The Squid, the Gene, and the Martian Pharmacy: A NASA Scientist on Engineering Life for Space
Dr. Jamie Foster is working toward a multi-planet future, but her laboratory is far from the stark, sterile imagery of hard science fiction. As a professor at the University of Florida’s Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, Dr. Foster’s research is unique: her lab is situated at the Kennedy Space Center in a place called the Space Life Sciences Lab. Her team is focused on fundamental questions of survival: how do humans, animals, and the microbes they carry thrive in the punishing environment of space, and how do stresses like microgravity or radiation affect their health? “We’re definitely looking
Launching Space Careers: Bill West & the Space Workforce Institute
Bill West, Executive Director of the Space Workforce Institute, about the future of the space economy and the people powering it. Discover how new workforce standards, credentials, and training programs are opening doors for professionals from all backgrounds to launch their careers in space. From welders to cybersecurity experts — find out how you can be part of the next giant leap in the space industry. Susan Wise: Hi, and welcome to Stars Launch Pod, Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by StarSciences.org — where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. I'm your host, Susan Wise, and
Legged Robots & Lunar Soil: Douglas Jerolmack on NASA’s LASSIE & TRUSSES Projects
Geophysicist Douglas Jerolmack explores how legged robots are transforming planetary exploration. From NASA’s LASSIE and TRUSSES projects to surprising discoveries about lunar soil, crack patterns on Mars, and even the secret mud behind Major League Baseball, this episode reveals how persistence, creativity, and collaboration are driving the future of science—on Earth and beyond. Susan Wise: Hi, and welcome to Stars Launch Pod: Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by StarSciences.org, where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. I'm your host, Susan Wise, and I’m honored to have with us today Douglas Jerolmack, professor of Earth and Environmental
James Webb telescope spots strange ‘super-puff’ planet frantically chasing its own atmosphere through space
New James Webb telescope observations of the 'super-puff' planet WASP-107b show that the exoplanet's runaway atmosphere is frantically escaping into space. A "super-puff" exoplanet is leaking a lot of helium into space, new observations show — and may be in the process of losing a lot of its atmosphere. A large plume of helium gas was spotted evaporating from the giant planet, known as WASP-107b, according to research based on observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The results, published Monday (Dec. 1) in the journal Nature Astronomy, show that the gas spanned an area nearly five times
From Hatch to Orbit: The NASA Scientist Who Made the Chili Pepper the Future of Space Food
When Jacob Torres decided to pursue a master’s thesis at Purdue University, he was following a long tradition: studying in the Neil Armstrong building and finding inspiration in the legacy of NASA engineers and astronauts. But while his initial sights were set on high-tech engineering—like applying for roles on the Mars 2020 rover project, the Solar Parker probe, or 3D printing components for spacesuits—Torres's destiny lay elsewhere. A last-minute application for a role in "plant growth for food production in microgravity" led him to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). “It said plant growth for food production in microgravity I
The Space Pen Story: How Fisher Pens Made History with NASA
Discover the fascinating story behind the Fisher Space Pen—the pen that writes upside down, underwater, and even in zero gravity. Eric Bond, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, shares the innovation that made it possible, its legacy in every NASA mission since 1968, and how this iconic tool continues to inspire the future of space exploration. Susan Wise: Welcome to Stars Launch Pod, brought to you by starsciences.org, where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. My name is Susan Wise, I’m your host, and joining me is Eric Bond, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Fisher Space Pen.