Innovation Now
Short-form stories highlighting space-related research and emerging technologies.
A Robotic Workhorse
The episode spotlights Canadarm2, the 17‑meter robotic arm that serves as the Swiss‑army‑knife of the International Space Station. Launched in 2001, the titanium arm with seven motorized joints and dual latching end effectors has been crucial for ISS assembly, ongoing maintenance, moving supplies and astronauts, and capturing visiting spacecraft. Crew members train on the arm every 60 days to stay proficient, highlighting its versatility and the importance of human‑robot collaboration in space operations. Host Jennifer Pulley frames the discussion within the broader context of innovative technologies shaping the future.
A Sight So Profound
In this episode of Innovation Now, host Jennifer Pulley explores the "overview effect"—the profound shift in perspective astronauts experience when viewing Earth from space. Featuring insights from historic figures like Alan Shepard and current crew members Christina Koch and Victor...
The Mercury 7
The episode recounts the historic selection of NASA's Mercury 7, America's first astronauts, on April 9, 1959. It outlines the stringent criteria—age under 40, height under 5'11", a bachelor's degree, test‑pilot school graduation, and 1,500 jet‑flight hours—that narrowed the field...
No Threat of Impact
The episode explains how NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was used to track asteroid 2024 YR4, which had a 4.3% chance of impacting Earth or the Moon. Recent JWST observations refined the object's orbit, confirming it will safely pass...
GlennICE
In this episode, host Jennifer Pulley discusses NASA's new software tool, Glenn Ice, which models aircraft icing by simulating droplet impact and ice formation in various flight conditions. The tool builds on decades of wind‑tunnel research and industry‑standard icing codes,...
Monitoring the Sun
The episode explains how NASA and NOAA will continuously monitor solar activity to protect Artemis astronauts venturing beyond Earth's magnetic shield. It details space weather hazards such as solar particle events, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections, and describes the...
The First Weather Satellite
The episode chronicles NASA's launch of the first weather satellite, Tyros (Television Infrared Observation Satellite), on April 1, 1960, and its role in proving that space‑based cloud imaging could improve forecasting. It explains how the Goddard‑managed mission tested TV cloud‑cover...
Tracking Artemis II
The episode explains how the Artemis II mission will let the public track NASA’s Orion spacecraft in real time using the Artemis Real‑Time Orbit website and the Aero mobile app, which features an augmented‑reality view of Orion’s position relative to the...
Legacy Keepsakes
In this episode of Innovation Now, host Jennifer Pulley explores the symbolic mementos aboard NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed test flight of the Artemis program. The flight kit carries roughly 10 lb of artifacts, including a swath of Wright Flyer...
Cold Tech Electronics
In this episode of Innovation Now, host Jennifer Pulley explores the development of "cold tech" electronics designed to operate in the extreme, frigid environments of ocean worlds like Europa, Enceladus, and Titan. Researchers at Georgia Tech, in collaboration with NASA's...
Changing Course
The episode explores NASA's DART mission, which deliberately crashed into the asteroid Dimorphis, part of a binary system with Didymus, and how the impact altered both the moons' mutual orbit and the system's path around the Sun. Researchers found that...
Cryocooler
In this episode of Innovation Now, host Jennifer Pulley explores how cryogenic technology could break the rocket fuel cycle by enabling astronauts to produce liquid oxygen on the Moon or Mars. NASA Glenn researchers are testing a cryo‑cooler, funded through...
Moving People and Cargo
In this episode, NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Pathfinders Project discusses how emerging air taxi technologies can be safely integrated into urban airspace and the national system. The team highlights collaborations with government, academia, and industry to develop standards, procedures,...
Martian Spiderwebs
In this episode of Innovation Now, host Jennifer Pulley explores NASA's Curiosity rover's recent investigation of Martian "spiderweb" boxwork formations—tall, ridged structures that hint at ancient groundwater flow. The rover navigated the narrow, towering ridges, collected samples, and transmitted high‑resolution...
On the Menu
The episode explains how NASA selected and prepared the 189 shelf-stable menu items for the Artemis II mission, given the spacecraft’s lack of refrigeration, resupply, and late‑load capability. It details the constraints on food types—no fresh foods, no freeze‑dried meals...
