In 2021, the U.S. space agency NASA launched a spacecraft toward a pair of asteroids more than 11 million kilometers away. The target? The smaller of the two asteroids, just 170 meters wide. The success of the $300 million, seven-year project demanded careful coordination of scientists, engineers, and project managers across different national space agencies ... Show More
Feb 3
The Cognitive Science Behind Sudden Change
Difficult change is an inevitable part of life, but few of us have the skills and mindset to handle it well. That can trickle into our work and careers, but there are lessons from psychology that can help us be more resilient. Dr. Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist and host of the ... Show More
25m 11s
Dec 2021
Moon missions and space junk
2021 was another year of firsts in the ever-expanding industry around space, as we moved towards space tourism as a reality. But what about NASA, and its plans to return to the moon? We hear all about it, and the space agency’s ambitious plans for not just the moon, but mars; fro ... Show More
17m 28s
Nov 2023
NASA’s Former Head of Science on What It Takes to Manage Complex, High-Risk Projects
As the head of science at NASA, Thomas Zurbuchen managed an $8.6 billion dollar budget. A typical Monday, for him, might have involved hitting an asteroid with a space craft or trying to launch a rocket. Zurbuchen left that role in 2022, but he’s still the longest continually ser ... Show More
31m 9s