For episode 4 of The Astro Ben Podcast, we welcome Athena Brensberger, Astronomer, Space Influencer, and model. Athena and Ben talk about space communication in the media, ensuring equity for young STEM and space enthusiasts, and diversity among the space industry! 0:30 Intro/Mars 2:12 Recap of last week 3:00 Search for new astronauts 5:30 This week’s guest: Athena Brensberger 6:09 Space Influencers 7:35 Meet Athena! 8:30 IS Espresso Machine 9:00 Who is Athena & how did she get to where she is now? 11:20 Science communication with social media 14:00 Diversity in Space & in Athena’s career 16:30 Diverse Space Communicators 21:10 Keeping Space relevant in the media 23:10 Why Space & Science? 26:00 Encouraging young kids to study STEM subjects 29:50 Equity of Opportunity for kids of all backgrounds to pursue STEM or Space related careers 33:20 Constellation Satellites, Night Sky & Accessibility 36:45 Studying protoplanetary disks & becoming an astronomer 39:33 What does Space mean to Athena? 41:25 What Instagram accounts to follow to stay informed on Space news & diversity in Space 44:00 Wrap up & next week Social Media Instagram: @AstroAthens Twitter: @AstroAthens Astroathens.com Mentions European Space Agency STEM Science Education Astro Athens Social Media Tik Tok Astro Physics Starlink Protoplanetary Disks Stay connected with us! Use #Astroben across various social media platforms to engage with us Please subscribe and rate us!