The Cosmic Companion VIP Newsletter 11 October 2021 - Homer Hickam "Don't Blow Yourself Up"

NASA legend Homer Hickam joins us, talking about October Sky, training astronauts, and... teaching David Letterman how to SCUBA dive?

We talk with Homer Hickam - inspiration for the film October Sky about his new book, Don’t Blow Yourself Up! Plus - shooting an asteroid, a planet with iron rain, and more!

The DART spacecraft on its way to deflect an asteroid for the first time. Image credit: NASA

This week on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion, we welcome Homer Hickam to the show. The inspiration for the movie October Sky talks about growing up in a West Virginia coal-mining town, his new book, Don’t Blow Yourself Up, and... teaching David Letterman how to SCUBA dive?

But first, we look in on an extreme exoplanet where iron rains down from the sky, we join NASA as they ready to deflect an asteroid for the first time, and we will join a Russian film crew which recently arrived at the ISS, preparing to shoot the first movie in space.

And… a brand-new installment of Max on Mars!

Here’s tomorrow’s episode of the show, in an advance showing for our VIP subscribers: