In the inaugural episode of the SpaceNews SpaceGeeks podcast, we get our feet wet with Washington space-policy fixture Mike Gold, director of Washington operations for Bigelow Aerospace of North Las Vegas Nevada.

Bigelow is designing inflatable (the company calls them “expandable”) space habitats: Crewed spacecraft that could be used for science, business or pleasure.

In 2006 and 2007, the company travelled to the Russian state of Orenburg Oblast to launch a pair of unscrewed prototype habitats from the Yasny Space and Missile Complex. While grinding toward launch on the active Russian nuclear missile base, the company introduced some locals to the game of baseball.

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SHOW NOTES:

Bigelow Aerospace official website.

ISC Kosmatros official English-language website.

The official rules of Major League Baseball.

Mike Gold (left) trying to explain to first basewoman/chef Ina (right) that fielders cannot score runs in the game of baseball. Credit: Mike Gold
During the inaugural Yasny ballgame in 2006, before the launch of Genesis 1, Mike Gold (left) tries to explain to first basewoman/chef Ina (right) that fielders cannot score runs in the game of baseball. Credit: Mike Gold

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Ballet students playing indoor baseball during the Genesis 2 launch in 2007. Credit: Mike Gold
Ballet students playing indoor baseball during the Genesis 2 launch in 2007. Credit: Mike Gold

Dan Leone is a SpaceNews staff writer, covering NASA, NOAA and a growing number of entrepreneurial space companies. He earned a bachelor’s degree in public communications from the American University in Washington.