Christopher Leslie on NASA’s Moon to Mars, Mission Control & Space Exploration
From radio waves to rocket launches—Chris Leslie’s journey is out of this world. Once a Houston radio guy, Chris became a NASA mission controller for the International Space Station, helped launch the Constellation Program, trained astronauts, worked with Axiom Space, and now shapes the future in NASA’s Moon to Mars Program Office. In this episode, Chris shares behind-the-scenes stories of mission control, lessons from high-stakes moments, and how a simple gold watch sparked a lifelong passion for time and exploration. Susan Wise: Hi, and welcome to Stars Launch Pod: Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by
CCTS Spotlight: Networking & STEM Driving Space Industry Growth
Discover how the Canaveral Council of Technical Societies (CCTS) is shaping the future of space innovation through collaboration, STEM outreach, and industry-leading events like Space Congress. A must-read for anyone looking to break into or level up in the space industry. Susan Wise: Welcome to Stars Launch Pod, Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by StarsSciences.org, where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. I’m your host, Susan Wise, and I’m honored to have with us today Nimisha Vyas, current chair of the Canaveral Council of Technical Societies. Nimisha, welcome to the show. Nimisha Vyas: Thank you for
Exploring the Future of Space Travel at the Colorado Air and Spaceport
The Colorado Air and Spaceport is taking aviation and space exploration to the next level, and we had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Kloska, the facility’s Director, on the Stars Launch Pod: Space, Technology, and Research Sciences. Here’s a closer look at how this unique spaceport is shaping the future of aerospace. A Spaceport That’s Also an Airport At first glance, the Colorado Air and Spaceport might look like any other airport. “We’re a licensed general aviation airport and a reliever airport for the Denver region,” says Jeff Kloska. With over 500 based aircraft and 120,000 operations a
James Webb telescope confirms a supermassive black hole running away from its host galaxy at 2 million mph, researchers say
A shock wave, far away in space, might be the telltale sign of the first confirmed "runaway" supermassive black hole, escaping its host galaxy at 2.2 million miles per hour (3.6 million km/h). The potential confirmation by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), published on the preprint server Arxiv on Dec. 3, has not yet been peer-reviewed. But it has been submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letters and lead study author Pieter van Dokkum, a professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University, has published several peer-reviewed papers about candidate supermassive black holes in recent years. Van Dokkum says this is the first confirmation of a runaway supermassive
Growing Life Beyond Earth: Dr. Marshall Porterfield on Space Biology and the Artemis III Mission
Join host Susan Wise on Stars LaunchPod as she speaks with Dr. Marshall Porterfield, Purdue University professor and NASA researcher, about how his team is preparing to grow plants on the Moon through the groundbreaking LEAF experiment aboard Artemis III. Discover how space biology, biosensors, and mitochondrial research are shaping the future of sustainable space exploration, food production beyond Earth, and precision medicine inspired by NASA’s GeneLab and Twins Study. Welcome to LaunchPod, where we chat with innovators who are overcoming challenges, pushing boundaries, and collaborating to make space more accessible and sustainable for humanity—one launch at a
Send Your Name Around the Moon with NASA’s Artemis II Mission
Have you ever dreamed of going to space? What if you could send your name on a real space mission — even if you never put on a spacesuit? NASA’s “Send Your Name with Artemis” campaign gives you that chance. Through this free, global initiative, anyone — students, families, educators, and space enthusiasts around the world — can submit their name to be carried around the Moon aboard the upcoming Artemis II mission. What Is the Artemis Program? The Artemis program is NASA’s ambitious effort to return humans to the Moon and establish a long-term presence there — as