On this episode of Talking Space with Mark Ratterman and Dr Kat Robison we have an excellent interview from Mark with Kennedy Space Center’s Dr Kristin Smith and Kathy Rice, both of whom are in KSC's weather office. Special thanks to KSC’s public affairs team, especially Mary MacLaughlin, who make it possible to bring interviews like this to our listeners. Mark talks with Kristin and Kathy about NASA’s Tropospheric Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (TDRWP) which monitors weather in the upper atmosphere like upper level winds (which we all know are very important on launch days). Kathy and Kristin explain how users, from NASA to SpaceX, utilize this important data and how it differs from other tools, such as weather balloons. The data from TDRWP is publicly available. Also, check out this link for info on how it was tested with ham radio operators and this site for more info on the whole system at KSC.
Mark and Kat also have a brief chat (and please forgive her technical difficulties!) about a few space news topics before the interview. Kat shares about a history making series of launches in Australia at the Arnhem Space Centre (ASC) in the Northern Territory. The series of three sounding rocket launches to study astrophysics were the first NASA launches from a fully commercial spaceport and were undertaken in partnership with Equatorial Launch Australia. She and Mark also discuss the first deep field image from JWST, which includes light from one galaxy which traveled 13.1 billion years to JWST’s mirrors. Find out more and see the rest of JWST’s first images here.
Show recorded: 7-24-2022
Hosts: Mark Ratterman & Dr. Kat Robison
Special Guests: Dr. Kristin Smith and Kathy Rice
Episode 226: Are Near Earth Objects 'Rusty'?
Episode 225: The Greatest Feat in Human History
Episode 224A: Sara Cs A S-IC
Episode 223: A True, American Hero
Episode 222A: Cosmopolicy
Episode 222: A Pain in the Asteroid
Episode 221: Space Your Face
Episode 220: The Eagle is Down and the Falcon is Up
Episode 219: Scott Had the Spirit to Accept Opportunity
Episode 218: Come Tweet Away
Episode 217: It's Raining 'Meteorite Men'
Episode 216: A Good Abort?
Episode 215: Theory of the Evolution of Shuttles
Episode 214: Houston, We Have a Plan
Episode 213: Is 17,500mph an Acceleration Problem?
Episode 212: Talking Shakes
Episode 211: The Wild, The Innocent, and the Talking Space Shuffle
Episode 210: More Miles Per Gallon
Episode 209: Many Voices, Many Paths
Episode 208: Unwaivering Support? Maybe Waving Goodbye!
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