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EPISODE 146: SPACE MEDICINE – BODY AND MIND
Research breakthroughs that keep astronauts healthy in space are also transforming medicine here at home.
![Small Steps, Giant Leaps Logo](https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Small_Steps_Giant_Leaps_Podcast_Cover_V2_300x300-300x300.jpg)
Small Steps, Giant Leaps
Tap into the experiences of NASA’s technical workforce as they develop missions to explore distant worlds—from the Moon to Mars, from Titan to Psyche. Learn how they advance technology to make aviation on Earth faster, quieter and more fuel efficient. Each biweekly episode celebrates program and project managers, engineers, scientists and thought leaders working on multiple fronts to advance aeronautics and space exploration in a bold new era of discovery. New episodes are released bi-weekly on Wednesdays.
![The curvature of Earth as seen from the space station.](https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/5091372229_94378deb09_c-e1737204397574-300x300.jpg)
EPISODE 145: PAM MELROY: BEHIND THE STRATEGY
Former NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, who left NASA after many years of service, looks back on her career and shares her approach to designing the blueprints for key NASA exploration strategies during her tenure. Read More
![With the lights out, the ISRU Pilot Excavator digs in regolith bin during testing inside Swamp Works at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2022. Tests use a gravity assist offload system to simulate reduced gravity conditions found on the Moon. On the surface of the Moon, mining robots like the Pilot Excavator will excavate the regolith and take the material to a processing plant where usable elements such as hydrogen, oxygen and water can be extracted for life support systems. The Pilot Excavator can scoop up icy regolith which can be used to make operations on the Moon sustainable. Image Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux](https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/podcast-144-IPEx-Moon-Excavator-300x300.jpg)
EPISODE 144: MINING THE MOON WITH NASA’S IPEX ROBOT
What does it take to mine the Moon? Engineers behind NASA's ISRU Pilot Excavator, known as IPEx, are digging into the answers. Read More
![A man uses a virtual reality headset with controls in each hand. Credit: NASA](https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/jsc2024e012563medium-300x300.jpg)
EPISODE 143: NASA TRAINING SIMULATORS
Before leaving the ground, astronauts prepare for spaceflight by immersing themselves in life-like training simulators. NASA’s Simulations and Graphics Branch makes it happen, and it’s critical to the success of humans in space. Read More
![Artist rendering of the Europa Clipper spacecraft flying near Jupiter's moon, Europa. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech](https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ssgl-142-europa-clipper-square-300x300.png)
EPISODE 142: EUROPA CLIPPER: VOYAGE TO A WATER WORLD
Could Jupiter’s icy moon Europa harbor the conditions for life in the ocean beneath its icy crust? The Europa Clipper mission is on a voyage to find out. Read More
![The asteroid Dimorphos was captured by NASA’s DART mission just two seconds before the spacecraft struck its surface on Sept. 26, 2022. Observations of the asteroid before and after impact suggest it is a loosely packed “rubble pile” object. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL](https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1-dimorphos-before-impact-dart-300x300.webp)
EPISODE 141: PLANETARY DEFENSE AT NASA
The best planetary defense is a good planetary offense. Learn how NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office works to detect, track, and mitigate threats from asteroids and other near-Earth objects. Read More
![Illustration of a neural network, showing various connections in bright blues and whites.](https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/dt-artificialintelligence-bannerimage-scaled-e1728966261544-300x300.webp)
EPISODE 140: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AT NASA
NASA has a long history with AI, using it in technology like autonomous Mars rover navigation and detecting planets in other solar systems. Today, NASA is embracing AI for more members of the workforce, enabling innovation. Read More
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EPISODE 139: NASA’S COSMIC ORIGINS PROGRAM
Where did we come from? It’s the ultimate question. Drs. Ron Gamble and Swara Ravindranath, scientists for NASA’s Cosmic Origins Program, are working to find out. Read More
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EPISODE 138: THE SUN, STAR OF OUR COSMIC SHOW
The Sun is the star of our cosmic show, but there’s a lot we don’t know about it. Dr. Joseph Westlake, director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, talks about how NASA studies the Sun for the benefit of all. Read More
![An illustration of the Roman Space Telescope in space. The violet background represents the cosmos. Credit: NASA](https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NASARoman-1-e1725456834625-300x300.webp)
EPISODE 137: THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE – UNCOVERING THE DARK UNIVERSE
Set to launch in 2027, the Roman Space Telescope will help settle pressing questions about dark matter and dark energy, which make up about 95% of the universe. Read More