Satellite Showdown

About This Episode

How do satellites work? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice discuss CubeSats, space lasers, cyber security and the future ecology of low Earth orbit with Vice President of Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Sandy Brown, and associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics, Kerri Cahoy. Could someone hack into the JWST? 

Learn about commanding and controlling satellites, and how their functionality is more than just the satellite itself. What are the ground systems for JWST like? Can you protect a satellite against an asteroid? Is it better to have many small satellites or a few big ones? We discuss satellite constellations and how they are not actually constellations. Should we be worried about crowding in low Earth orbit? Find out about satellite sensors and steering mechanisms. How do satellites impact our lives every day? 

Next, we speak with Kerri about testing new tech in space, thermodynamics, and the difference between aeronautics and astronautics. Why make a satellite smaller? Find out why satellites are like Boston cream-filled donuts. Could you use the pressure from light to sail in space? What kind of fuel do satellites use? Learn about the MIT STAR Lab and how Kerri helps people communicate using optical lasers.

What if you destroyed your airplane after every flight? We discuss the costs of sending something to space. How does JWST help us characterize exoplanets? We explore the far-off solar systems and the planets around them. All that, plus, what are some advancements in satellite tech that would change everything? 

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.