‘NASA’s Curious Universe’ Podcast

Inviting listeners to go on yet another adventure exploring our planet and the secrets of the universe, NASA launched its latest podcast, ‘NASA’s Curious Universe’, in March of last year. Season 3 was just released last month, with a theme of discovering the mysteries of the wild and marvels of our home planet and beyond that. 

In this podcast, the host is Padi Boyd, one of NASA’s very own astrophysicists, who identifies as a “planet hunter and black hole enthusiast.” Her exciting role here is to be your tour guide, introducing you to the stories behind many of NASA’s projects, missions and anecdotes by experts in the field, including astronaut Nick Hague and astrophysicist Michelle Thaller.

From learning more about the Amazon rainforest and the Antarctic ice sheets to an astronaut training pool or the inside of a lab where space crafters prepare for NASA missions, each new episode is an opportunity to tune into something out of this world. So far, ‘NASA’s Curious Universe’ has released fifteen episodes, revolving around various topics on asteroids and solar science. 

Thankfully, ‘NASA’s Curious Universe’ is literally made for everyone’s ears; it doesn’t require any fancy knowledge of NASA or space or science, for that matter. If this is your first time delving into this world, fret not! Season 3 is said to take you on various tour stops along NASA’s journeys in the subjects of science and spaceflight.

Earlier this year, in February to be exact, the show actually became the first podcast ever to feature microphone-recorded audio from Mars – all collected and brought to you by NASA’s Perseverance rover during landing. In case you don’t know, NASA also boasts a long podcast portfolio, including ‘Houston’, ‘We Have a Podcast’, ‘On a Mission’ and ‘Gravity Assist’. ‘NASA’s Curious Universe’ is only the newest addition, and interestingly enough, the premiere episode, which debuted April 13, was a tribute to the anniversary of 50 years of Earth Day.

Another fun fact is that Boyd, the host, also happens to be a member of The Chromatics vocal band, and the co-founder of AstroCappella, an educational music project, which spreads awareness of science through song. If you’re wondering what that means, she basically writes and performs “nerdy songs about the cosmos.”

You can find the trailer now on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud. 

To take a look at all of NASA’s podcasts, go to nasa.gov/podcasts