NASA's Curious Universe

Season 1

1. Introducing NASA’s Curious Universe

   Show notes

   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.

   Apr 1, 2020 2 min

2. Only on Earth

   Show notes

   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.

   Apr 12, 2020 18 min

3. Our Window to the Stars

   Show notes

   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.

   Apr 19, 2020 17 min

4. The Astronaut Training Pool

   Show notes

   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.

   Apr 27, 2020 18 min

5. Sewing for Spaceflight

   Show notes

   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.

   May 3, 2020 15 min

6. Field Notes: Grand Mesa, Colorado

   Show notes

   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.

   May 11, 2020 9 min

7. The Star in Our Backyard

   Show notes

   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.

   May 17, 2020 15 min

8. We're Going to Mars!

   Show notes

   In this episode of our Curious Universe podcast, join us on a journey to the Red Planet.

   Jul 21, 2020 19 min

9. Introducing NASA’s Curious Universe Season Two

   Show notes

   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.

   Oct 5, 2020 2 min

10. Our Laboratory in Space

    Show notes

    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.”

    Oct 12, 2020 19 min

11. Asteroid Hunting

    Show notes

    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.

    Oct 19, 2020 22 min

12. Our Cosmic Time Machine, The James Webb Space Telescope

    Show notes

    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.

    Oct 26, 2020 19 min

13. From Space to Farm

    Show notes

    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!

    Nov 2, 2020 21 min

14. Seasons of the Sun

    Show notes

    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.

    Nov 9, 2020 21 min

15. The Crawlers

    Show notes

    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.

    Nov 16, 2020 20 min

16. Inside a Black Hole

    Show notes

    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.

    Nov 23, 2020 20 min

17. Sounds of Mars

    Show notes

    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.

    Feb 22, 2021 16 min

18. Introducing Season Three of Curious Universe

    Show notes

    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.

    Jul 7, 2021 1 min

19. Curious Universe: Let’s Go Planet-Hunting!

    Show notes

    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.

    Jul 12, 2021 19 min

20. Curious Universe: Interpreting Our Universe

    Show notes

    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.

    Jul 19, 2021 23 min