A New Era of X-ray Astronomy with IXPE
IXPE, or the Infrared X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, is NASA’s first space telescope dedicated to studying X-ray polarization from extreme objects like black holes and quasars.
Jun 25, 2025•27 min
Small Steps, Giant Leaps
NASA’s technical workforce put boots on the Moon, tire tracks on Mars, and the first reusable spacecraft in orbit around the Earth. Learn what’s next as they build missions that redefine the future with amazing discoveries and remarkable innovations.
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Episodes
Risk Management at NASA
Big or small, we all take risks nearly every day. But how does NASA manage it? Dr. Mary Skow, NASA’s first agency risk management officer, explains.
Jun 11, 2025•34 min
NASA's Air Traffic Management-eXploration Project
NASA’s Air Traffic Management-eXploration Project aims to accommodate the growing demand of traditional and emerging aircraft that share the friendly skies.
May 28, 2025•30 min
The Universe in Living Color with SPHEREx
NASA's SPHEREx mission will map 450 million galaxies like we’ve never seen before.
May 14, 2025•27 min
Episode 152: EZIE Does It
What can the auroras tell us about our planet’s relationship with the Sun? NASA’s EZIE mission looks into it.
Apr 30, 2025•16 min
Episode 151: Designing Missions
NASA’s design labs are where engineers develop concepts for missions and scientific instruments.
Apr 16, 2025•17 min
Episode 150: Urban Air Taxis
Flying taxis? NASA is working on it.
Apr 04, 2025•19 min
Episode 149: Spacecraft Thermal Blankets
Originally a fashion designer, Paula Cain is a NASA thermal blanket technician, working to protect spacecraft from the extremes of space.
Mar 19, 2025•13 min•Ep. 149
Episode 148: Celebrating NASA's Engineers
NASA engineers turn dreams into reality, solving complex challenges to push exploration forward. From landing rovers on Mars to advancing deep space missions, their ingenuity makes it all possible. This episode with Chief Engineer Joe Pellicciotti and Deputy Chief Engineer Katherine Van Hooser celebrates the innovation, dedication, and impact of NASA’s engineering community.
Mar 05, 2025•29 min•Ep. 148
Episode 147: NASA Photography - Visual Storytelling
Ever wondered what it takes to capture NASA’s most breathtaking moments? From rocket launches to behind-the-scenes astronaut training, Bill Ingalls, senior contract photographer for NASA Headquarters has spent decades framing history through his lens. In this episode, we dive into his journey, how he and his team prepare for assignments, and the importance of visual storytelling.
Feb 19, 2025•16 min•Ep. 147
Episode 146: Space Medicine: Body and Mind
What if we could get rid of lengthy waitlists for organ transplants? Well, imagine 3-D printing a kidney from your own stem cells. That would reduce the chances your body rejects it. That’s the sort of groundbreaking medical research astronauts are conducting aboard the International Space Station. Other research includes understanding the stress spaceflight places on not just the body, but also the mind. There’s a plethora of human factors to consider as humanity prepares to embark on deep spac...
Feb 05, 2025•28 min•Ep. 146
Small Steps, Giant Leaps - Pam Melroy: Behind the Strategy
We’re kicking off 2025 with NASA’s deputy administrator Pam Melroy, who wraps up her tenure at NASA this month. As a former astronaut with three space shuttle flights under her belt – including one flight as commander – Pam has made lasting contributions to human spaceflight. She’s also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force as a retired colonel. In her most recent role, Pam helped shape the NASA’s focus on long-term strategies, including Moon to Mars exploration, space sustainability, and a long-term ...
Jan 18, 2025•23 min•Ep. 145
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 144: Mining the Moon with NASA’s IPEx Robot
What does it take to mine the Moon? Engineers behind NASA's ISRU Pilot Excavator, or IPEx are digging into the answers. The robotic excavator is designed to unearth lunar regolith and extract oxygen for fuel. In this episode, Jason Schuler, IPEx principal investigator, and Drew Smith, IPEx lead design engineer, explore the engineering challenges, innovative solutions, and the groundbreaking implications of IPEx for future lunar missions. Plus, they share what helped their idea go from paper to f...
Dec 11, 2024•29 min•Ep. 144
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 143: NASA Training Simulators
Before leaving the ground, astronauts prepare for spaceflight by immersing themselves in life-like training simulators. This is done with the help of NASA’s Simulation and Graphics Branch. Branch Chief Michael McFarlane leads a team of experts who use cutting edge technology to create digital environments, tools and visualizations that support nearly every aspect of human spaceflight. In this episode, we discuss how simulations help us better understand how spacecraft behave in space, the role o...
Nov 27, 2024•24 min
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 142: Europa Clipper: Voyage to a Water World
Europa Clipper is NASA’s first mission dedicated to studying an icy ocean world. Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on October 14, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center, the spacecraft is set to arrive at Jupiter in April of 2030 to conduct sweeping flybys of Europa. Europa is one of Jupiter’s four large Galilean moons. It’s roughly the size of our own moon, but what’s most is intriguing is that it may harbor the conditions for life in the massive ocean beneath its frozen surface. What we le...
Nov 13, 2024•23 min•Ep. 142
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 141: Planetary Defense at NASA
Ever wondered how NASA monitors asteroids? In our latest episode, we go behind the scenes with Dr. Kelly Fast, NASA’s acting planetary defense officer, to discuss efforts to detect, track, and mitigate threats from near-Earth objects, or NEOs. From asteroid early warning systems to a new spacecraft that will find and track NEOs, learn how NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office is at the forefront of keeping Earth safe from cosmic hazards.
Oct 30, 2024•23 min•Ep. 141
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 140: Artificial Intelligence at NASA
NASA has a long history with AI, using it in various applications like autonomous Mars rover navigation and detecting planets in other solar systems. Today, NASA is embracing AI for more members of the workforce, enabling innovation.
Oct 16, 2024•19 min•Ep. 140
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 139: NASA's Cosmic Origins Program
NASA’s Cosmic Origins Program seeks to understand the origins of the universe, including the formation and evolution of galaxies, stars, and planets. In this episode, Dr. Swara Ravindranath, deputy chief scientist, and Dr. Ron Gamble, a theoretical astrophysicist, discuss their research and the program's goals. They also highlight the importance of diverse perspectives and experiences.
Oct 02, 2024•25 min•Ep. 139
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 138: The Sun, Star of Our Cosmic Show
The Sun is the ultimate source of life in our solar system, a radiant powerhouse that bathes Earth in the energy necessary for everything from photosynthesis to weather patterns. Its warmth and light sustain us. However, the Sun’s influence isn't always benign. Its solar wind—a stream of charged particles—can disrupt our technology, causing communications blackouts and GPS glitches. In this episode, Dr. Joseph Westlake, director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, joins us to shed light on why the ...
Sep 18, 2024•22 min•Ep. 138
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 137: The Roman Space Telescope - Uncovering the Dark Universe
We don’t yet know what dark matter is, yet it makes up 85% of all the matter in the universe. The Roman Space Telescope will aim to unravel the mystery. With a field of view 100 times wider than the Hubble Space Telescope’s, Roman will study in near-infrared light the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars, making other exoplanet discoveries along the way. The mission is named after Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief of astronomy and advocate for the development of the Hubble Space T...
Sep 04, 2024•26 min•Ep. 137
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 136: Soft Robotics
Robots inspired by nature? A novel realm of engineering called soft robotics is being studied at NASA’s Langley Research Center. Engineers are working to understand how soft robotics could one day support space exploration, including missions to the Moon’s surface.
Aug 21, 2024•22 min•Ep. 136
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 135: Biofilm - Dealing with the Scum off the Earth
Cleaning scum from bathtubs and pipes can be a costly chore. It’s even more challenging aboard spacecraft. NASA researchers are looking at ways to keep astronauts from having to deal with fungal or bacterial buildup, known as biofilm.
Aug 07, 2024•15 min•Ep. 135
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 134: The Internet of Animals
The Internet of Animals, a collaborative research project with the U.S. Geological Survey along with several universities and institutions is giving insight into the intersection of animal movement patterns and climate. By combining remote sensing data with wildlife tracking tags, experts can get a better idea of scientific needs to manage conservation at the federal level.
Jul 24, 2024•22 min•Ep. 134
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 133: The Science of Space Gardening
In this episode, Dr. Gioia Massa, senior Life Sciences project scientist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, outlines the systems and processes used for growing vegetables aboard the International Space Station. The technology could one day support astronauts on long-duration missions in deep space. What we learn can benefit agriculture on Earth as well.
Jul 10, 2024•30 min•Ep. 133
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 132: Orbital Debris: Reducing Risk with Cost-Effective Strategies
A new NASA report titled "Cost and Benefit Analysis of Mitigating, Tracking, and Remediating Orbital Debris" compares the cost-effectiveness of several strategies that could reduce the risk of collisions between spacecraft, including the space station, and orbital debris.
Jun 26, 2024•35 min•Ep. 132
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 131: The Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle
In this episode, Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist, tells us about the science goals of the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle and how NASA is collaborating with industry to explore more of the Moon’s surface than ever before.
Jun 12, 2024•25 min•Ep. 131
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 130: Ingenuity’s Final Flight: Lessons Learned
Teddy Tzanetos shares his project management experiences and lessons learned from leading the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter demonstration mission, the first test of powered, controlled flight on another world.
May 29, 2024•28 min•Ep. 130
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 128: Engineering Inflatable Structures for Space
How inflatable habitats moved from concept papers to the International Space Station, and what NASA is doing to eventually put one on the Moon.
Apr 24, 2024•26 min•Ep. 128
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 127: Chief Program Management Officer
Dave Mitchell brings extensive experience as an engineer and project manager to a new position leading a small team with the broad mandate of improving acquisitions and program and project management across NASA.
Apr 03, 2024•35 min•Ep. 127
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 126: Gateway: The Logistics of an Outpost at the Moon
In this episode we’ll focus on Gateway, a small space station NASA is developing to place in orbit at the Moon. We’ll speak with Mark Wiese, who leads the team that will ensure Gateway will receive the cargo, equipment, and supplies it needs to support Artemis astronauts.
Mar 20, 2024•24 min•Ep. 126
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