Advertise on podcast: Small Steps, Giant Leaps

Dr. Cynthia Null, NASA Technical Fellow for Human Factors, discusses the myths of human limitations and how she got involved in the scientific discipline of human factors.

Dr. Cynthia Null, NASA Technical Fellow for Human Factors, discusses how understanding human capabilities and limitations can help engineers reduce risk and design safer, more successful missions from the start.

Heather Koehler, NASA Technical Fellow for Flight Mechanics, explains how knowledge at NASA is passed from person to person, program to program.

NASA’s experimental X-59 airplane went supersonic for the first time on June 5, 2026. What's next for the mission that aims to reopen the skies to quiet commercial supersonic flight?

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station depend on life support systems that provide clean air, drinkable water, and a safe, livable environment. These systems are what make long-duration spaceflight not only possible, but comfortable. Today, some of these space station technologies have been adapted for Artemis – specifically, aboard the Orion crew capsule.

Ground teams connect with astronauts aboard the International Space Station to help them carry out research and experiments. Kassandra Stephens, payload communications manager at the Payload Operations Integration Center at Marshall Space Flight Center, works with space station crews to get science done.

A NASA research program collaborates with universities to revolutionize the way we design, build, and operate aircraft. Angela Surgenor, deputy program director of the Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program, explains.

Before scientists can use those satellite imagery for research, the data must be carefully calibrated to ensure measurements are accurate and consistent over time. Julia Barsi, NASA calibration scientist, explains.

Space nuclear power and propulsion engineering could play a key role in sending robots and humans to deep space, enabling faster and farther journeys.

The “test like you fly” approach is an engineering philosophy that means testing hardware, software, and flight operations as close to reality as possible. Erika Alvarez, deputy director of NASA's Space Systems Department, explains.

So-called “soft skills” like good teamwork and communication can become just as valuable as technical skills to advance exploration.

NASA pilots play a critical role in launch and recovery operations. Shannon Gregory, chief of flight operations at Kennedy Space Center, shares how his team supports crewed launches from the air, capturing real-time imagery, and staying ready for the unexpected.

Studying planets in other solar systems isn’t easy, especially when their host stars keep stealing the spotlight. NASA’s Pandora mission will cut through the noise, revealing what the atmospheres of these distant worlds are really made of.

For any crew returning to Earth from space, the journey home includes a carefully choreographed recovery effort to bring them safely back on dry land after splashing down in the ocean. Christine St. Germain, NASA recovery director for the Commercial Crew Program, tells us about this critical phase of flight.

NASA's Dragonfly spacecraft, a rotorcraft the size of a small car, is set to explore Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Rich in organic compounds, Titan offers a rare window into the kinds of chemical conditions that may have existed on Earth long before life began.