Sewing for Spaceflight

In this special season five finale episode, join NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, self-proclaimed “rock nerd” on a journey to the stars. 

Spacesuits are more than just garments – in the airless vacuum of space or on the freezing surface of the moon, they keep astronauts alive. Explore how NASA engineers like Amy Ross and Paromita Mitra have contributed to the development of the next generation of spacesuits. 

Tropical rainforests, snowy mountain peaks, even the Australian outback – NASA experts travel to a wide range of environments right here on Earth to better understand our universe. Miles Hatfield, NASA heliophysics science writer, recaps a recent reporting trip to cover a soundin ... Show More

Lindsey Aitchison, spacesuit designer at NASA, joins us at From Business To Buttons to talk about the challenges and process of designing the equipment astronauts need to wear in order to survive and work in space and other extra-terrestrial environments. 

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. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: htt ... Show More

What is the future of space flight? With a successful Nasa landing on Mars and more commercial space travel in development than ever before, astronautical engineers are taking us into a new age. From lift off to landing, rapid innovations are radically changing what's possible an ... Show More

Michael Lopez-Alegria, former NASA astronaut and current commander of Axiom Mission 3, discusses his career and the upcoming private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. HWHAP Episode 318. 

Dr Karen Nyberg has many talents. She's an engineer and astronaut, but she's also an avid quilter, so when she joined the International Space Station in 2013, she took her sewing kit with her. She created a nine-inch, star-themed quilt square in orbit which inspired over two thou ... Show More

The world is entering a new space race but every new satellite launched into Earth’s orbit runs the risk of colliding with one of the millions of pieces of space junk left behind by previous missions. So how can we solve our space junk problem? Featuring former NASA astrophysicis ... Show More