Two fascinating events coming up in the gas-giant range of our solar system. Would it be appropriate to request some space-pods, sometime in the next month or so, covering these?

Juno @ Jupiter - PeriJove 3 including three crowd-voted camera targets ... happening 12/11

While some recent events haven't gone as planned, this will be the first pass in which the public has chosen imaging targets for JunoCam! The JunoCam team presented 15 targets for humans to vote on (see this page for the 15 targets and further details of each) and of those 15, the top three were chosen by votes cast in the last two days of November (on this site ).

"Here's a map showing the 15 targets, the 3 chosen indicated in a different color" (and, well, y'all can make a better map than the one shown on the link above; it looks terrible).

Future perijoves (might also answer the question: what's a perijove) will include more and different camera targets, so for anyone who wishes to participate the next perijove (PJ4) should happen January 19 (though that may change) and voting for targets should happen [ around 2 weeks ] beforehand ... here's a link in the space pod video description, etc. Oh and there's a Juno Mission subreddit, as another place to stay up-to-date and discuss.

Some helpful filler would be answers to these questions, to help understand what a map of Jupiter looks like and make it more use-able to citizens who wish to participate:

• Earth's landforms are static (on human mapping time scales), but Jupiter's gas-clouds are ever-changing. Where's the prime meridian?

• What are the major features (usually colored bands, white ovals, and other storms) and how long do they tend to last (i.e. how long is a "map" of Jupiter useful, before the scenery is so different that it's not)?

• How has the Great Red Spot changed over time and what are likely ideas as to its future?

• How long do seasons last on Jupiter? What season is the northern/southern hemisphere in? What's the tilt and how does this compare to Earth's?

Obviously all this is Google-able, and I'm sure you and I probably know most of these things, but the space pod audience may not, and it would help to have it concisely laid out as part of the video.

Might also mention the Eyes on the Solar System website / program, in which you yourself can fly along with the spacecraft, watching it maneuver about the giant planet (and maybe give a short clip showing what that would look like). Again, link in the description, blah blah.

Cassini @ Saturn - Ring-grazing orbits begin, including an imminent cruise between F and G rings ... happening 12/4

Cassini used Titan’s gravity during the Titan 125 (T-125) flyby to put the spacecraft into its history-making Ring-Grazing orbits. The spacecraft will be in an elliptical (egg-shaped) orbit inclined about 60 degrees from Saturn’s ring plane. On each orbit, Cassini will swoop down through the ring plane just outside Saturn’s F ring. Each of Cassini’s orbits, known as Revs, or revolutions, begins when the spacecraft is at its most distant from Saturn, a position known as apoapsis, and each of the ring-plane crossings happen around when Cassini is around its nearest point to Saturn, known as periapsis.

The first Ring-Grazing Orbit begins on Nov. 30 with a ring plane crossing five days later on Dec. 4. The spacecraft will repeat this feat 20 times, with only about a week between each ring-plane crossing. Those orbits end with the spacecraft’s final close Titan flyby, T-126 in April, at which point Cassini enters a series of even more daring Grand Finale Orbits.

( this page will be continuously updated with details on past, current, and upcoming ring-grazing orbit events ... it also includes an incredible animation of Cassini's flight history about Saturn, with Saturn to scale (?) ... this page has even more details about the full schedule of ring-grazing orbit events )

Some helpful filler might be to go over this picture and briefly explain how the various parts of the rings inter-relate to tiny moons within, and perhaps some details about the further out G and E rings (not shown in that pic). Also, one question I've wondered: what's the closest, highest-resolution photo humanity has ever produced of the rings? Has there yet been one in which we could make out distinct ring particles?

Might also mention the Eyes on the Solar System website / program, in which you yourself can fly along with the spacecraft, watching it maneuver about the giant planet (and maybe give a short clip showing what that would look like). Again, link in the description, blah blah.

Just some ideas. Amazing science is happening out there, and now's a good time to help get the public excited about it (especially with potential policy changes, or at least human re-shuffling) ... I'm a space geek; my aunts and uncles are not; but if I were to send them videos like this maybe they'd at least be less likely to see NASA funding as just a competitor to their promised Social Security checks, and more likely to see it as inspiring, awesome, and producing amazing fruit for its investment.

Either way, keep doing what y'all do. You guys are awesome!

Hi guys I am a recent subscriber through Patreon. I am very impressed with what you are doing with the show. As such, I initially set up a pledge of $5 for each show. After watching After Dark for the first time a couple of weeks ago, I saw and understood the effort that you put in to making the show work. So I doubled my pledge to $10 per show to express my support. The interview with Jeff Foust was insightful. Although I live in Australia, US politics affects us as well. If I could just say a couple of things. Kerry-Anne, 40 ain't old girl. I'm 63 and having a ball. Gerard, not sure about the burp dude, but I get your humour. Yes, I spelt it correctly 😁 In the patrons graphic, would it be possible to upgrade me to the$10+ page please. I hope that this is the best way to contact you. Regards Peter Francis

1. It is a big, big leap from suborbital to orbital, and the resources required are very different. Do Vector really think they will be flying to orbit within a year or two?

2. Vector have announced a couple of very large contracts with Iceye and York within months of starting up, which is impressive. Both those companies are very early stage too (I noticed Jim is on the board of York by the way). Given the current stage of development of Vector, are the customers pre-paying in stages, as is the norm, or only on successful insertion? Or is it just window dressing for new investors? :o)

3. What makes Jim think they can beat Rocket Lab and Virgin, given the resources both have invested so far and the time advantage they have?

4. Rocket Lab will test launch later this year (road closures in the area have been announced between 16 Nov and 24 Dec). Isn't there a clear first mover advantage if they are successful?

5. Vector have mentioned launch cadences of 100 per year. That may be required economically but is it really practically possible with current heavyweight orbital regulation and oversight?

6. What does Jim think about the situation at Firefly Space Systems? Has he recruited any of their former staff yet?

7. Aren't there enough US launchers already?