Innovation Now
Short-form stories highlighting space-related research and emerging technologies.
Simulating the Launch
In this episode, Innovation Now explores how NASA engineers used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to simulate the Artemis II rocket’s exhaust plume interactions with air, water, and the launch pad. The simulations helped refine water‑suppression system pressures and adapt the mobile launcher platform to protect the vehicle, equipment, and personnel from harmful acoustic energy. The CFD tool, developed under NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technologies Project, is slated for release to the broader aerospace industry, enabling U.S. companies to run their own high‑fidelity simulations for rockets and aircraft.
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...
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...
Commercial Space Stations
The episode explores NASA's shift toward agency‑backed commercial space stations, focusing on STARLAB, the first next‑generation habitat designed to support human life and scientific research. It details STARLAB's modular design, the critical milestone reviews assessing safety and design, and the...
Tentacle Arms
The episode explores NASA's Astro-B robotic system on the International Space Station, focusing on its recent upgrade with tentacle-like arms equipped with gecko-inspired adhesive pads. These arms successfully wrapped around objects, demonstrating a new method for capturing free-floating items in...
The Heat Is On
The episode explains how atmospheric re‑entry testing is essential for space missions, focusing on Orion’s heat shield that must endure temperatures over 5,000 °F as the capsule returns at 25‑30 Mach. It describes the Artemis II re‑entry observation campaign, where a NASA‑equipped Gulfstream...
Postcards From Mars
In this episode of Innovation Now, host Jennifer Pohl recounts the historic moment when NASA's Mars rover Spirit captured the first image of Earth from another planet’s surface in 2004, a "morning star" seen during a solar transit. She explains...
A Rock From Venus
The episode explores a bold NASA NIAC concept to retrieve a rock from Venus using a high‑altitude balloon to produce fuel, a solar‑powered airplane with reverse skyhook technology, and an on‑site rocket to launch the sample to an orbiting return...
Nickel Titanium Tires
In this episode of Innovation Now, mechanical engineer Colin Krieger explains NASA's development of nickel‑titanium shape‑memory alloy spring tires designed to traverse Mars' rugged terrain. The tires can endure 30 times more deformation than traditional materials, enabling rovers to move...
Safely Aboard
Crew‑12 has arrived aboard the International Space Station for an eight‑month mission focused on experiments that will inform future Moon and Mars travel and benefit life on Earth. After docking, the crew unpacked science payloads from the Dragon capsule and...
Magnetic Extraction
In this episode, Innovation Now explores Georgia Tech researchers' magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) oxygen extraction concept, which uses a line of strong magnets to spin fluids and separate hydrogen and oxygen gases without moving parts. The technology could provide a reliable, low‑maintenance...
Moon Mission Spacesuit
The episode details the ongoing testing of Axiom Space's next‑generation Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) designed for NASA's Artemis III lunar mission. The new spacesuit offers greater flexibility, a broader size range, and integrated life‑support and protection systems to handle the Moon’s...
From Pluto to Pharmaceuticals
In this brief episode, the host explains how NASA employs spectroscopy to decode the composition of planets and their atmospheres, from distant bodies like Pluto to potential applications in drug discovery. By examining how light interacts with matter, scientists can...
Mars to Table
NASA is back for seconds with a new food system design challenge.
Harnessing Nuclear Power
In this brief episode, the hosts discuss NASA's renewed partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop safe nuclear power systems for space missions. They explain how compact fission reactors could provide reliable energy for deep‑space exploration, lunar bases,...
Spinoff 2026
NASA technology brings the golden age of exploration to Earth.
Designing the Future
Augmented Reality could help NASA produce future spacecraft for new missions of discovery.
The Crawler
In this brief 1‑minute‑30‑second episode, the host explains the engineering marvel of the massive crawler‑transporter that moves an eleven‑million‑pound rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building to a launch pad over four miles away. The discussion highlights the crawler’s massive weight,...
Testing Robotics in Space
The future of in-space robotics relies on testing operations in space.
Tissue Engineering
The winners from NASA’s Vascular Tissue Challenge are taking their Earth-based research to space.
First Flight
The episode chronicles NASA's historic first flight of the X‑59 Quiet Supersonic Transport, detailing the years of design, development, and testing that led to its October launch. It explains how the aircraft's innovative shape and engine technology aim to dramatically...
Protecting Human Health
NASA researchers monitor the atmospheric movement of pollutants to help protect human health.
Prioritizing Shortfalls
In this brief 1‑minute, 30‑second episode, NASA discusses how it is leveraging the rapid growth of the U.S. space economy to shape its own technology investment strategy. The agency highlights the importance of identifying and prioritizing “shortfalls” – capability gaps...
Molecular Oxygen
In this episode, the host explores NASA's innovative approach to extracting molecular oxygen from lunar regolith by separating it from solid metals embedded in moon dust and rock. The discussion covers the underlying chemical processes, the engineering challenges of scaling...
Mysteries of Molten Metal
In this episode, researchers discuss groundbreaking experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station that explore the behavior of supercooled molten metal oxides in microgravity. They explain how eliminating Earth's gravity allows the metal to solidify without convection, revealing previously hidden...
NASA Delivered
The episode reviews NASA’s landmark achievements in 2025, spanning breakthroughs in aeronautics, deep‑space exploration, and planetary science. Highlights include the successful test of the X‑57 electric aircraft, the Artemis II crewed lunar flyby, and the Perseverance rover’s new sample‑return mission milestones....
Deorbiting Trash
The episode explores the growing problem of orbital debris and how Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft are being repurposed to deorbit trash from the International Space Station. It explains the mechanics of Cygnus’s re‑entry burn, the types of waste it can...
Spirit of Innovation
From astronaut gloves to space food, NASA Centennial Challenges looks to the public for solutions.
Trapped in the Lunar Dust
The episode explores the MSOLO mission’s plan to land on the Moon and analyze lunar regolith for traces of helium-3, a potential clean‑energy fuel. It explains how helium-3 could be trapped in the fine dust and why detecting it is...
A Slice of Space
The episode explains how the Europa Clipper mission uses a tiny segment of starfield imagery to pinpoint its trajectory and navigation in deep space. It details the technical process of star tracking, why a small slice is sufficient, and the...
Laser Beam Power
In this brief episode, researchers from Purdue University discuss their innovative project to harness laser beams for power generation by directing them at a lightweight, origami-inspired sail. They explain how the sail's foldable design maximizes surface area while remaining compact...
SPLICing the Way
The episode explores NASA's latest autonomous lunar landing technologies, focusing on the SPLICE system that integrates advanced sensors, AI navigation, and precision thrusters to enable safe, unmanned Moon landings. Hosts discuss how these innovations reduce risk, accelerate mission timelines, and...
Public Ingenuity
NASA is looking for solvers who can recycle waste into usable products.
Indoor Air
The episode explores how winter’s closed windows lead to stale indoor air and introduces a NASA spinoff technology that identifies houseplants capable of improving air quality. Listeners learn which specific plants are most effective at filtering pollutants and how to...
Celebrating Midnight
Astronauts on the International Space Station will pass midnight sixteen times on New Year’s Eve.
As Only Humans Can
The episode explores how Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) data is being used to equip astronauts with rapid visual analysis tools for an upcoming lunar flyby, enabling them to make split‑second geological inferences that only human intuition can provide. It highlights...
A Holiday Prank
The episode recounts how the Gemini VI crew, after their October mission was canceled, pivoted to a December launch aimed at achieving the historic first rendezvous with Gemini VII. It details the technical challenges of coordinating two spacecraft in orbit...