchers like SpaceX Starship.
- Tarek remains optimistic, suggesting more regional ports could aid smaller companies.
"Having more players might give smaller companies more access...But we saw, for example, with Cornwall ... their anchor customer was Virgin Orbit—and then they shut down."
— Tarek Malik, [58:00]
12. Dialup Retrospective & Tech Nostalgia
[59:55–61:56]
- Side tangent: The end of America Online’s dialup service is lamented, with anecdotes about early internet providers, pricing, and the strange world of 1990s’ online community (AOL, eWorld, CompuServe, NetZero).
13. Would You Fly on a Suborbital Spaceplane?
[61:56–62:46]
- Producer John Ashley, when asked if he would fly on Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin, quickly responds, "God, no.” Rod and Tarek affirm that they would, but only once the designs are proven.
14. Closing Banter & Listener Engagement
[62:58–68:44]
- More reminiscing about early internet access hurdles, differences in provider models.
- Tarek shares plans for making convention costumes with/for his daughter.
- Show closes with reminders to subscribe, join Club Twit, and support independent tech journalism.
"What better entertainment can you get for $10 a month than this show?"
— Rod Pyle, [68:39]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "We want to be like the new measles. We want to be something that everybody just gets and has to have."
— Rod Pyle, [01:15] (On podcast virality) - "Elon, step up. You came from an alien spacecraft and now you can by proxy at least return to an alien spacecraft."
— Rod Pyle, [18:33] - "Calling this rock a hat is extremely generous."
— Tarek Malik, [33:29] - "We're all waiting for that dinosaur femur moment."
— Rod Pyle, [37:38] - "Dad? Yeah, I don't want to wear this."
— Rod Pyle, [66:55] (On the heartbreak of making costumes for kids outgrowing them.) - “God, no.”
— John Ashley, [61:56] (On flying with Virgin Galactic/Blue Origin)
Key Segment Timestamps
- [03:41] Tarek’s Singapore trip and cultural reflections
- [07:45] Remembering Jim Lovell
- [09:57] Vulcan’s successful third launch and future
- [15:33] Juno probe/3I Atlas proposal and interstellar challenges
- [20:24] Prospects and aims for a Pluto orbiter ("Persephone")
- [28:10] Virgin Galactic’s Delta Class: delays, profit challenges
- [33:05] Mars "helmet" rock and pareidolia
- [40:33] Artemis II update and lunar race with China
- [44:51] Lunar reactors and "exclusion zones"
- [48:22] Commercial space station selection & ISS replacement
- [55:16] New international spaceports and their prospects
- [59:55] Farewell to AOL dialup: tech nostalgia
- [61:56] Would you ride a suborbital spaceplane?
- [62:58] Listener banter and closing
Summary
This episode is filled with infectious banter, deep-cut space trivia, and astute observations on where both public and commercial spaceflight are going. It’s equal parts news digest and nerd hangout—whether you want insider gossip on Artemis II or just to reminisce about 1990s dialup. If you’ve missed out, this summary will have you caught up in no time.
Stay spacey!