NASA’s technical workforce put boots on the Moon, tire tracks on Mars, and the first reusable spacecraft in orbit around the Earth. Learn what’s next as they build missions that redefine the future with amazing discoveries and remarkable innovations.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps Podcast

We don’t yet know what dark matter is, yet it makes up 85% of all the matter in the universe. The Roman Space Telescope will aim to unravel the mystery. With a field of view 100 times wider than the Hubble Space Telescope’s, Roman will study in near-infrared light the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars, making other exoplanet discoveries along the way. The mission is named after Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief of astronomy and advocate for the development of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 137: The Roman Space Telescope - Uncovering the Dark Universe

The Hubble Space Telescope has changed humanity’s understanding of the universe. Now in orbit for 35 years, it remains a remarkable feat of engineering.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 159: Hubble: An Engineering Marvel

NASA’s StarBurst mission, a satellite about the size of a washing machine, is set to launch in 2027 to detect the initial blasts of these cosmic fireworks. By studying gamma-ray bursts in unprecedented detail, StarBurst will help scientists probe the extreme physics of neutron star collisions and shed light on one of the most powerful events in astrophysics. We’re talking about it today with Dr. Dan Kocevski, principal investigator for StarBurst, out of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 160: StarBurst: Gamma-ray Hunter

From black holes to star clusters, NASA is turning space data into audible sounds with a process called sonification. Dr. Kimberly Arcand, visual scientist with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, joins us to explore how data sonification lets more people experience the cosmos and give researchers a new way to interpret science one note at a time. 

Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 160: Turning Space Data Into Sound

NASA's Zero Gravity Research Facility - A steel vacuum chamber 50 stories deep at NASA’s Glenn Research Center lets researchers simulate near-weightlessness by letting test hardware freefall for 5.18 seconds.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 161: NASA's Zero Gravity Research Facility

6,000 Exoplanets and Counting
On September 17, 2025, NASA announced that the number of exoplanets, planets outside our solar system, tracked by NASA has reached 6,000. In the three decades since the groundbreaking detection of exoplanet 51 Pegasi b, the first confirmed planet orbiting a Sun-like star, astronomers have concluded that exotic worlds are everywhere.


Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 162: 6,000 Exoplanets and Counting

Hello, we’re NASA. You may have seen our astronauts, rocket launches, or Mars rovers — but have you heard our sounds? From interviews with astronauts and engineers to stories that take you on a tour of the galaxy, NASA’s audio offerings let you experience the thrill of space exploration without ever leaving Earth.