This Week in Space 131

It's a question that rivals the meaning of life itself: which is better, Star Trek or Star Wars? Of course, they are very different, and that's really the core of it--one is a sweeping fantasy adventure incorporating the "Hero's Journey," while the other is a science fantasy wrapped around a morality play. In the end, we love them both. But there is a bit of cultural (and perhaps generation) divide here, and someone has to put Tariq in his place. Join us for this civilization-shattering conversation! 

Headlines:

• NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, now 12.8 billion miles from Earth, had to shut down its plasma science instrument due to power constraints. The instrument was the last of its kind still functioning on either Voyager spacecraft.
• United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched its second Vulcan Centaur rocket, despite an apparent nozzle failure on one of the solid rocket boosters. The rocket carried a mass simulator in place of the delayed Dream Chaser spaceplane.
• The Sun unleashed an X9.05 solar flare, the strongest directed at Earth since 2017. The resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) could potentially trigger intense auroras visible at lower latitudes this weekend.

Main Topic - Star Trek vs. Star Wars:

• Rod and Tariq share their personal experiences with both franchises, discussing their first encounters with Star Trek and Star Wars and how the franchises have evolved.
• They compare the intellectual aspects of both universes, with Star Trek often focusing on morality plays and Star Wars being more of a fun, fantasy-driven space opera.
• The hosts discuss the acting in both franchises, highlighting standout performances and the impact of certain characters and actors.
• They examine the iconic spaceships from each universe, noting that Star Trek ships like the Enterprise are more recognizable and have had a more significant cultural impact compared to Star Wars ships, with the exception of the Millennium Falcon.
• Rod and Tariq argue that Star Wars has had a more significant impact on popular culture, while Star Trek has been more influential in inspiring real-life space exploration and scientific careers.
• They conclude that both franchises have their merits and have played essential roles in getting people excited about space and science fiction.

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• Transcripts: This Week in Space 131 Transcript

Links

• NASA Turns Off Science Instrument to Save Voyager 2 Power
• ULA's new Vulcan Centaur rocket launches on 2nd test flight (video)
• Biggest solar flare since 2017 erupts from sun and Earth is in the firing line (video)
• Blue Origin Debuts Second Human-Rated New Shepard Rocket To Meet Demand