In this episode of Orbital Briefing, Ron Walker explores Orion, NASA’s deep space crew vehicle built to carry astronauts beyond low Earth orbit and into the Artemis era.

From its roots in the post-Shuttle years to its role in NASA’s return to the Moon, Orion represents a new chapter in human spaceflight. This episode looks at the spacecraft’s architecture, including the crew module, European Service Module, launch abort system, heat shield, avionics, life support systems, and its critical role in bringing astronauts safely home from lunar missions.

We trace Orion’s journey from early development and uncrewed testing to its place at the center of Artemis, examining why this spacecraft matters as a bridge between Apollo, the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, the Moon, and the future of Mars exploration.

If you’re interested in NASA, Artemis, Orion, deep space exploration, the Moon, spacecraft design, human spaceflight, Apollo, Shuttle, or the future of crewed missions beyond Earth, this episode is for you.

New episodes of Orbital Briefing: The Missions, Machines, and People of Spaceflight release every Thursday.

Visit RetroJetStudios.com for spaceflight-inspired merch, podcast updates, and Ron Walker’s book, The American Spaceplane: A Story of Ambition, Risk, and Reinvention.

Keep looking up.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch represents a new era of human spaceflight. From her record-setting 328-day mission aboard the International Space Station to her historic role on Artemis II, Koch’s career connects the hard-earned lessons of long-duration spaceflight with NASA’s return to deep space.

In this episode of Orbital Briefing, Ron Walker explores Christina Koch’s journey from engineer and remote field scientist to ISS flight engineer, spacewalker, and Artemis astronaut. We look at how her time in orbit helped prepare NASA for the future of lunar exploration, why her role on Artemis II matters, and how her story reflects the evolution of the modern astronaut.

This is not just a biography. It is a look at how the Shuttle era, the International Space Station, and Artemis all connect through one remarkable career.

We discuss:

Christina Koch’s path to NASA
Her 328-day mission aboard the International Space Station
The first all-woman spacewalks
Why long-duration spaceflight matters for Artemis and Mars
Her role on Artemis II
How NASA’s astronaut corps has evolved since Apollo
Why Koch represents the future of exploration

This episode is sponsored by The American Spaceplane: A Story of Ambition, Risk, and Reinvention, Ron Walker’s book about the Space Shuttle program, available through RetroJet Studios.

Visit RetroJetStudios.com for the book, spaceflight merchandise, podcast updates, and more.

What really happened on Apollo 13? In this episode of Orbital Briefing, Ron Walker tells the full story of NASA’s most famous in-flight emergency, from the launch of the Moon mission to the oxygen tank explosion, the aborted lunar landing, the use of the Aquarius lunar module as a lifeboat, and the dramatic safe return to Earth.

This deep dive explores the Apollo 13 crew, Mission Control in Houston, the carbon dioxide crisis, the power-down of the command module, the swing around the Moon, and the tense reentry that turned a failed lunar landing into one of NASA’s greatest survival stories. If you’re interested in Apollo program history, NASA missions, space exploration, Moon landing missions, and the true story behind Apollo 13, this episode is for you.