{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Polymath World Channel","title":"Polymath World Episode 62 NASA Astronaut Steve Swanson","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/1b97b842\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3269,"description":"\nEpisode Title: ISS Commander Steve Swanson on Spacewalks, Soyuz, and Space Lettuce\n\n\nDescription:\nWhat does it take to command the International Space Station? In this episode, Dr. Steve Swanson—a veteran of three spaceflights and over 170 days in orbit—joins us to share the real stories behind the headlines.\n\nSteve reveals how a \"not-so-perfect\" start in college and a year of construction work eventually led him to NASA. He discusses the intense reality of his first EVA (Extravehicular Activity), the \"vertigo\" of looking down at Earth 250 miles below, and the surprising emotional connection he formed while growing lettuce in space.\n\nWe also cover the grit required to fix a broken spacesuit pump mid-mission, the unique culture of launching from Kazakhstan, and why NASA's shift toward commercial partners like SpaceX is the key to getting humanity to Mars. Now a professor at Boise State, Steve is paying it forward by helping students build the tools for future lunar missions.\n\nKey Topics:\n\n[00:00] Intro & Childhood Influences (Star Trek)[03:30] The \"Penguins\" Astronaut Class[15:00] First Spaceflight (STS-117) & The Heaviest Payload[22:00] The Reality of Spacewalks: Vertigo & No Water Drag[35:00] Launching on a Soyuz: Russian Traditions & \"Urinating on the Tire\"[41:00] The Veggie Experiment & Sneaking a Taste[48:00] Fixing Spacesuits & The Science of Aging in Space[55:00] The Future: Artemis, Commercial Space, and Lunar Robotics","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/0Y9HSF3RrgII-6ZzBLqMWtX6t2sBkR_JCgByhoVKRRQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kOGQy/Y2Y4YjYzYWJmNzY2/Y2NmYjgxNWE2MjQ1/YzFmZS5qcGVn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}