Aspiring Martians

• 008 - Anastasia Stepanova

  As we continue honoring Women’s History Month, this episode of Aspiring Martians features Anastasia Stepanova, an analog astronaut, journalist, and scientist whose work bridges exploration, media, and human endurance. With experience in long-duration isolation experiments—including four months at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) and 240 days in a Moscow isolation experiment—Anastasia has firsthand knowledge of the mental and physical challenges of spaceflight. She has trained with Roscosmos, co-authored a book about life in extreme environments, and uses storytelling to connect space science with the public.In this episode, we discuss giving yourself to science, pursuing space exploration in the post-Soviet era, the power of storytelling, and how to stay motivated in the toughest conditions. We also get into the realities of isolation, from unexpected challenges like peeing in front of strangers to keeping yourself busy through exercise. There's even a real life Martian pack rat named Jerry! Join us for a fascinating conversation about pushing human limits and preparing for life beyond Earth.Special thanks to Anastasia for her incredible work, dedication, and endurance in the name of space exploration, to Nick Thorburn for the epic theme music, and to my family for supporting my Mars fascination!

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• 007 - Laura González Llamazares

  March is Women’s History Month—a time to honor the pioneers who have shaped space exploration and the future Martians who will follow in their footsteps. This week, Aspiring Martians kicks off a month-long celebration of women in space with Laura González Llamazares, an aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, and advocate for the next generation of female space explorers. Laura is part of Hypatia Mars, a female-led initiative dedicated to advancing Martian research, promoting space exploration, and fostering scientific vocations. Named after Hypatia of Alexandria, the first known female scientist in history, the initiative stands as a symbol of female leadership and the acknowledgment women in science have long deserved.Laura’s career spans thermal analysis, space manufacturing, and rocket engine 3D printing, and she has worked on ESA science missions ATHENA and PLATO. She is the Co-Founder of Radian Systems, simplifying thermal analysis for space, and a mentor for young women in STEM. In this episode, she and Joe discuss the importance of role models in space, 3D printing rocket engines, what happens when you do your homework early as a kid, keeping busy on Mars, and inspiring the next generation of space pioneers.A huge thank you to Laura for the insight and time, to Nick Thorburn for our theme music and to my family for their unwavering support in making Aspiring Martians a reality. Your encouragement, creativity, and belief in this project help fuel the dream of a future among the stars. And of course, thank you to all the listeners—your curiosity and passion for space make this journey worth taking.

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• Sex & Love on Mars

  Sex in space—it’s a topic that has been ignored, joked about, or outright dismissed for far too long. But if we’re serious about building a permanent human presence on Mars and beyond, it’s time to start having real conversations about intimacy, relationships, and reproduction in space.In this episode of Everyday Mars, host Joe Sweeney sits down with Dr. Simon Dubé, a Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute, Affiliate Professor at UQAM’s Department of Sexology, and Chief of Psychosocial Medicine at ASRI. As one of the researchers who coined the term space sexology, Dr. Dubé is working to break the taboo and make human intimacy a central discussion in space exploration. Together, they explore why sex in space has remained a hushed topic, what risks we face by avoiding the conversation, and what we can learn from communities that have long navigated alternative relationship models—like LGBTQ+, kink, and swingers. They also discuss why abstinence is a terrible idea, the complications of falling in love with your superior officer, the role of erotic friendships in long-duration missions, and even the potential future of space sex bots and Martian romance.It’s time to rethink how we talk about intimacy in space—because the future of human settlement depends on it.~A big thanks to Dr. Simon Dubé for all his work around space sexology and his insight into love and sex on Mars, Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music and to my family for supporting my endless Mars obsession.

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• 006 - Elahe Nouri, Aspiring Martian Pioneer

  Storytelling has always been at the heart of human exploration, shaping the way we pass down knowledge, share dreams, and envision the future. In this episode of Aspiring Martians, host Joe Sweeney sits down with Elahe Nouri, a theatre teacher from Iran and a Mars One finalist, to explore the role of imagination in space exploration. From the stage to the stars, Elahe shares how dreaming without boundaries can inspire the next generation of pioneers and why creativity is just as important as engineering when it comes to building a future on Mars.They dive into the power of stories in shaping humanity’s path to Mars, the importance of creativity in problem-solving, and what it truly means to envision life beyond Earth. What will it take for future Martians to not only survive but thrive on another planet? And how will the stories we tell today shape the reality of tomorrow’s space explorers? This conversation blends art, science, and the relentless human drive to push the boundaries of what’s possible.A huge thank you to Nick Thorburn for our theme music and to my family for their unwavering support in making Aspiring Martians a reality. Your encouragement, creativity, and belief in this project help fuel the dream of a future among the stars. And of course, thank you to all the listeners—your curiosity and passion for space make this journey worth taking.

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• 004/5 - Yari & RDan Golden-Castaño, Aspiring Martian Pioneers

  Love and space exploration might seem like an unlikely duo, but for RDan and Yari Golden-Castano, their shared dream of living on Mars brought them together in a way that’s truly out of this world. In this Valentine’s Day special ofAspiring Martians, host Joe Sweeney sits down with the couple to talk about how they met through the Mars One program, fell in love, and eventually got married—all while preparing for the possibility of leaving Earth behind.In this episode, they cover why the first settlements won't be exactly what you see in the movies, why sending a married couple first makes the most sense, and even how to argue more efficiently. Whether you're a romantic at heart or just fascinated by the realities of human relationships beyond Earth, this episode offers a fun and thought-provoking look at love on the final frontier.

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