Innovation Now

Latest Episodes:

Martian RV Aug 05, 2020

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As astronauts plan to work on the Moon or Mars, they need to think about how to move from place to place and how to take essentials, like food, water, and air with them.

Rotors on Mars Aug 04, 2020

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The Mars Helicopter is what NASA calls a technology demonstrator. Its sole goal is to show we can actually do this mission.

Shorter Wavelengths Aug 03, 2020

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When humans travel to Mars, they may use lasers to phone home.

Trash to Fuel Jul 31, 2020

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By processing small pieces of trash in a high temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing innovative technology for managing waste in space.

Prototype Ventilator Jul 30, 2020

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A new high-pressure ventilator, called VITAL, has been developed by engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to free up the nation's supply of traditional ventilators.

Powered Flight on Mars Jul 29, 2020

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Ingenuity, the first Mars helicopter will ride to the Red Planet attached to the belly of the Perseverance rover.

Inflatable Heat Shield Jul 28, 2020

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The largest rover we’ve landed on Mars is about the size of a car. But sending humans to Mars will require a much bigger spacecraft – and that means new technologies to land the payload.

Powerful Propulsion Jul 27, 2020

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Astronauts bound for Mars will need to travel 140 million miles into deep space. And getting there as quickly as possible reduces some of the risk of being away from Earth.

Advancing Aviation Jul 24, 2020

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On a journey that began with the Wright Brothers, today’s researchers at the Federal Aviation Administration are taking aviation to new heights.

Moving through the World Jul 23, 2020

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There is something about seeing your software do something in the physical world at the end of the day.