Space Policy Edition: The Challenges of ...

Star Trek turned 60 on Sept. 8, 2026, and to celebrate, we're kicking off a special two-part series exploring the franchise's deep and lasting connection to real-world space exploration. In Part 1, Robert Picardo, the Emergency Medical Hologram from Star Trek: Voyager, now starri ... Show More

We tend to think of private space exploration as a recent phenomenon. But as Alex MacDonald, former Chief Economist at NASA, argues in his book "The Long Space Age," privately funded space exploration has deep roots in American history, stretching back more than two centuries. In ... Show More

Dennis Stone, president and co-founder of the World Space Week Association, takes us behind the scenes of the largest annual space event on Earth. From its origins as a volunteer effort in Houston to a UN-declared celebration reaching 50,000 events in over 100 countries, Dennis s ... Show More

<p>How does NASA combat climate change? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice answer questions about renewable energy, geoengineering, and how science is helping us battle the climate crisis with NASA Chief Scientist Katherine Calvin. </p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch ... Show More

Kelly Weinersmith, Professor at Rice University, discusses her book A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? Hosts: Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. Producer: Paul Brennan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat ... Show More

<p>Re-visit our Let’s Make America Smart Again series as Neil deGrasse Tyson, comic co-host Chuck Nice, and Ellen Stofan look at the past, present, and future of NASA. Now extended with Neil and Chuck chatting with former HI-SEAS IV crew member Dr. Sheyna Gifford on interstellar ... Show More

<p>Mining on the moon? Owning an asteroid? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice answer questions about the private space industry, the role of NASA, and the future of space law with former Deputy Administrator of NASA, Lori Garver. </p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can w ... Show More

<p>Space projects push boundaries, aiming to give teams a better understanding of our own planet and to explore what’s beyond. But these efforts are full of complexity, with evolving risks, new innovations, long timelines and fluctuations in funding. We discuss this with:  </p><p ... Show More

As NASA struggles to keep its ambitious launch schedule on track, engineers at contractor Morton Thiokol raise concerns about a key component of the space shuttle’s rocket boosters: O-Rings, which are designed to prevent fuel leaks. Amid this tension, the Teacher in Space program ... Show More

<p>What’s the future of space suits? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen explore innovation in space suit technology with aerospace engineer Ana Diaz Artiles. </p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free ... Show More