Description (podcaster-provided):
A journey to the stars doesn’t just begin at the launchpad. Discover new worlds through epic stories told by scientists on missions to outer space.
Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ NASA space missions and exploration • Mars rovers and helicopter engineering • landing, power, driving, drilling and sampling • search for life and sample return • Voyager and Earth-from-space science • asteroids, impacts and deflection • planetary geology, climate, oceans, ice and volcanoes
This podcast tells science and engineering stories from the people behind NASA missions, with an emphasis on how exploration unfolds from early concepts through operations in space. Across the episodes, scientists and engineers describe the design decisions, uncertainties, and problem-solving that shape robotic missions, especially those aimed at Mars. A major thread follows the evolution of Mars surface exploration: how rovers are built to survive, land safely, generate and manage power, navigate terrain, and use tools like drills and scoops to study rocks and soil for clues about the planet’s history and potential habitability. The podcast also looks at aerial scouting on Mars through helicopter technology and at the long arcs of multi-year missions, including how discoveries accumulate over time and how teams respond to surprises and hidden flaws.
Beyond Mars, the show broadens to other parts of the solar system and to Earth science. It explores small-body missions focused on asteroids—how they’re found and tracked, what impact hazards mean for Earth, strategies for planetary defense, and why returning samples or visiting metal-rich objects matters scientifically. It also features deep-space perspective through spacecraft like Voyager, using distant vantage points to reflect on Earth’s place in the cosmos.
Another set of episodes focuses on Earth as a dynamic planet observed through space-based and field science, covering topics such as volcanoes, earthquakes, oceans and rivers, ice sheets, clouds, air pollution, hurricanes, wildfires, and the links to climate change. Interwoven throughout are accounts of the human side of missions: international collaboration, career journeys, and the teamwork required to build and operate spacecraft.
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Episodes:
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Secrets of the Mars Rovers – S4E12
2023-Mar-08
51 minutes
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Digging In: When Rovers Get Dirt on Mars - S4E11
2023-Jan-12
53 minutes
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The Power of the Rovers – S4E10
2022-Nov-14
41 minutes
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Before You Can Drive, First You Have to Fly – S4E9
2022-Oct-03
56 minutes
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How to Drive a Mars Rover – S4E8
2022-Aug-25
41 minutes
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Flying with Ingenuity: the Mars Helicopter – S4E7
2022-Jul-20
58 minutes
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The Promise of Perseverance – S4E6
2022-Jun-08
52 minutes
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A Ton of Curiosity - S4E5
2022-Apr-21
53 minutes
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A Lifetime on Mars: The Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity - S4E4
2022-Mar-16
53 minutes
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Rise of the Twins: Spirit and Opportunity - S4E3
2022-Feb-16
43 minutes
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First Steps: Sojourner - S4E2
2022-Jan-18
43 minutes
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Driven to Mars - S4E1
2021-Dec-20
43 minutes
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Season 4 Preview: Mars Rovers
2021-Dec-14
1 minute
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Season 3, Episode 10: A Voyager’s View of Earth
2020-Dec-22
41 minutes
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Season 3, Episode 9: Life Bound
2020-Dec-15
35 minutes
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Season 3, Episode 8: Fueled by Fire
2020-Dec-08
41 minutes
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Season 3, Episode 7: Storm Warning
2020-Dec-01
36 minutes
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Season 3, Episode 6: Air and Shield
2020-Nov-24
42 minutes
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Season 3, Episode 5: Frozen in Time
2020-Nov-17
38 minutes
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Season 3, Episode 4: A World Shaped by Water
2020-Nov-10
40 minutes
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Season Three, Episode 3: On the Surface
2020-Nov-03
37 minutes
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Season Three, Episode 2: Genesis
2020-Oct-27
33 minutes
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Season Three, Episode 1: An Astronaut’s View of Earth
2020-Oct-20
41 minutes
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Season Three, Episode 0: To the Ends of the Earth
2020-Oct-14
less than a minute
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Season Two, Episode 10: Comets: A Love Story
2019-Dec-10
43 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 9: Hunting in the Dark for Monsters
2019-Dec-03
42 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 8: Diamonds in the Ice
2019-Nov-26
40 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 7: Planet Asteroid
2019-Nov-19
34 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 6: The Prospects of Heavy Metal
2019-Nov-12
32 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 5: Catch a Falling Star
2019-Nov-05
31 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 4: Deflecting Disaster
2019-Oct-29
31 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 3: Bracing for a Crash
2019-Oct-22
34 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 2: Impact!
2019-Oct-15
28 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 1 - The Sky Is Falling
2019-Oct-08
27 minutes
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Season Two, Episode 0 - Asteroids!
2019-Oct-03
1 minute
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Bonus episode: InSight’s Insights
2019-Oct-02
45 minutes
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Arrival
2018-Nov-20
23 minutes
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We Are the World
2018-Nov-20
19 minutes
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Worlds of Wonder
2018-Nov-13
20 minutes
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Robots Lend a Hand
2018-Nov-13
24 minutes
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A Matter of Life and Death
2018-Nov-05
24 minutes
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True Grit on the Road to Mars
2018-Nov-05
29 minutes
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Music of the Spheres
2018-Oct-29
26 minutes
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The Danger of Going to Mars
2018-Oct-29
19 minutes
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Episode 0, Trailer
2018-Oct-16
1 minute
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