This episode of Astronomycast is brought to you by Swinburn Astronomy Online, the world's longest running online astronomy degree program.

Visit astronomy.swin.edu.au for more information.

Astronomycast, episode 299 from Monday, March 25, 2013. Space stations, Park 4, future space stations.

Welcome to Astronomycast, our weekly facts-based journey through the cosmos, where we help you understand not only what we know, but how we know what we know.

My name is Fraser Cain, I'm the publisher of university and with me is Dr. Pamela Gaye, a professor at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and the director of CosmoQuest.

Pamela, how are you doing?

I'm doing well, how are you doing?

Good, how are you liking this weather?

Oh my gosh, it is stunningly beautiful and stunningly allergy-inducing outside right now, but it's leading to some really great photos.

I've heard a rumor that you are so sort of nervous of this that you don't even ride your horse outside.

No, it's not that I'm nervous of this, it's no, I ride my horse inside because inside he can't jump out of the arena.

And that's a completely different fear.

Right, right, having him jump in unexpected ways.

He's mostly a good boy.

I went on my first big mountain bike ride of the season and ruined myself.

Oh no.

I went for 25k and just a ride that I typically do.

That's not a thing.

No, I know, but typically it's uphill, it's up a mountain.

But typically I'm riding like that and during the middle of the season I do that ride a couple of times a week.

The first ride of the season just absolutely destroyed my legs.

I'm still sore, so hopefully I'll be back and got to get back at it.

...