Star Tales and Cocktails

Sirisha Bandla and Jacki Cortese

Star Tales & Cocktails is a podcast that dives into a range of interesting space topics - from the cruel de-planetization of Pluto to the politics of Europa – in a way that feels like a casual conversation at Happy Hour. Join each week to listen to intergalactic banter from your hosts Sirisha Bandla and Jacki Cortese, as they are joined on the pod with a leading industry guest to discuss the mysteries of the universe. Follow along on the Star Tales & Cocktails instagram page (@startales_and_cocktails) for a themed cocktail to pair with each episode.

Episodes

  1. 05/05/2025

    Commercial Space - Opening Metagalactic Markets

    The commercial space industry is on the rise - both figuratively and literally! Join Sirisha and Jacki as they discuss commercializing access to space with industry expert and first President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) - Brett Alexander. Come for the facts, stay for the stories about the early days of CSF where Sirisha hired Jacki as an intern.

    1h 16m

  2. 04/28/2025

    Space Policy - Putting the Science in Political Science

    School House Rock meets Bill Nye the Science Guy. Prepare for the nerdiness topic of them all, space policy! Join Jacki and Sirisha as they discuss the politics of space, and the decision-making bodies that govern it. They are joined by space policy guru, the notorious Jim Muncy, to talk about his experience as a congressional staffer as early policies surrounding space were debated.

    1h 13m

  3. 04/21/2025

    Pluto - And the Tale of Nine Planets

    Pluto has captured the hearts of the public...it quite literally has a heart on it. It’s a mysterious little planet from its origin, to its history, and its geology, but is it really a planet? Sirisha and Jacki sit down with Dr. Alan Stern to talk about New Horizons and discoveries on Pluto. (Apologies for Sirisha's audio in this episode - she was broadcasting from Pluto)

    58 min

  4. 03/31/2025

    The Moon - Trust us, There is a Lot You Don't Know About It

    Is there anything as familiar, as bright, as brilliant as our Moon in the night sky? You may think you know about the Moon...but do you? Did you know there are colors on the Moon? That the regolith is sharp? And what about moonquakes?! Jacki and Sirisha are here to tell you all you don't know about the Moon with Dr. Clive Neal.

    1h 10m

  5. 03/24/2025

    UFOs & UAPs - Disclosure, Extraterrestrials, & Drones, Oh My!

    So you're saying it's aliens? Well not exactly. Jacki and Sirisha dive into Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs, and the U.S. government's history in investigating them.

    1h 3m

  6. 03/17/2025

    Mars - Terra-Inform Yourselves

    We love our neighbor Mars. It’s the planet that may be the next host for human civilization – granted it has the right factors for human life. Join Sirisha and Jacki as they look at the origin of Mars – what can we learn from how Earth ended up with the conditions to host life and it did not?

    58 min

  7. 03/10/2025

    Humans in Space - With Some Humans that Have Been in Space

    It’s been over 60 years since the first human travelled into space. How has human spaceflight progressed? Sirisha and Jacki sit down with former NASA astronaut - and also former boss - Michael Lopez-Alegria to discuss his experience on and off the planet, and what's next for humans in space.

    1h 12m

  8. 03/03/2025

    The Big Bang - The Beginning of a Podcast

    Our very first episode explores the beginnings of the universe, the Big Bang, as well as the beginnings of a podcast! Join Sirisha and Jacki as they discuss the Big Bang - what is it? How did it get its name? I mean was there even really a “bang?” They are joined by scientist and former NASA Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen.

    59 min
  • 8 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Star Tales & Cocktails is a podcast that dives into a range of interesting space topics - from the cruel de-planetization of Pluto to the politics of Europa – in a way that feels like a casual conversation at Happy Hour. Join each week to listen to intergalactic banter from your hosts Sirisha Bandla and Jacki Cortese, as they are joined on the pod with a leading industry guest to discuss the mysteries of the universe. Follow along on the Star Tales & Cocktails instagram page (@startales_and_cocktails) for a themed cocktail to pair with each episode.

Information

  • Creator
    Sirisha Bandla and Jacki Cortese
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sirisha Bandla and Jacki Cortese
  • Show Website
    Star Tales and Cocktails