Zac Trolley shines a spotlight on Alberta’s space sector with Albertans in Space Video Podcast

Zac Trolley was on his way to get launched to Mars, but the universe had other plans—introducing him to a brand new side-gig in content creation.

The Calgary-based spacesector worker-turned-video podcaster is now launching something else, his brand new video podcast, Albertans in Space.

Albertans in Space is part of the inaugural TELUS STORYHIVE Video Podcast program premiering in Spring of 2025. 

Albertans in Space focuses on the innovative work of Albertans in the space sector, exploring how the province’s oil and gas expertise can play a key role in the next frontier. From uncovering new possibilities like drilling for water on the Moon to highlighting the skilled professionals behind these projects, Albertans in Space is sparking vital conversations.

We talk to the STORYHIVE blog’s December cover star about his burgeoning content creator journey, his advice on assembling a stellar team and why it’s so important to peel back the curtain on the future of space in Alberta. 

STORYHIVE: Can you tell us a little more about your background in the space field? You weren’t always a content creator, let’s talk about it!

Zac Trolley: I’m a very part-time content creator. I’m a project engineer working in oil and gas, an electrical engineer by training, but I’ve always been fascinated by space. I actually got into a technical field because of my interest in rover technology and that kind of thing. That’s what brought me in. Going through college and university and becoming technical, it wasn’t always possible to focus on space in Alberta. There’s not much happening here and that’s kind of what the podcast is about—highlighting what is here.

When the Mars One program was announced in 2011, I put my name in because they were taking anybody. It was a broad spectrum and I was accepted into the program. That showed me that anyone could be in space and involved in space. Suddenly, I was getting interview requests, people were asking me to speak about space and I was brought into the limelight. Mars One didn’t work out. I’m still on Earth and no one is on Mars, but since then, I’ve gone to the International Space University and completed a nine-week course. I participated in a two-week simulated Mars mission in 2018 with the Mars Desert Research Station. Pre-COVID, I would visit schools to talk to students about space, do workshops with teachers and speak to the oil and gas industry about using their technology for space resources. I also founded a space resource company that I’m trying to get off the ground in my spare time.

So, I’m doing my day job while trying to work on space projects on the side. This content creation is another way for me to teach people about space, let them know what’s going on and broaden their understanding of what’s happening. Especially right here in Alberta.

SH: What made you want to start creating a video podcast?

ZT: This was kicked off by Megan Westelmajer, my co-producer, who I’m leaning on heavily. She’s also my co-host on the podcast and is deeply involved in TV and film. She’s worked in production for a few decades and we’ve known each other for years. She actually helped me produce the video I submitted for my Mars One application to get selected.

We were sitting around my kitchen table and she mentioned that 2024 was supposed to be the year Mars One landed. That didn’t happen for a lot of reasons, but we started talking about doing a documentary or some kind of impactful content around it. She came across the STORYHIVE Video Podcast application and we literally started pitching the idea around the kitchen table.

“How do we tell my stories? How do we tell other Albertans’ stories? How do we let people know what’s going on?” 

We put this together, made a list of names and realized this was a really exciting way to show people what’s happening in their own backyard.

SH: Episode 1 speaks about your experience being a finalist on the controversial one-way mission to Mars; Mars One, your time at the International Space University, Mars Utah Simulation and starting your own space company in Calgary—what made you want to come out with these stories?

ZT: I think it’s because we’re at many inflection points. In Alberta, in Calgary, you always hear talk about diversification and what to do with our economy as the growth of fossil fuels slows down and we see the effects of climate change. Often, the story is about wind turbines, solar panels or maybe everyone learning how to code. But I really wanted to show people there’s a small industry in Alberta where people in Calgary are applying the skills they’ve learned in oil and gas or other industries to space. There are more options for us than oil and gas.

Space needs tanks, welders, engineers, project managers and communication specialists. We have all these people and space is undergoing a major shift and buildup right now. The Artemis program, which Canada is a signatory of, has about 20 countries signed on to return to the moon. Much like the International Space Station, with input from many countries, we’re going to build a space station around the moon. We’ll establish permanent infrastructure on the moon and develop resource extraction to support those efforts, using space resources in space.

This is all being developed right now. It’s in the ideation phase and prototypes are being built. I want the world to know how skilled Calgarians and Albertans are and the value we can bring to these programs. Most people have no idea what we do in the space industry because it’s so siloed.

I want to teach Calgarians that space needs them, show people in space the amazing work we’re doing and bridge that divide to grow the industry right here.

SH: The first season of Albertans in Space comes out in Spring 2025! What do you want the audience to know about the podcast?

ZT: The podcast is for everybody. We made it for a general audience to explain what’s happening and what’s going on in Alberta. There’s a handful of folks from all over Alberta, including some from Calgary and we try to get our guests to explain their journey. It’s never linear, right? It’s never, “Oh, I just got a job as an astronaut. I’m an astronaut. Hooray.” They really reflect on how they got there and their journey.

I want people to know there’s more to space than astronauts. That’s what we see, but there are tens of thousands of people who support them in their work. Even if you don’t want to be involved in space or it’s not where your career aspirations lie, I think it’s fascinating to know that your neighbor might be involved. They might be building spacecraft or conducting studies about health in space.

We have two doctors on our podcast, and your doctor might spend their weekends doing flight medicine with NASA. There are people who do that. I think it’s so important to make people aware of this because space is such a crucial part of our daily lives and we often forget about it.

SH: The stories are important to the podcast, but so is your team! Can you tell us a little more about them?

ZT: Absolutely. My co-host Meghan Westelmajer and our production assistant Sandra Lynn Trent both come from a TV and film background and they have been absolutely magnificent. This would not have happened without them. I know space, I know the people and I know the content but they know how to wrap it all together.

They’ve learned a lot on this journey as well. They had never done podcasting before but they knew the lingo and the terms. Through Meghan’s contacts, we were able to get the camera equipment, sound studio space and the right technical people to put it all together. Without them, it just wouldn’t have happened. We would still be sitting at the kitchen table talking.

They really made it possible, breaking down silos between the technical world and the production world. I learned a lot about production and they learned a lot about space along the way.

SH: Video Podcasts are a bit of a new thing–how did you go about making sure that this was visually appealing as well as being able to have someone listen without watching?

ZT: Our focus was on the audio and the narrative. We’re very interested in doing a second season. I have lots of ideas for set decorations and how to improve and it’s one of those things you don’t know until you know, right?

You have to go through the motions and the learning experience to reflect and say, “Here’s what we thought,” then watch it back and realize, “Well, we could improve here and there.” In my professional work, I stress iterative engineering, and that’s kind of what we’re doing—asking what worked, what didn’t and improving on that.

SH: Now that you’ve been through the Video Podcast program, what advice would you give to other content creators who are thinking of applying?

ZT: To build a strong team, you need to let people do their jobs. If you’re passionate and creative and have an idea you want to share with others, you might have an area of expertise, but when you bring others onto your team, you need to let them do what they do best.

When we brought in the camera crew, they knew what they were doing. I wasn’t telling them to place the camera here or fix the lighting there. We talked things through and leaned on their expertise. If you don’t know anyone to work with, it’s fine to shop around, ask questions and learn. It’s okay to say no if things aren’t fitting well or working.

It’s a creative process and finding the right people to work with is essential. When a team works well together and gels, it shines through in the final product.

SH: What advice would you have for any content creators taking on their next STORYHIVE project?

ZT: I think it’s about being genuinely excited about your topic. I’ve done very minimal work in TV and film before this. I’ve been on a few newscasts and done some extra work. I remember, oh man, this must have been 15, maybe even 20 years ago, I attended an audition workshop. The advice they gave me stuck: the people you’re auditioning for want you to succeed. They want you to amaze them and say, “This is a perfect fit. Amazing. Thank you.”

I think it’s the same when you’re putting an application together. The people reading it want you to succeed. They want you to create an amazing product. Write it with that in mind. You’re not writing to a critical board of people in a dark room trying to find faults. No, they want you to succeed.

So give them everything—every tidbit, every bit of passion you can offer—so they can see you as a winner.

SH: What's next for Zac Trolley; will there be a season 2 of Albertans in Space?

ZT: We’ve been talking about applying for season 2. The funds provided by STORYHIVE have been essential—we couldn’t have done this without them. We’re looking at ways to shift how we spend the money. We’ve learned a lot about what we can do ourselves, what we can do differently and where spending has the most impact in video production.

We’re focusing on the production side and have also compiled a list of other Albertans and Calgarians working in the space sector. We’re reaching out, talking to them and getting them involved.

We have so many more stories to tell. We’re planning to keep the same format but improve the viewing and listening experience for our audience.

Follow Albertans in Space on Instagram to stay updated on their journey.

Stay tuned for the STORYHIVE Video Podcast premiere in Spring 2025 on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel.

Interested in getting your own project funded? Save the dates and get your pitches ready for some exciting opportunities coming up for filmmakers and digital content creators.