St. Charles space podcaster launches written word stories to the International Space Station

A St. Charles woman's initiative to make space exploration accessible to more people launched Aug. 1 when more than 300 written stories started a journey to the International Space Station.

"The STORIES of Space Project," an opportunity for citizens to share their story in space, is the creation of Beth Mund, executive director of the STORIES of Space Project and host of the Casual Space podcast.

"Can a story change the way we explore space? We believe it can!," said Mund, a former public affairs officer for the NASA Johnson Space Center. "The STORIES of Space project engages a growing community of space exploration ambassadors - people who may never train to be an astronaut or travel to space, but space enthusiasts who want to be a part of the discovery and advancements in space. With this project, we open space to everyone, regardless of race, gender, STEM background, or economic situation."

"Using written word narratives about space will help shape tomorrow's approach to space exploration. We've collected hundreds of stories from people to understand what space topics are top of mind," she said. "Stories covered areas like technology, careers in space, future medical advancements, survival in space, and of course, aliens."

"By submitting the written word to a space exploration project, storytellers are thoughtfully creating their own personal and unique story narrative, only limited by their imagination. By sending the written word to space, we are able to re-ignite scientific literacy. Words have meaning and profound application when it comes to science; reading and writing about space topics creates a perfect mix of STEAM creativity and practical application," Mund said.

"STORIES of Space" is collecting submissions for the next mission and corporate sponsors to support this unique space exploration project. Submission details and sponsorship opportunities are available on www.storiesofspace.com.

Stories + Science to improve future space exploration

The "STORIES of Space Project" is formerly known as the Story SD Card Testing and On-Board Research on the International Space Station Experiment and Survey because the project also includes a science experiment that will help advance space science.

The written stories are traveling on micro-SD cards, creating a unique International Space Station science experiment that tests the effects of radiation on micro-SD electronics and data storage. Micro-SD memory cards are an important component of most small satellites, used to store acquired data for later retrieval.

Low-Earth Orbit contains heavy radiation, which often damages micro-SD cards in small satellites. For the next six months, the STORIES of Space project will be exposing micro-SD cards to the harsh space environment located on the outside of the International Space Station. When the Micro-SD cards return to Earth, the radiation levels of each card will be tested, and the results will be shared with space agencies around the world.

Making space accessible for everyone

As the "STORIES of Space" project launches, Mund continues to make space exploration information accessible for people of all backgrounds. With her weekly Casual Space podcast, Mund features guests from both traditional and non-traditional space careers.

While astronauts and rocket scientists are regular guests, Mund also features the people behind the scenes: a NASA flight surgeon or NASA lawyer, the official launch photographer, a NASA social media expert, the mission patch designer, space historians, plus authors, educators, and space themed entertainers. The most popular guests have been more household names - Bill Nye the Science Guy and Janet Ivy, host of "Janet's Planet."

"Because our listeners are all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, Casual Space helps to showcase the non-traditional space careers as much as the jobs most people think of," Mund said. "Each week we feature an open position in the space industry, from a locksmith at NASA to a welder at a premiere aerospace company. There are jobs for space enthusiasts across professions, space is for everyone."

The Casual Space podcast has been named to Feedspot's 20 Best Space Exploration Podcasts and to bcast's 15 Best Space Podcasts in the Universe.

In addition to the "STORIES of Space" project and Casual Space podcast, Mund is also a keynote speaker with speeches that tie together, space history, and future space exploration to inspire thousands of everyday people at business conferences, association meetings, and civic events. She is a two-time host of the Humans to Mars conference, online host of the 2022 Yuri's Night World Space Party, and a member of the Space Camp Alumni Board. She has been named a Frito Lay Mentor to Women in STEM in 2022 and ranked on the Top 100 Women of Aerospace and Aviation.

Space enthusiasts interested in future "STORIES of Space" launches and story submission windows can follow the website, www.storiesofspace.com and download the weekly Casual Space podcast from popular audio sites.