On Episode 156 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik welcome Dr. Phil Metzger from the University of Central Florida to discuss the dangerous realities of rocket plumes when landing spacecraft on the Moon and Mars.
Before diving into the main topic, the hosts talk about Jared Isaacman's NASA administrator confirmation hearing, Katy Perry's upcoming Blue Origin spaceflight, and a newly discovered comet.
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Space news of the week
- Dr. Phil Metzger
- Swamp Works
- Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO)
- Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory
- Helium-3 mining on the lunar surface
- Trump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA
- UCF - System Development: Robotics
Model Falcon 9!

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.
About This Week In Space
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.