Escape Velocity Space News Launches From PSI

On January 21, Escape Velocity Space News (EVSN) became the newest science show to air on TV. Broadcast by NowMedia Television, this weekly 1 hour show is hosted by PSI Senior Scientist Pamela Gay with directing and engineering by Ally Pelphrey. Additionally, PSI's Beth Johnson will conduct interviews and Erik Maddaus is the show's aerospace correspondent. 

NowMedia TV is the first bilingual television and radio network in the U.S., and they have stations in many major cities in North America, including: Atlanta 22.10, Houston 21.10, and Mexico City 10.1. In addition to their free-to-air broadcasts, NowMedia goes out on Roku and through their website, NowMedia.tv.

The first episode of EVSN highlighted the latest research released during the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Seattle, took a closer look at the JWST and the importance of infrared astronomy, and looked back at 2022's record-breaking cadence of rocket launches and satellite deployments. 

Released under a Creative Commons license, EVSN is a not-for-profit show that is currently funded through Patreon and directed donations. In this era of watered down or sensationalized science, this non-profit direction allows EVSN to follow the facts without bias or resorting to click bait. The second episode, airing January 28, will look at climate change, cover a variety of topics in asteroid science, and dive into the importance of astronomical surveys (including the original Hipparchus star catalogue from the 2nd century BCE. This English language show is targeted at families who want to understand this universe we share.

According to Pelphrey, "Most TV shows have a staff of a dozen or more who work to write, light, record, and edit this kind of a show. We may get there some day, but for now we are somehow accomplishing great things for a great network with our very small PSI staff."

Gay adds, "Ally and I both come at this from a background of podcasting and creating content for YouTube. I don't think either of us ever expected to have our ideas broadcast in some of the US's largest cities. I have to admit to doing a not entirely quiet happy dance when I first saw our show going out on NowMedia."

The EVSN team will be producing new shows most weeks from now until June 30th, when the team will go on summer hiatus. If all goes well, season 2 will start up after Labor Day.