NASA EDGE Audiofiles

NASA is ready to launch TEMPO, its first instrument on a commercial satellite primarily focused on gathering hourly daytime data on air pollutants. This takes spectrometry to a whole new geosynchronous level. And if you like big words, you'll love the game show, NOT MY TEMPO. All this and more on NASA EDGE: TEMPO! Be sure to check it out!

Get ready for the launch of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission with NASA EDGE. With guests from NASA, Thales Alenia Space, and Launch Services, we cover everything you need to follow this critical earth science mission. SWOT will measure water height on both oceans and fresh waters sources like rivers and lakes to give scientists an unprecedented understanding of how our water table works.

NASA EDGE scores a hat trick with the Best of Live JPSS-2 Tower Rollback show featuring three amazing missions and milestones. First, JPSS-2, NOAA's ongoing mission to provide essential data an imagery to improve weather prediction. Second, LOFTID, NASA's technology demonstration mission featuring an inflatable decelerator! And finally, with this launch NASA's Launch Services celebrates its 100th mission! Plus, there are a few surprise offerings from NASA EDGE as well

Artemis I is launching soon, and even NASA has its own front-row seat for the launch with Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery (SCIFLI). During launch and recovery, the NASA SCIFLI team will capture super high-fidelity imagery of the rocket and parachutes on re-entry across multiple spectrums. Join NASA EDGE as they hear first-hand from the SCIFLI team about how this imagery will help NASA, Artemis, and even future missions operate safely and efficiently. Also, we get the latest on SCIFLI's newest instrument, SCIFLI Airborne Multispectral Imager (SAMI), flying aboard NASA's WB-57.

It's the season of sequels, reboots, and blockbusters, and Honey, I Shrunk the Payload Challenge may be the hit of the summer.  NASA EDGE looks at the three finalists competing to develop incredibly small payloads to potentially fly to the moon with NASA and how they were inspired to scale down their instruments for challenge success!  Plus, NASA EDGE explores their own miniaturization techniques.  Check it out. NASA's Honey, I Shrunk the Payload Challenge was made possible by the NASA Tournament Lab, which is part of the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) in NASA's Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program. It was funded by the agency's Game Changing Development Program in support of NASA's Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, which aims to enable human and robotic exploration on the Moon and future operations on Mars.

On February 28, 2022, NASA EDGE provided live coverage of the rollout of NOAA's GOES-T satellite from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. GOES-T is the third in a series of four satellites specifically flown to provide a continuous record of high-quality imagery, weather, environmental, and space weather data for the entire Western Hemisphere. Guest on the show include NOAA's GOES-R Program System Program Director Pam Sullivan, NOAA's GOES-R Chief Scientist Dan Lindsay, NASA GOES-R Deputy System Program Director Ed Grigsby, NASA GOES-R Flight Project Manager Candace Carlisle, and our good buddy, Mic Woltman from NASA's Launch Services Program. Today's forecast: 100% visibility with a slight chance of buffering.

On December 8, 2021 NASA EDGE provided live coverage for the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. IXPE will give scientists around the world an unprecedented look at some of our galaxies most mysterious and complex objects, like Black Holes, Neutron Stars, Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and more. Guests on the show include NASA Astrophysics Division Director Paul Hertz, IXPE Deputy Principal Investigator Brian Ramsey, IXPE Lead Mirror Scientist Stephen Bongiorno, IXPE Project Manager Randy Baggett, and NASA Launch Program Office's Mic Woltman.

NASA EDGE talks NASA Heliophysics, NASA Solar Missions, Eclipses, and Space Weather as the perfect setup for exclusive, high-resolution footage of the 2021 Antarctic Total Solar Eclipse. Join Blair and Franklin as the talk with NASA Scientists Kelly Korreck, Michael Kirk, and Jesse Woodroffe before sharing this exclusive eclipse footage provided by the J. M. Pasachoff Antarctic Eclipse Expedition.

On November 22, 2021 NASA EDGE provide coverage of the transition of the SpaceX Falcon 9 going vertical prior to the launch of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Associate Administrator Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Planetary Science Division Director Lori Glaze, and NASA's Launch Services Program Office's Mic Woltman and more joined the show to discuss this amazing proof of concept mission for our planet's defense.

Prior to the launch of the Laser Communication Relay Demonstration, the NASA EDGE Co-Host develops and tests his own version of laser communication as a proof of concept. While Chris and Franklin consider Blair's highly suspect beta version, the entire team looks at the history and development of NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) with multiple experts from Lincoln Labs and NASA.

On October 14th, 2021 NASA EDGE provided live coverage of the Lucy Rollout at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Several members of the Lucy team joined the show. Lucy Program Scientist Tom Statler, Deputy Project Systems Engineer Mike Sekerak, and L'Ralph Instrument Data Scientist Hannah Kaplan were live on set, while T2Cam Calibration Team and gradaute student Amy Zhou joined virtually. Rounding out the latest on the rocket's trip to the pad, NASA's Launch Services Program very Mic Woltman kept us up to date on the final pre-launch status of this incredible planetary mission to the Trojan Asteroids. 

On September 27th, 2021 NASA EDGE provided live coverage of the Landsat 9 Tower Roll at Vandenberg Space Force Center in California. Deputy Project Scientist Bruce Cook, TIRS-2 Instrument Project Manager Jason Hair, NASA's Launch Services' own Mic Woltman, and more joined the show to share their insight into this incredible Earth observing mission.

How do you top higher and higher drop tests? You add an extreme swing test to your portfolio. In this test for the Orion Structural Test Article (STA), NASA will gather performance data by simulating landing in “extreme” conditions. Bryan Russ, Project Manager for the Orion Water Impact Tests at NASA Langley Research Center, takes us through the finer points of preparing for both increased angle and velocity for impact. And though NASA doesn't intend to land at this steep angle, the data will help engineers understand the Orion and its capabilities for future missions.

Will the Orion get the data it needs from this third key drop test and remain the uncontested bellyflop champion? Mark Baldwin from Lockheed Martin, explains how the massive amount of onboard sensors collect data to help enhance Orion’s performance as it prepares for eventual human space flight for the Artemis Program. The data will take some time to analyze, but check out the splashdown. We give Orion a 10! 

How did MEDLI2 get all of the incredible data during entry, descent, and landing on Mars? Look no further than the engineering. MEDLI2 Chief Engineer Chris Kuhl explains how overcoming several engineering challenges helped gather unprecedented data before Perseverance even began to roll.

If you’re looking to clear some space on the lunar surface, pick up some extra water, and break a few lunar travel distance records, look no further than the Lunar Pilot Excavator! Kurt Leucht, of Swamp Works at NASA Kennedy Space Center, explains how this latest tech demonstration mission will pave the way for NASA’s permenant presence on the moon! 

Perseverance is already collecting science on the surface of Mars, but MEDLI2 actually collected significant scientific data on the way to the surface. NASA EDGE Co-Host Franklin Fitzgerald talked with Mars Entry Descent and Landing Instrument 2 (MEDLI2) Principal Investigator Todd White about how NASA is continuing to learn about the very dramatic and mysterious transition through the Martian atmosphere all the way down to the surface. Basically, MEDLI studied and stuck the landing! 

It is a huge challenge to send astronauts to the Moon, but it is also critical to bring them home safely. NASA EDGE’s Blair Allen talks with Christine St. Germain, NASA’s Test Director for Landing and Recovery at KSC, about the Orion Underway Recovery Tests (URT) for the Orion spacecraft. The URTs are complex simulations of how the Orion spacecraft performs in open water after landing at sea. Plus, both NASA and the NAVY practice multiple spacecraft recovery techniques in the process. Christine moves all of the chess pieces around to get the performance data from the URTs to help NASA engineers prepare the Orion for mission success from launch all the way to landing!

Not only did Mars 2020 and Perseverance survive the seven minutes of terror during entry, descent, and landing on the surface of Mars, they also collected a lot of key performance data! NASA EDGE’s Franklin Fitzgerald chats with Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrument 2 Project Manager Henry Wright about the latest success with Perseverance and how the MEDLI2 data will help future missions to Mars and other planets carry more mass and stay safe at the same time

Our resident expert on Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) narrows her focus on the lunar landing with Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS). Michelle Munk and NASA EDGE’s Blair Allen discuss the impact of lander rocket plumes during a lunar landing both in terms of crater formation and how regolith may be dispersed in the process.

If you need to capture highly technical imagery of your spacecraft as it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere, look no further than CJ (Carey Scott) and the SCIFLI team at NASA Langley Research Center. Franklin Fitzgerald checks in with CJ to learn more about how SCIFLI works, the many assets in they are able to deploy, and their recent imaging of the Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample return down in Australia in 2020.

On November 20th, 2020, NASA EDGE provided live prelaunch coverage of the Sentinel-6 Mike Freilich Satellite on L-1. NASA Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen, AMR-C Integration and Test Lead Shannon Statham, ESA Project Manager Pierrik Vuilleumier, and EUMETSAT Head of Flight Operations Gareth Williams share their roles and expectations for this important Earth Science mission. Launch Director Tim Dunn also provides key insight into the final preparation for the launch.

Netflix’s new documentary on the Space Shuttle Challenger has caused a lot of reflection and discussion about the tragedy. Blair Allen talks with NASA’s Mike Ciannilli about how NASA pays tribute and respect to our lost astronauts, and how NASA is working hard to learn from its own history to avoid tragedies and secure the safety of our future missions.

Not many people can accurately claim to have driving experience on multiple planets, but Keri Bean can!      

Technologies to enable exact and soft landings on the Moon and other worlds will fly on Blue Origin’s next New Shepard suborbital rocket launch, currently targeted for 11:00 a.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 24. The company’s live launch webcast will start at 10:30 a.m. and air on NASA Television and the agency’s website. NASA EDGE continues to look at NASA’s Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) technology suite. Sensors, algorithms, and a new computer for precise landings on other worlds will be flight tested on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. Franklin is joined by NASA’s Ron Sostaric and Glenn Hines to learn more about navigation Doppler lidar (NDL) and how it will be matured on New Shepard and prepared for flight on commercial robotic lunar landers. Check it out!  

Blue Origin is targeting Thursday, Sept. 24, at 11:00 a.m. EDT to launch New Shepard. The company’s live launch webcast will start at 10:30 a.m. and air on NASA Television and the agency’s website. Technologies to enable exact and soft landings on the Moon and other worlds will fly on Blue Origin’s next New Shepard suborbital rocket launch. The rocket's flight path is relevant to lunar landings, providing a unique opportunity to mature sensors and algorithms for potential use on Artemis missions. NASA’s John Carson and David Rutishauser explain the technologies that makeup NASA’s Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) project. Check it out!

To really understand the geology of the Moon, you need to dig. NASA’s very first lunar rover, VIPER, is designed to do just that. NASA EDGE talked to Terry Fong about how VIPER will drill up to a meter below the lunar surface in various regions to discover both in situ resources for exploration and scientific opportunities.

On July 28th, 2020, NASA EDGE provided live coverage of the Mars 2020 Rollout just days ahead of the launch. Joined by our expert guests, Mic Woltman’s live rollout commentary, and live drone footage, it is look at Mars 2020 you don’t want to miss. Check it out!

NASA EDGE takes a look at two technologies related to Space exploration, the Lunar Surface Manipulation System (LSMS) and In Space Assembly. Plus, friends of the show join in the celebration of NASA EDGE’s 200th episode! Check it out!

When it comes to space exploration, it is vitally important to stick the landing!  NASA Systems Capability Lead for Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) Michelle Munk joins the show to talk about his challenging process.  Check it out!

NASA Swamp Works Senior Technologist Rob Mueller joins the show to talk about the innovation needed as NASA plans its return to the Moon. From engineering competitions to the testing facilities at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Rob and his team are working hard to conquer the big challenges for Artemis. Check it out!

Lowering the sonic boom with the X-59 still requires a high performance engine, and Franklin, from NASA EDGE, talked with Deputy Propulsion Lead for X-59 QueSST Paul Dees about NASA’s recent engine tests as they continue to develop this uniquely quiet x-plane. Check it out!

NASA EDGE chats with NASA Deputy for the Launch Vehicle Office for Commercial Crew Steve Gaddis about the successful launch of DM-2 and future missions for NASA Commercial Crew! Check it out!

Senior Aerospace Technologist Bob Moses joins the show to talk about how NASA plans to keep astronauts safe while living and working on the lunar surface. In order to maintain a sustainable presence on the Moon, NASA is getting more and more creative with their solutions. Check it out.

Join NASA EDGE as Chris and Lunar Architecture guru Pat Troutman talk about the challenge of designing NASA’s first sustainable lunar outpost for Artemis. On the Moon, it’s a bit more complicated than location, location, location. Check it out!

Capturing visual data from a spacecraft traveling at 17,000 plus miles per hour from a safe distance is a big challenge, and that is exactly what Jennifer Inman and the SCIFLI team do when spacecraft return to Earth. Franklin talked to Jennifer, Project Manager for NASA’s Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery Team (SCIFLI), to learn more about the complex challenge of collecting image data on re-entry and how that data will help improve design and safety as NASA and its partners move forward. Check it out!

You need more than household cleaner to tackle the dust problem on the lunar surface, and NASA Researcher Chris Wohl discusses the many strategies being developed by NASA to keep our equipment and astronauts safe while working on the Moon. 

Franklin checks in with NASA’s Division Chief of Heliophysics, Nicky Fox, to find out how current solar missions for NASA and ESA are providing profound new insight and data about our Sun. Plus, a quick look at some new NASA Sun-centric missions on the horizon. Available for download without needing SPF unless you’re watching outside.

Power is a big part of every NASA mission, and Artemis is no exception.  Chuck Taylor, from the Space Technology and Exploration Directorate at NASA Langley Research Center, joins the show to talk about how NASA is investigating and developing plans to provide power to all assets heading to the lunar surface.  From multiple sources and distribution to the universal real estate mantra “location, location, location”, NASA is leaving no lunar stone uncovered to solve this critical challenge to establish a sustained presence on the Moon.  Check it out.

NASA EDGE continues their series at home with special guest Mic Woltman from NASA Launch Services Program at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Find out how NASA is continually supporting critical missions and preparing for launches during these unique quarantine conditions. Plus, bonus wardrobe commentary from Chris!

Operating safely from their homes, NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green along with Blair and Franklin from NASA EDGE discuss how NASA is continuing its mission during this unique time of telework and sheltering in place.  Find out more about NASA’s ongoing search for life, mission updates for Perseverance and Artemis, and Jim Green’s podcast “Gravity Assist.”  All on NASA EDGE.

Raw uncut audio from the Solar Orbiter Rollout Video featuring ULA's Rocketship Captain.  Warning: Problems may occur during unedited interview, including Co-Host inconsistencies, flubs and mechanical failures.  

Raw uncut audio from the Solar Orbiter Rollout Video featuring Airbus' Solar Orbiter Project Manager.  Warning: Problems may occur during unedited interview, including Co-Host inconsistencies, flubs and mechanical failures. 

Raw uncut audio from the Solar Orbiter Rollout Video featuring ESA's Solar Orbiter Project Manager.  Warning: Problems may occur during unedited interview, including Co-Host inconsistencies, flubs and mechanical failures.  

NASA EDGE provides live coverage of the Atlas V Rollout for ESA’s Solar Orbiter Mission. With ESA leading the effort on the Solar Orbiter, science is the real winner as both ESA and NASA continue the focus on Heliophysics missions.

Raw uncut audio from the Navigation Doppler Lidar Video featuring NASA's NDL Chief Engineer Glenn Hines.  Warning: Problems may occur during unedited interview, including Co-Host inconsistencies, flubs and mechanical failures.  

The raw uncut audio from the Navigation Doppler Lidar Video featuring NASA's NDL Principal Investigator Farzin Amzajerdian.  Warning: Problems may occur during unedited interview, including Co-Host inconsistencies, flubs and mechanical failures.  

NASA EDGE takes a close look at NASA Langley Research Center’s development of Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) to provide accurate, surface-relative altitude and vector velocity data to make sure NASA can land spacecraft safely on the Moon and any surface.

The raw uncut audio from the Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Video featuring NASA's Associate Administrator for Diversity and Equal Opportunity Stephen Shih.  Warning: Problems may occur during unedited interview, including Co-Host inconsistencies, flubs and mental breakdowns.  

The raw uncut audio from the Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Video featuring NASA's Chief Engineer Ralph Roe.  Warning: Problems may occur during unedited interview, including Co-Host inconsistencies, flubs and mental breakdowns.  

The raw uncut audio from the Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Video featuring KSC's own Bob Cabana.  Warning: Problems may occur during unedited interview, i.e. Co-Host inconsistencies, flubs and mental breakdowns.