On a Mission

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Eight stories, one mission to outer space. Follow the drama and hear voices from the InSight mission as it flies to Mars.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)


    • Mar 8, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 90 EPISODES

    4 from 658 ratings Listeners of On a Mission that love the show mention: missions, nasa, inspiring stories, scientists, 000, narrator, entertaining podcast, science, space, fascinating, human, well done, looking forward, loved, excellent, hearing, new, thanks, great, like.



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    Latest episodes from On a Mission

    Secrets of the Mars Rovers – S4E12

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2023


    In this season 4 finale, Gentry Lee and Rob Manning reveal how surprises, hidden flaws, and uncertainties have always been a part of rovers and the exploration of Mars.

    Secrets of the Mars Rovers – S4E12

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2023


    In this season 4 finale, Gentry Lee and Rob Manning reveal how surprises, hidden flaws, and uncertainties have always been a part of rovers and the exploration of Mars.

    Digging In: When Rovers Get Dirt on Mars - S4E11

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023


    Aaron Yazzie and others explain how, by scooping dirt and drilling rocks, rovers are digging deeper into the mysteries of Mars.

    Digging In: When Rovers Get Dirt on Mars - S4E11

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023


    Aaron Yazzie and others explain how, by scooping dirt and drilling rocks, rovers are digging deeper into the mysteries of Mars.

    The Power of the Rovers – S4E10

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2022


    How does a rover keep driving on a planet with no gas stations? Shonte Tucker, Sabah Bux and Rob Manning power us through the ways Mars rovers keep going.

    mars rovers rob manning
    The Power of the Rovers – S4E10

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2022


    How does a rover keep driving on a planet with no gas stations? Shonte Tucker, Sabah Bux and Rob Manning power us through the ways Mars rovers keep going.

    mars rovers rob manning
    Before You Can Drive, First You Have to Fly – S4E9

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022


    Before a rover can make tracks on Mars, it first has to rocket off Earth, speed through space, and then alight gently on the planet's surface. Al Chen and Swati Mohan guide us through the many stages of a rover's flight to Mars.

    Before You Can Drive, First You Have to Fly – S4E9

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022


    Before a rover can make tracks on Mars, it first has to rocket off Earth, speed through space, and then alight gently on the planet's surface. Al Chen and Swati Mohan guide us through the many stages of a rover's flight to Mars.

    How to Drive a Mars Rover – S4E8

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2022


    Buckle up for a Mars tour with rover driver Vandi Verma, and learn how NASA's rovers have evolved to better explore this alien world.

    How to Drive a Mars Rover – S4E8

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2022


    Buckle up for a Mars tour with rover driver Vandi Verma, and learn how NASA's rovers have evolved to better explore this alien world.

    Flying with Ingenuity: the Mars Helicopter – S4E7

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2022


    Bob Balaram and Teddy Tzanetos share stories of how the Mars helicopter came to be, and transport us on Ingenuity's flights through dusty Martian skies.

    Flying with Ingenuity: the Mars Helicopter – S4E7

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2022


    Bob Balaram and Teddy Tzanetos share stories of how the Mars helicopter came to be, and transport us on Ingenuity's flights through dusty Martian skies.

    The Promise of Perseverance – S4E6

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2022


    The Perseverance rover holds many promises: to look for evidence of life on Mars, to collect rock samples meant to be sent to Earth one day, and to test technology that could be used in a future human Mars mission.

    The Promise of Perseverance – S4E6

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2022


    The Perseverance rover holds many promises: to look for evidence of life on Mars, to collect rock samples meant to be sent to Earth one day, and to test technology that could be used in a future human Mars mission.

    A Ton of Curiosity - S4E5

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022


    The Curiosity rover is a big nerd at heart, fitted with a science lab to take in the planet Mars. Get the inside scoop on the mission's many discoveries and dramas after a decade on the Red Planet.

    A Ton of Curiosity - S4E5

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022


    The Curiosity rover is a big nerd at heart, fitted with a science lab to take in the planet Mars. Get the inside scoop on the mission's many discoveries and dramas after a decade on the Red Planet.

    A Lifetime on Mars: The Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity - S4E4

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2022


    Born together, the Spirit and Opportunity twin rovers followed divergent paths after they landed on opposite sides of Mars. Opportunity's journey was marked by good fortune, while Spirit's was troubled from the start.

    A Lifetime on Mars: The Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity - S4E4

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2022


    Born together, the Spirit and Opportunity twin rovers followed divergent paths after they landed on opposite sides of Mars. Opportunity's journey was marked by good fortune, while Spirit's was troubled from the start.

    Rise of the Twins: Spirit and Opportunity - S4E3

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2022


    After two failed missions to Mars, NASA tried to double its odds for success by sending twin rovers to the Red Planet. Part one of the story of Spirit and Opportunity takes us from their birth to their launch from Earth.

    Rise of the Twins: Spirit and Opportunity - S4E3

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2022


    After two failed missions to Mars, NASA tried to double its odds for success by sending twin rovers to the Red Planet. Part one of the story of Spirit and Opportunity takes us from their birth to their launch from Earth.

    First Steps: Sojourner - S4E2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2022


    NASA's first rover on Mars was a cute little bundle of robotic joy. Many thought it was likely to fail. Instead, Sojourner revolutionized how we explore Mars, and marked the start of 25 years of Mars rover adventures.

    First Steps: Sojourner - S4E2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2022


    NASA's first rover on Mars was a cute little bundle of robotic joy. Many thought it was likely to fail. Instead, Sojourner revolutionized how we explore Mars, and marked the start of 25 years of Mars rover adventures.

    Driven to Mars - S4E1

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2021


    Episode one launches with Jennifer Trosper in the driver's seat. As she looks in the rearview mirror at twenty-five years of exploring with NASA's Mars rovers, she reveals how their progression has kept pace with milestones in her life.

    Driven to Mars - S4E1

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2021


    Episode one launches with Jennifer Trosper in the driver's seat. As she looks in the rearview mirror at twenty-five years of exploring with NASA's Mars rovers, she reveals how their progression has kept pace with milestones in her life.

    Season 4 Preview: Mars Rovers

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2021


    In the fourth season of “On a Mission” we'll be transported to the Red Planet with all five of NASA's Mars rovers.

    Season 4 Preview: Mars Rovers

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021


    In the fourth season of “On a Mission” we'll be transported to the Red Planet with all five of NASA's Mars rovers.

    Season 3, Episode 10: A Voyager's View of Earth

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2020


    The Voyager 1 spacecraft has traveled farther away from Earth than any human-made object. Candy Hansen and David Grinspoon talk about the Voyager mission, and its humbling perspective of our planet as a tiny blue dot in the blackness of space.

    Season 3, Episode 10: A Voyager’s View of Earth

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2020


    The Voyager 1 spacecraft has traveled farther away from Earth than any human-made object. Candy Hansen and David Grinspoon talk about the Voyager mission, and its humbling perspective of our planet as a tiny blue dot in the blackness of space.

    Season 3, Episode 9: Life Bound

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2020


    We hike in the Australian Outback with Abigail Allwood to visit the most ancient fossils on Earth, and track the imprint of life over space and time with David Grinspoon.

    Season 3, Episode 9: Life Bound

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2020


    We hike in the Australian Outback with Abigail Allwood to visit the most ancient fossils on Earth, and track the imprint of life over space and time with David Grinspoon.

    Season 3, Episode 8: Fueled by Fire

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2020


    From fires in outer space to raging wildfires on Earth, fire experts Gary Ruff and Natasha Stavros reveal how fingers of flame reach out around our world.

    Season 3, Episode 8: Fueled by Fire

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2020


    From fires in outer space to raging wildfires on Earth, fire experts Gary Ruff and Natasha Stavros reveal how fingers of flame reach out around our world.

    Season 3, Episode 7: Storm Warning

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2020


    Get swept away as we fly into massive hurricanes, and hear how the rumblings of climate change will cause clouds to gather into ever more powerful storms.

    Season 3, Episode 7: Storm Warning

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2020


    Get swept away as we fly into massive hurricanes, and hear how the rumblings of climate change will cause clouds to gather into ever more powerful storms.

    Season 3, Episode 6: Air and Shield

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2020


    As we fly around with NASA pilots, we'll explore Earth's air space with scientists Annmarie Eldering and Armin Sorooshian -- from wispy clouds high above, to tiny particles that make up air pollution.

    Season 3, Episode 6: Air and Shield

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2020


    As we fly around with NASA pilots, we’ll explore Earth’s air space with scientists Annmarie Eldering and Armin Sorooshian -- from wispy clouds high above, to tiny particles that make up air pollution.

    Season 3, Episode 5: Frozen in Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2020


    Bundle up! We'll be diving into ice-covered waters with an upside-down robot, and exploring Greenland's massive ice sheet with oceanographer Josh Willis.

    Season 3, Episode 5: Frozen in Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2020


    Bundle up! We’ll be diving into ice-covered waters with an upside-down robot, and exploring Greenland’s massive ice sheet with oceanographer Josh Willis.

    Season 3, Episode 4: A World Shaped by Water

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2020


    Dive to the deepest point of the ocean with an astronaut, brave the high seas with an oceanographer, and meander through sparkling rivers with a hydrologist.

    Season 3, Episode 4: A World Shaped by Water

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2020


    Dive to the deepest point of the ocean with an astronaut, brave the high seas with an oceanographer, and meander through sparkling rivers with a hydrologist.

    Season Three, Episode 3: On the Surface

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020


    Like waves of the ocean, our planet's surface is in constant motion. In this episode, we'll travel to tropical rainforests to dig into soils with an ecologist, and fly drones with an earthquake expert to spot shifts in the ground beneath our feet.

    Season Three, Episode 3: On the Surface

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020


    Like waves of the ocean, our planet’s surface is in constant motion. In this episode, we’ll travel to tropical rainforests to dig into soils with an ecologist, and fly drones with an earthquake expert to spot shifts in the ground beneath our feet.

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