NASA's Curious Universe
Come get curious with NASA. As an official NASA podcast, Curious Universe brings you mind-blowing science and space adventures you won't find anywhere else. Explore the cosmos alongside astronauts, scientists, engineers, and other top NASA experts who are achieving remarkable feats in science, space exploration, and aeronautics. Learn something new about the wild and wonderful universe we share. All you need to get started is a little curiosity. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast hosted by Padi Boyd and Jacob Pinter. Discover more original NASA shows at nasa.gov/podcasts
S9 E2 · Tue, April 15, 2025
How NASA Sees Our Blue Marble
NASA is an exploration agency, and one of our missions is to know our home. In the 1960s, NASA astronauts orbiting the Moon captured a revelatory view of Earth. Today, NASA explores our home planet with a fleet of dozens of spacecraft. In this episode–the first in a miniseries all about Earth–we take in the view from space with Karen St. Germain, the director of NASA’s Earth Science Division.
Trailer · Tue, April 08, 2025
Earth, Through NASA's Eyes
There’s one planet NASA studies more than any other: Earth. With our unique vantage point from space, NASA collects information about our home in ways nobody else can. In this podcast miniseries, celebrate our home planet by learning how NASA studies Earth—including unique views of ocean color and sea level, land data that help farmers improve crop production, and researching our atmosphere from the air we breathe to layers high above us that protect every living thing on the planet.
S8 E8 · Wed, April 02, 2025
Curious Universe Live: Art and Science with Astronaut Matthew Dominick
NASA has a long history of bringing together science, engineering and art. Space exploration is a human endeavor—one that requires creativity. In this special live episode, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick and comedian and musician Reggie Watts talk flow states, aircraft ejector seats and more. Plus, a new NASA tool that lets you make music from iconic Hubble Space Telescope imagery.
S8 E7 · Fri, March 14, 2025
Inside the Team That Keeps Hubble Flying
When it launched in 1990, NASA expected the Hubble Space Telescope to last for about 15 years. Thirty-five years later, Hubble is still showing us the universe as no other telescope can. Go behind the scenes with Morgan Van Arsdall, deputy operations manager for Hubble, on an audio tour of Hubble’s control center. Morgan’s team keeps Hubble operating smoothly, and when something goes wrong, they snap into action to fix it. Plus, hear how Hubble tag-teams with newer observatories—including the James Webb Space Telescope—and continues to push the frontiers of astronomy.
S8 E6 · Wed, January 29, 2025
How NASA Found the Ingredients For Life on an Asteroid
How did life begin? It’s one of science’s biggest questions, but it’s impossible to answer on Earth, where ancient clues have been buried by the planet’s shifting surface. Instead, scientists are looking beyond our own planet, to asteroids like Bennu, a distant fragment of a lost world. In 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected a sample of Bennu’s surface and brought it back to Earth. Ever since, scientists have been hard at work studying the fragments of asteroid Bennu. Now, they’re ready to reveal the results—our best look yet at a time capsule from the early solar system that once fostered the ingredients for life.
S8 E5 · Tue, January 21, 2025
Why the Moon’s Icy South Pole is a Hot Target for NASA
The Moon’s South Pole is a bizarre landscape. Mountain ridges glow in perpetual sunlight while deep craters freeze in billion-year-old shade. Yet hidden in the depths of those shadowed craters, under temperatures almost three times colder than the frostiest day in Antarctica, lurks something familiar–water ice. In the future, that ice could sustain human explorers or be broken apart into hydrogen and oxygen to refuel rockets. Join Brett Denevi, Artemis III geology team lead, to learn why NASA plans to land astronauts on the Moon’s South Pole later this decade. Then with Michelle Munk, NASA space technology chief architect, meet the robot Moon landers scouting ahead of Artemis which will drill beneath the regolith and test technologies designed to help future human explorers survive the Pole’s extreme conditions.
S8 E4 · Tue, December 17, 2024
The Mind-Bending Math Inside Black Holes
Black holes are mysterious, far away, and can bend the fabric of reality itself—but we're learning more about them all the time. Ronald Gamble, a NASA theoretical astrophysicist, uses math, computer coding, and a dash of creativity to peer inside some of the universe's most extreme objects. We'll explore what it would feel like to get pulled into a black hole and what people get wrong about black holes. And we'll answer questions from curious listeners, including, "What would happen if a black hole ate nothing but magnetized material?"
S8 E3 · Tue, November 12, 2024
How Open Science and AI are Advancing Hurricane Research
As climate change drives more frequent and intense tropical cyclones and hurricanes, coastal communities desperately need better tools to predict how bad storms will be and when and where they’ll strike—and to assess the damage afterward. From the air and in space, NASA and NOAA collect critical data as storms roll in. But what happens next? Fly directly into the eye of the storm with daring hurricane hunter pilots, meet meteorologists and data scientists building AI models to improve hurricane prediction, and join the disaster response experts helping cities pinpoint their hardest-hit neighborhoods. Plus, learn how NASA is making data open to everyone—including you, with Transform to Open Science.
S8 E2 · Tue, October 01, 2024
Europa Clipper's Voyage to Jupiter's Ocean Moon
As NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft leaves Earth, it carries a message: we, too, are made of water. Europa—one of Jupiter’s moons—is a top candidate to support life, thanks to its ocean of liquid, salty water capped by a layer of ice. Lynnae Quick-Henderson, a planetary scientist at NASA, explains how Clipper will search Europa for the building blocks of life. The mission is also a message in a bottle, bringing a greeting from one ocean world to another. Hear how Ada Limón, the Poet Laureate of the United States, used NASA’s mission as inspiration for her poem “In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa” and why she thinks everyone—even space nerds—should step back and appreciate our connections to the universe and each other.
S8 E1 · Tue, September 17, 2024
An Asteroid by Any Other Name With Special Guest Latif Nasser
The idea of an asteroid from outer space crashing into Earth has captured the imaginations of science fiction directors for decades. But here at NASA, we take potentially hazardous near-Earth objects seriously. We have a planetary defense office that plans for every scenario—we’ve even practiced nudging an asteroid off course with spacecraft. But there are tens of thousands of objects in near-Earth space, and the first step in protecting against potential impacts is spotting, tracking and managing every single one of them. Learn how NASA does just that from Joe Masiero, a scientist on the asteroid survey mission NEOWISE. Then, join friend of the show Latif Nasser, co-host of the podcast Radiolab, to untangle the mystery of a strange space rock that’s not quite a moon but not quite a normal asteroid, either.
Bonus · Fri, May 03, 2024
Sun Series: Bonus: Dispatches from the Path of Totality
On April 8, 2024, North America experienced its last total solar eclipse until the 2040s. As the Moon’s shadow fell across the U.S., NASA sent Curious Universe producers out into the field across the path of totality to talk to space nerds and eclipse scientists. In this special bonus episode of our Sun Series, we’ll relive the special day together.
S7 E7 · Tue, April 23, 2024
Sun Series: Soaring Toward the Sun
For the first time, a NASA spacecraft is flying through the Sun's atmosphere. Nour Raouafi, project scientist for Parker Solar Probe, explains why the Sun's corona is the source of one of the biggest mysteries in all of space science. So, what does it take to build a probe that can touch the Sun—including surviving temperatures of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit and barreling through sudden eruptions of solar plasma—and live to tell the tale? We'll also go inside the fleet of NASA spacecraft studying the Sun from many angles, including the rescue mission to save a wildly spinning observatory before it became lost in space forever.
S7 E6 · Tue, April 16, 2024
Sun Series: What is Space Weather?
From Earth, the Sun can seem steady and predictable. But when you look at our star close up, there’s a lot going on. Go behind the scenes with NASA’s Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office, a team monitoring space weather—eruptions of radiation and plasma from the Sun that can wreak havoc on spacecraft and pose dangers to astronauts. We’ll also revisit the most powerful geomagnetic storm on record, an 1859 event that produced northern lights visible in the tropics and made electrical systems go haywire. This is episode fiof the Sun and Eclipse series from NASA’s Curious Universe, an official NASA podcast.
Bonus · Sat, April 06, 2024
Sun Series: Minisode! Countdown to Total Solar Eclipse 2024
It’s time. On April 8, 2024, millions of people across North America will see a total solar eclipse. Get the most out of totality with this special bonus episode. Listen up for safety tips, learn how to make your own pinhole projector to safely view the eclipse and learn how anyone—including you!—can contribute to NASA research through citizen science. And if you’re not in the path of totality, watch NASA’s live broadcast starting at 1 p.m. EDT. NASA’s Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. See when the eclipse starts where you are with NASA’s Eclipse Explorer: go.nasa.gov/EclipseExplorer
S7 E4 · Tue, April 02, 2024
Sun Series: You (Yes, You!) Can Help NASA Study the Sun
How often do you think about your nearest star? Though it may not seem like it from here on Earth, our trusty Sun is a place of mystery. Take a good look at its influence on our planet – through the otherworldly experience of eclipse, maybe, or the aurora – and you might get "sucked" in... to a citizen science project, that is. Join NASA Sun scientists like Liz Macdonald and volunteers like Hanjie Tan to listen to crickets fooled by the false night of an eclipse, discover new colors in the aurora, and hunt for comets hiding in the plasma of our Sun’s atmosphere. And learn how you can get involved in NASA science while experiencing our nearest star firsthand. This is episode three of the Sun and Eclipse series from NASA’s Curious Universe, an official NASA podcast.
S7 E3 · Tue, March 26, 2024
Sun Series: How to Experience a Total Solar Eclipse
On April 8, 2024, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, casting a shadow across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Total solar eclipses have fascinated human beings for thousands of years. Watching the Moon eclipse the Sun is a surreal, multi-sensory experience that you’re not likely to forget. But Eclipses also offer unique opportunities for NASA to study the relationship between our star and home planet. Join current and former NASA sun scientists Kelly Korreck, Fred “Mr. Eclipse” Espenak and Cherilynn Morrow on a journey through time and space to solve eclipse mysteries.
S7 E2 · Tue, March 19, 2024
Sun Series: The Sun, Our Star
The Sun is our closest star. Billions of years ago, it shaped the formation of our home planet and the beginning of life on Earth. Today, it provides the heat and energy that powers our civilization, but it can also disrupt our technology and spacecraft through explosive outbursts of radiation. Join NASA Sun scientist Joe Westlake on a journey from the surface of Earth to the Sun’s core to learn how intricately we’re connected to our star and the progress we’ve made unraveling its mysteries. This is episode one of the Sun and Eclipse series from NASA's Curious Universe, an official NASA podcast.
S7 E1 · Mon, March 11, 2024
Here Comes the Sun Series
Meet the Sun. Even if you think you know our star, our new mini series from NASA’s Curious Universe will show you why Sun science is heating up in 2024—and why NASA experts have so much more to discover. Get ready for the hair-raising experience of a total solar eclipse, and learn how anyone can pitch in through citizen science. See the vibrant and sometimes chaotic close-up details of the Sun, and hear how NASA keeps astronauts and spacecraft safe from solar outbursts. And go inside a pioneering mission to touch the Sun’s atmosphere and investigate some of its biggest unanswered questions. NASA’s Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
Bonus · Wed, February 21, 2024
Planet Hunting with Host Padi Boyd
In this special episode, we turn the tables and put host Padi Boyd in the interview seat. Padi shares stories from her time with NASA’s groundbreaking Kepler mission, which showed us many more exoplanets—planets orbiting other stars—than we had previously discovered. She also tells us about her dream astronomical dinner companion and her go-to karaoke song. Plus, we'll wrap up another season of wild and wonderful adventures by answering questions from listeners like you and sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits from Season 6 episodes. For the first time, this episode of Curious Universe is also available as a video podcast. Check it out at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse and NASA’s YouTube channel: youtu.be/h0wLZJeYGxw
S6 E7 · Tue, December 19, 2023
A Year in Mars Dune Alpha
To prepare for the day when humans travel to Mars, NASA is conducting a one-year experiment in a Mars simulation environment. So what’s it like to spend a year in CHAPEA, the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog? In this season finale episode, travel through the airlock with voice recordings made by the four-person crew, including what it feels like—and smells like—inside their realistic 3-D printed habitat and how virtual reality gives them the sensation of walking on the Red Planet. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
S6 E6 · Tue, December 12, 2023
Exploring the Early Universe with Webb
The James Webb Space Telescope promised to show us “baby pictures” of the universe. Now in its second year of science, Webb is fulfilling that promise—and more. NASA scientists Jane Rigby, Taylor Hutchison, and Gerónimo Villanueva explain how they use Webb to peer back to the earliest stages of the universe and examine stunning plumes of water in our own solar system. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
S6 E5 · Tue, December 05, 2023
Special Delivery from Outer Space
On September 24, 2023, a capsule from space parachuted down into the Utah desert. Tucked inside it were 4.5-billion-year-old bits of rock and dust from a faraway asteroid named Bennu collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. These pristine space rocks, which contain carbon and other building blocks of life, could rewrite scientists’ understanding of our solar system. In this episode, sit in mission control and ride aboard helicopters with asteroid mission leaders like Dante Lauretta and Mike Moreau for a behind-the-scenes look at the OSIRIS-REx sample return mission’s epic conclusion. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
S6 E4 · Tue, November 28, 2023
Tiny but Mighty
What do air pollution, thunder clouds and climate change have in common? Aerosols! These tiny particles, generated by everything from desert dust storms to car exhaust, play a huge role in our atmosphere, affecting our health when we breathe them in and even changing the weather. Globally, they play an even bigger role, changing how much sunlight gets through to Earth’s surface and heating or cooling our entire planet. Through new satellite missions, NASA atmospheric scientists like Kirk Knobelspiesse and public health experts like Susan Anenberg are working together to untangle aerosol mysteries. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
S6 E3 · Tue, November 21, 2023
How You (Yes, You!) Can Do Science With NASA
Anyone can participate in the process of NASA science and engineering through what we call citizen science, regardless of your citizenship. You might have heard it called “participatory science” or “community science.” It all means that thousands of people around the world are helping the professionals make discoveries about our planet, our solar system, and our universe at large, through these projects. Meet three volunteers whose perspectives have changed by participating in citizen science. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
S6 E2 · Tue, November 14, 2023
Hum of the Sun
What does space sound like? It’s a question that has fascinated composers and scientists alike throughout history. Through a process called data sonification, heliophysicists are using NASA satellites like audio recorders to listen to the electromagnetic symphony our Sun plays, and making new discoveries along the way. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
S6 E1 · Tue, November 07, 2023
Welcome to the Dark Side
Normal matter—the kind that makes up our home planet and everything we can see—adds up to just five percent of the known universe. The other 95 percent is dark matter and dark energy, a tag team that ranks among the biggest mysteries in all of science. NASA astrophysicists Jason Rhodes and Ami Choi explain how we study this dark side and why it’s making scientists reconsider what we think we know about the universe. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
Trailer · Tue, October 31, 2023
Introducing Season Six
In season six, meet researchers who are using sounds from the Sun to unlock new details about our star, explore the “dark side” of the universe with scientists who study dark matter and dark energy, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the first NASA mission to deliver an asteroid sample to Earth. A new episode drops every Tuesday. NASA's Curious Universe is an official NASA podcast. Discover more adventures with NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other experts at nasa.gov/curiousuniverse
S5 E8 · Tue, April 11, 2023
To the Stars with Jessica Watkins
In this special season five finale episode, join NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, self-proclaimed “rock nerd” on a journey to the stars.
S5 E7 · Tue, April 04, 2023
Suiting up for Space
Spacesuits are more than just garments – in the airless vacuum of space or on the freezing surface of the moon, they keep astronauts alive. Explore how NASA engineers like Amy Ross and Paromita Mitra have contributed to the development of the next generation of spacesuits.
S5 E6 · Tue, March 28, 2023
Field Notes: Nhulunbuy, Australia
Tropical rainforests, snowy mountain peaks, even the Australian outback – NASA experts travel to a wide range of environments right here on Earth to better understand our universe. Miles Hatfield, NASA heliophysics science writer, recaps a recent reporting trip to cover a sounding rocket launch in Australia’s remote Northern Territories.
S5 E5 · Tue, March 21, 2023
How to Build A Spacecraft
Spacecraft go through a lot - exploring dangerous worlds across the cold expanse of space. Not to mention the chaos of a launch! So how do we build a mission that can take on dangerous environments and the harrowing trip to reach them? Explore the world of mission-building with scientists from Venus’ DAVINCI mission.
S5 E4 · Tue, March 14, 2023
Stargazers Welcome
The night sky isn’t just for experts, it belongs to all of us! And we here at NASA love to encourage people to go out and take a look. Amateur astronomer Kevin Hartnett, Hubble Social Media Lead Elizabeth Tammi, and the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt take us on a tour of the stars and share how you can join from your own backyard.
S5 E3 · Tue, March 07, 2023
Wildfires from Space
Wherever you live on Earth, wildfires touch your life. Explore how NASA scientist Doug Morton and Canadian firefighter-turned-researcher Josh Johnston use satellites to track the changing landscape of wildfires from space.
S5 E2 · Tue, February 28, 2023
The Invisible World of Gravitational Waves
Information about the universe is all around us. But there’s more than meets the eye! Gravitational waves are the invisible ripples in spacetime caused by supermassive interstellar activity. Join astrophysicists Ira Thorpe and Judy Racusin on an exploration of how NASA studies these unseen bends in time and space.
S5 E1 · Tue, February 21, 2023
Defending the Planet from Asteroids
Our solar system contains millions of asteroids, orbiting our sun and rocketing through the night sky! Join scientists Kelly Fast, Tom Statler, and Davide Farnocchia as we discover what we can learn from these building blocks of the universe, and how NASA would respond if one were ever headed our way.
S5 Enull · Mon, February 13, 2023
Introducing Season Five
In season five, join us as we fight wildfires, defend the Earth from asteroids, and explore the invisible world of gravitational waves! New episodes every Tuesday.
S1 Enull · Tue, December 13, 2022
Bonus: Happy Holidays from NASA!
Before we return with season five in 2023, celebrate the holidays with us! Join Goddard news chief Rob Garner, NASA social media lead Stephanie L. Smith, and astronaut Shannon Walker on this special, holiday-themed bonus episode.
S4 E8 · Tue, July 12, 2022
Webb’s First Images
On July 12, 2022, a fundamentally new era of exploring our universe begins. This special season finale episode features an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope’s first detailed cosmic images. Learn what this historic moment means from astronomer Michelle Thaller.
S4 E7 · Tue, July 05, 2022
Field Notes: Astronaut Shannon Walker
From dusty deserts to icy mountain tops, NASA experts visit incredible places along their career path. But what about our explorers who take their work off the Earth? Join astronaut Shannon Walker on a look back at her excursions into space.
S4 E6 · Tue, June 28, 2022
Up & Away with Sounding Rockets
Explore sounding rockets, and the experiments they take to the skies, with space physicist Alexa Halford and sounding rocket program assistant chief Cathy Hesh.
S4 E5 · Tue, June 21, 2022
The Search For Life: Are We Alone?
Are we alone in the universe? It's a question studied in science fiction, but also by teams here at NASA. Join us as we search for signs of life outside of Earth with scientists Aki Roberge, Ravi Kopparapu, and Shawn Domagal-Goldman.
S4 E4 · Tue, June 14, 2022
How to Grow Plants in Space
As humanity sets its sights on longer-term life in space, we’re going to need ways to sustain ourselves. That’s where plants come into play! Take a tour of Kennedy Space Center’s lush Plant Processing Area with Ray Wheeler, Ralph Fritsche, and Gioia Massa - the scientists studying how to grow food in space!
S4 E3 · Tue, June 07, 2022
Going Supersonic!
When a plane flies faster than the speed of sound, you get a sonic boom! But what if we could change those physics? Join NASA test pilot Nils Larson and aerospace engineer Lori Ozoroski to hear how we’re flying faster than the speed of sound, and making that supersonic flight quieter, too.
S4 E2 · Tue, May 31, 2022
Earth’s Weather Watchers
Planets throughout the universe are full of fascinating weather, including Earth! Hear how NASA and NOAA work together to predict, monitor, and respond to Earth’s ever-changing weather. Explore Earth’s weather with Dalia Kirschbaum, Marangelly Fuentes, and Dan Lindsey.
S4 E1 · Tue, May 24, 2022
Mysteries of the Moon
The Moon is our constant cosmic companion and the only planetary body outside of Earth where humans have set foot. As we prepare to head back to the Moon with the Artemis program, let's take a look at what we know about this wonderful and mysterious natural satellite.
S1 Enull · Tue, May 17, 2022
Introducing Season Four
In season four, explore the lifesaving systems of space suits, break through the sound barrier, and search for life among the stars. First-time space explorers welcome.
S1 Enull · Tue, March 29, 2022
Bonus: Still Curious?
At NASA, we are driven by curiosity, and we know you are too! Join us as we hear from our previous episode experts about what they’re interested in and answer some questions from listeners like you. What are you still curious about?
S1 Enull · Tue, December 14, 2021
Webb Space Telescope: Go for Launch with ESA Expert
After years of preparation and anticipation, it’s time to send the world’s most powerful telescope to space. Ariane 5 rocket expert Rudi Albat (ESA) takes you through launch day and describes why the launcher that will carry Webb to its final destination is one of a kind.
S1 Enull · Tue, December 07, 2021
Webb Space Telescope: The Global Village
A scientist from Italy who studies baby stars. A Californian spacecraft refrigeration pioneer. A Dominican-American engineer who saw space as her refuge from a tough life at home. Meet three people who represent a small slice of the thousands who have worked on Webb worldwide.
S1 Enull · Tue, November 30, 2021
Webb Space Telescope: Building the Next Discovery Machine
Webb is preparing for a million-mile journey to its lookout point over the universe. Engineers have been hard at work designing, installing, and testing the world’s next discovery machine that will change astronomy for years to come. Join Kenneth Harris, Joe Sprofera, and Rene Doyon as they explain what it took to engineer Webb
S1 Enull · Tue, November 23, 2021
Webb Space Telescope: Into the Unknown
The James Webb Space Telescope is going to open a new window into the universe. It will show us stars, galaxies, planets, and other objects as we’ve never seen them before. In the first of four episodes of our mini-series, we focus on the great science that Webb will do.
S1 Enull · Tue, November 16, 2021
Curious Universe: Introducing the Webb Space Telescope Mini-Series
NASA is preparing to launch the largest and most powerful space telescope ever constructed. Join us for a special James Webb Space Telescope mini-series as we explore the science, engineering, people, and launch of this historic mission.
S1 Enull · Mon, August 30, 2021
A Day in Space
Have you ever dreamed of spending a day in space? Join astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, and Thomas Pesquet throughout their day living and working on the International Space Station.
S1 Enull · Mon, August 23, 2021
Journey to Venus
Let’s go to Venus! This year, two NASA missions were chosen to explore Earth’s “twin” planet, Venus. But with extreme temperatures and toxic clouds, these missions have to prepare for a difficult journey. Join Venus experts Jim Garvin, Sue Smrekar, and Giada Arney on a tour of Earth’s “twisted sister”.
S1 Enull · Mon, August 16, 2021
Rocket Assembly Required
Twenty-four American astronauts went to the moon between 1968 and 1972. In the next few years, we are going back. To get there, we’ll need a dedicated team, and a powerful new rocket. NASA’s Sharon Cobb and Abdiel Santos Galindo take us through the many, many steps involved in preparing for launch.
S1 Enull · Mon, August 09, 2021
Plasma, Plasma, Everywhere!
The night sky is full of planets, satellites, and cosmic objects we can see with our eyes and telescopes. In between all that material there’s a huge amount of invisible matter and the vast majority of it is called plasma. Follow along with scientists Doug Rowland and Don Gurnett, as we journey through this mysterious and electrifying substance.
S1 Enull · Mon, August 02, 2021
Curious Universe: Building Highways in the Sky
When you think of NASA, you probably think about outer space. But the first “A” in NASA - aeronautics - means we’re busy crafting a lot closer to home. Aerospace engineers Shivanjli Sharma, David Zahn, and Mike Guminsky are hard at work inventing and testing new ways to fly.
S1 Enull · Mon, July 26, 2021
Curious Universe: Earth’s Expanding Oceans
With Earth’s recent record-breaking temperatures, the pace of sea level rise has accelerated. NASA scientists take us on a trip into their research right here on our home planet. Join us as we fly over Antarctic ice sheets and consult with orbiting satellites on this exploration of our changing Earth.
S1 Enull · Mon, July 19, 2021
Curious Universe: Interpreting Our Universe
You’ve probably seen beautiful images of space taken from telescopes around the world and out in orbit. But how does a bunch of intergalactic information become a vibrant photograph? And what else can we see, feel, and hear from that data? Scientists Kenneth Carpenter, Kimberly Arcand, and Denna Lambert help us translate the universe.
S1 Enull · Mon, July 12, 2021
Curious Universe: Let’s Go Planet-Hunting!
What do we know about the planets outside our solar system? NASA planet hunters Jessie Christiansen and Knicole Colon take us beyond...into the exciting world of exoplanets.
S1 Enull · Wed, July 07, 2021
Introducing Season Three of Curious Universe
Our universe is a wild and wonderful place. Join NASA astronauts, scientists and engineers on a new adventure each week — all you need is your curiosity.
S1 Enull · Mon, February 22, 2021
Sounds of Mars
On February 18, 2021, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover completed its 300 million mile journey and landed safely on the Red Planet. Here’s what it heard. This special episode of NASA’s Curious Universe features the first-ever raw recorded sounds from Mars. Jim Green, David Gruel and Erisa Stilley explain what you're hearing.
S1 Enull · Mon, November 23, 2020
Inside a Black Hole
Don't let the name fool you: a black hole is anything but empty space. Black holes are some of the most extreme, bizarre and fascinating objects in the universe. Regina Caputo and Jeremy Schnittman describe what it might be like to go hunting for one.
S1 Enull · Mon, November 16, 2020
The Crawlers
A pair of behemoth machines called crawler-transporters have carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launchpad for more than 50 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
S1 Enull · Mon, November 09, 2020
Seasons of the Sun
As Earth makes its annual trip around the Sun, we feel the impacts of its journey in the form of seasons. Our planet’s tilt in relation to the Sun determines what season we experience here on Earth. But, did you know that the Sun goes through seasons too? Delores Knipp, Dean Pesnell and Sabrina Savage explain.
S1 Enull · Mon, November 02, 2020
From Space to Farm
Farmers rely on the accuracy of a crucial NASA and USGS mission, Landsat, to make decisions about crops. Those decisions have far-reaching implications that can impact what you see on your dinner plate!
S1 Enull · Mon, October 26, 2020
Our Cosmic Time Machine, The James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope will explore every phase of cosmic history: from the formation of the very first galaxies in the early universe, to our cosmic backyard of the Solar System. Webb is the largest space telescope NASA has ever built and it is almost ready to make its journey about one million miles from Earth.
S1 Enull · Mon, October 19, 2020
Asteroid Hunting
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will attempt a daring feat: to briefly reach out its mechanical arm and grab a sample from an asteroid’s surface. Dante Lauretta, Heather Enos, and Ron Mink introduce you to NASA’s asteroid hunter and what this sample return mission means for us here on Earth.
S1 Enull · Mon, October 12, 2020
Our Laboratory in Space
Orbiting 250 miles above Earth, astronauts aboard the International Space Station explore farther into our solar system and work on thousands of studies that will help us back here on Earth. Join ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and NASA scientist Sharmila Bhattacharya on an adventure to our “orbiting laboratory.”
S1 Enull · Mon, October 05, 2020
Introducing NASA’s Curious Universe Season Two
Our universe is a wild and wonderful place. Join NASA astronauts, scientists and engineers on a new adventure each week — all you need is your curiosity. Go asteroid hunting, explore faraway galaxies, and watch a black hole as it begins to form. First-time space explorers welcome.
S1 Enull · Tue, July 21, 2020
We're Going to Mars!
In this episode of our Curious Universe podcast, join us on a journey to the Red Planet.
S1 Enull · Sun, May 17, 2020
The Star in Our Backyard
Our Sun holds the solar system together and is responsible for life as we know it. Though it may seem calm and unchanging, the Sun is dynamic. Join NASA solar scientists on a trip around the Sun, our lively and mysterious neighborhood star.
S1 Enull · Mon, May 11, 2020
Field Notes: Grand Mesa, Colorado
Snowmobile rides. Deep-sea dives. Forest treks. NASA experts travel to some amazing environments, from the very hot to the very cold, to learn more about our planet. Jessica Merzdorf, Earth science writer, recaps a February field campaign in Grand Mesa, Colorado.
S1 Enull · Sun, May 03, 2020
Sewing for Spaceflight
Sewing machines, tape, scissors. Just like you might visit a tailor to get your pants hemmed or your suit fitted, NASA calls on a group of very creative problem-solvers to custom-make protective shields for our space missions.
S1 Enull · Mon, April 27, 2020
The Astronaut Training Pool
Before astronauts head to space, they have to dive into the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. Take a swim in NASA's underwater training ground with astronaut Nick Hague.
S1 Enull · Sun, April 19, 2020
Our Window to the Stars
Decades of planning. One heart-pounding setback. Over a million mesmerizing images of space. This is the story of the Hubble Space Telescope, our window to the stars.
S1 Enull · Sun, April 12, 2020
Only on Earth
When you think of NASA, you might think of all the incredible mysteries of outer space. But we’re also pretty invested in another very special place … our home. In this episode, join us as we celebrate all the ways NASA keeps an eye on our home planet.
S1 Enull · Wed, April 01, 2020
Introducing NASA’s Curious Universe
Our universe is a wild and wonderful place. Join NASA astronauts, scientists and engineers on a new adventure each week — all you need is your curiosity. First-time space explorers welcome.
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