How to contact a starship

Even if you could build a starship, how would you stay in communication with the home base? Maybe our own sun can be used as an amplifier. That's the topic that leads off this week's Space Hangout on Google+, which brings together space writers from Universe Today, Discovery News, the Planetary Society, Astronomy Cast and other online outlets. Check out this week's hourlong webcast, hosted by Universe Today's Fraser Cain, or feel free to jump to the particular topics at these points in time:

• Discovery News' Ian O'Neill on starship communication (0:00)
• Universe Today's Nancy Atkinson on black hole snacks (7:03)
• Yours truly on plans for a record stratospheric jump (12:36)
• Astronomy Cast's Pamela Gay on Lake Vostok drilling (17:00)
• Planetary Society's Emily Lakdawalla on Martian water (24:00)
• Q&A, including discussion of NASA's budget (33:00 to 63:00)
• More weekend links: Carnival of Space 236 at AstroSwanny's

Previously on the Weekly Space Hangout:

• Feb. 2: Super-Earths, SpaceX's engine test and more
• Jan. 26: Moon-base politics and more
• Jan. 19: Is some poor planet getting blasted?
• Jan. 12: Planets, dark matter, "Trek" tricorders and more
• Jan. 5: NASA's moon probes, the hype over 2012 and more
• Dec. 20: All about Kepler's alien worlds

The Weekly Space Hangout takes place every Thursday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) via Google+ and is simulcast at http://cosmoquest.org/hangouts

Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.