Innovation Now
3,243 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 13 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsInnovation Now is a daily 90-second radio series and podcast that gives listeners a front row seat to hear compelling stories of revolutionary ideas, emerging technologies and the people behind the concepts that are shaping our future.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Space Measurements
August 24, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBBy timing how long it takes individual photons to leave a satellite, reflect off the surface, and return to the receiver telescope on the satellite, NASA can precisely measure surface heights below.
Shape from Shading
August 23, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBNASA is using the power of the Pleiades supercomputer to layer thousands of satellite images taken by cameras aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
A Ring of Truth
August 22, 2022 04:00 - 1.56 MBScientists are talking about a new form of diamond, one that exists on exoplanets in outer space.
Tools to Prepare
August 19, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBA team of scientists created the Disasters Mapping Portal, a powerful interface that uses the power of Earth-observations to allows users to understand what’s happening on the ground.
Dust Busters
August 18, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBBeyond the threat to astronaut health, lunar dust contamination could result in equipment failure.
Family of Planets
August 17, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBAstronomers have a new set of eyes on the TRAPPIST-1 system thanks to the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope.
Next in Aeronautics
August 16, 2022 04:00 - 3.02 MBThe nation’s investments in technology enable NASA to make a difference in the world around us.
Providing Integral Power
August 15, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBThe European Service Module will provide integral power, thermal control, propulsion, and life support commodities for Orion and the astronauts inside.
Seeing Clearly
August 12, 2022 04:00 - 1.56 MBNight Vision Goggles work by amplifying natural light to highlight features, such as buildings or terrain, in the outside environment.
Supersonic Images
August 11, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBNASA has captured the first ever images of the interactions of shockwaves between two aircraft flying faster than the speed of sound.
Material Cargo
August 10, 2022 04:00 - 1.56 MBNASA sent some special cargo to Mars on the Mars 2020 mission.
After the Dust Settles
August 09, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBNASA plans to dig up the dirt on climate change.
High Flying Communications
August 08, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBAn inflatable antenna technology could transform space communication.
MOXIE on Mars
August 05, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBMOXIE, which is about the size of a car battery, is mounted on the Perseverance Mars Rover and can complete one hour of oxygen production per experiment.
A Glimpse of the Universe
August 04, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBWebb captured a dying star’s final performance, sending out rings of gas and dust for thousands of years in all directions.
Rainbows on Mars
August 03, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBWhile weather plays an important role in what NASA’s Mars rovers are investigating, rainbows are not part of the picture.
Nanomaterials
August 02, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBThis printing process applies nanomaterials, layer by layer, to create tiny sensors.
Rotor Power
August 01, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBExploring new worlds requires power. This visionary idea puts a new spin on energy production.
Stellar Brightness
July 29, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBUsing observations from TESS, astronomers have identified an unprecedented collection of pulsating red giant stars across the sky.
Help for the Planet
July 28, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBNASA is dedicated to finding innovative solutions to cleaner, sustainable jet fuels.
Updated Cockpits
July 27, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBWhen it came time to update the outdated electromechanical cockpit of the space shuttle Atlantis, a liquid crystal display was the logical choice.
Blackouts
July 26, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBA low-light sensor that measures light emissions and reflections enables the Black Marble team to accurately account for power outages.
Similar to Moon Dirt
July 25, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBFrom surface experiments to vacuum chambers, NASA uses BP-1 to help researchers better understand the lunar surface.
Emergency Navigation
July 22, 2022 04:00 - 3.11 MBA hand-held sextant, the tool used by sailors for centuries, could become the emergency system that would allow future explorers to navigate using the stars.
Shielding the Glare
July 21, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBStarshade is designed to unfold into a large disk with petal-like edges, forming a shield that could block out unwanted light for a space telescope.
Images of Mars
July 20, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBAs Viking landed on July 20, 1976, images of the settling dust began what would become a high-resolution gallery of Mars.
Suitcase Size Satellites
July 19, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBWith its four suitcase-sized satellites, PUNCH will image and track the solar wind as it leaves the Sun.
Space Travel Tunes
July 18, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBFrom songs selected for the Golden record on the Voyager spacecraft to favorite prelaunch songs, music is a NASA tradition.
BREEZE
July 15, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBAs BREEZE circumnavigates Venus, it could perform various atmospheric studies, track weather patterns, and conduct active volcanic investigations.
A Rocket Called Nell
July 14, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBThe modest rocket Goddard fondly called Nell, burned a flight into the future and established Robert Goddard as the father of modern rocketry.
Gazing at the Stars
July 13, 2022 04:00 - 1.56 MBOn this particular evening, the dust in the Martian atmosphere was thick enough that not even moderately bright stars were visible.
Spacefaring Musicians
July 12, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBHerbie Hancock once said that, “Music happens to be an art form that transcends language.” For some of our astronauts, it transcends Earth as well.
Controlled Lightning Bolts
July 11, 2022 04:00 - 3.02 MBTreasures lie within the cold, dark regions of our Moon.
Heat Shield Spinoffs
July 08, 2022 04:00 - 2.88 MBNASA’s heat shield technologies have been adapted to make a superior protective enclosure for practical, affordable fire safes.
Accumulating Meteorites
July 07, 2022 04:00 - 3.39 MBEach year, expedition members search the Antarctic ice for these space rocks.
Measuring Chlorophyll
July 06, 2022 04:00 - 3.16 MBResearchers have developed a hand-held meter that gives an on-the-spot quantitative measure of the chlorophyll in a plant.
Explosive Stellar Outburst
July 05, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBAlthough the star is now barely visible to the unaided eye, the celestial fireworks continue.
Impacting the Animal World
July 04, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBMoveBank is a set of online tools to help ecologists link environmental data from remote sensing instruments, NASA’s Earth-observing satellites, and weather models to information collected about animal migration.
A Family Portrait
July 01, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBA decade into its interstellar journey, Voyager is still returning data, yielding new insights into what this unexplored frontier is like.
Tracking Auroras
June 30, 2022 04:00 - 3.11 MBPredicting exactly where, when, and how the dancing lights we call the auroras will occur on Earth, is challenging.
Zero G Indicator
June 29, 2022 04:00 - 3.02 MBA stuffed Snoopy doll will be the Zero G indicator for the upcoming Artemis I mission.
Reducing Wildlife Risks
June 28, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBResearch funding allows the FAA and strategic partners to conduct studies about how land is used around airports, or the effect of lighting on wildlife.
Artistic Extras
June 27, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBIncluding artistic extras on NASA spacecraft, known as festooning, dates back to early space ventures.
Midsummer Day
June 24, 2022 04:00 - 3.11 MBSummer has just begun, so how can it be Midsummer Day already?
Biodegradable Drones
June 23, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBExpendable and biodegradable – these high-tech paper planes may just be the future of drone delivery.
ReachBot
June 22, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBUnexplored regions beneath Mars’ surface may harbor secrets about the planet’s past.
In Striking Distance
June 21, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBMicrometeoroid strikes are an unavoidable aspect of operating any spacecraft, and JWST just proved its mirrors could take the hit!
Summer Solstice
June 20, 2022 04:00 - 2.84 MBJune 21st marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere this year.
The Need to Fail
June 17, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBAs technologies become increasingly miniaturized, CubeSats could carry instruments to explore other worlds or communicate more efficiently.
Collaborative Robots
June 16, 2022 04:00 - 2.93 MBAmorphous metals are strong, elastic, and don’t need lubrication. But they have another property that makes them attractive for Earth robots.