Secrets of the Mars Rovers – S4E12
In this season 4 finale, Gentry Lee and Rob Manning reveal how surprises, hidden flaws, and uncertainties have always been a part of rovers...
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On a Mission
Eight stories, one mission to outer space. Follow the drama and hear voices from the InSight mission as it flies to Mars.
Episodes
20 of 45 episodes
Digging In: When Rovers Get Dirt on Mars - S4E11
Aaron Yazzie and others explain how, by scooping dirt and drilling rocks, rovers are digging deeper into the mysteries of Mars.
The Power of the Rovers – S4E10
How does a rover keep driving on a planet with no gas stations? Shonte Tucker, Sabah Bux and Rob Manning power us through the ways Mars rove...
Before You Can Drive, First You Have to Fly – S4E9
Before a rover can make tracks on Mars, it first has to rocket off Earth, speed through space, and then alight gently on the planet’s surfac...
How to Drive a Mars Rover – S4E8
Buckle up for a Mars tour with rover driver Vandi Verma, and learn how NASA’s rovers have evolved to better explore this alien world.
Flying with Ingenuity: the Mars Helicopter – S4E7
Bob Balaram and Teddy Tzanetos share stories of how the Mars helicopter came to be, and transport us on Ingenuity’s flights through dusty Ma...
The Promise of Perseverance – S4E6
The Perseverance rover holds many promises: to look for evidence of life on Mars, to collect rock samples meant to be sent to Earth one day,...
A Ton of Curiosity - S4E5
The Curiosity rover is a big nerd at heart, fitted with a science lab to take in the planet Mars. Get the inside scoop on the mission’s many...
A Lifetime on Mars: The Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity - S4E4
Born together, the Spirit and Opportunity twin rovers followed divergent paths after they landed on opposite sides of Mars. Opportunity’s jo...
Rise of the Twins: Spirit and Opportunity - S4E3
After two failed missions to Mars, NASA tried to double its odds for success by sending twin rovers to the Red Planet. Part one of the story...
First Steps: Sojourner - S4E2
NASA’s first rover on Mars was a cute little bundle of robotic joy. Many thought it was likely to fail. Instead, Sojourner revolutionized ho...
Driven to Mars - S4E1
Episode one launches with Jennifer Trosper in the driver’s seat. As she looks in the rearview mirror at twenty-five years of exploring with...
Season 4 Preview: Mars Rovers
In the fourth season of “On a Mission” we’ll be transported to the Red Planet with all five of NASA’s Mars rovers.
Season 3, Episode 10: A Voyager’s View of Earth
The Voyager 1 spacecraft has traveled farther away from Earth than any human-made object. Candy Hansen and David Grinspoon talk about the Vo...
Season 3, Episode 9: Life Bound
We hike in the Australian Outback with Abigail Allwood to visit the most ancient fossils on Earth, and track the imprint of life over space...
Season 3, Episode 8: Fueled by Fire
From fires in outer space to raging wildfires on Earth, fire experts Gary Ruff and Natasha Stavros reveal how fingers of flame reach out aro...
Season 3, Episode 7: Storm Warning
Get swept away as we fly into massive hurricanes, and hear how the rumblings of climate change will cause clouds to gather into ever more po...
Season 3, Episode 6: Air and Shield
As we fly around with NASA pilots, we’ll explore Earth’s air space with scientists Annmarie Eldering and Armin Sorooshian -- from wispy clou...
Season 3, Episode 5: Frozen in Time
Bundle up! We’ll be diving into ice-covered waters with an upside-down robot, and exploring Greenland’s massive ice sheet with oceanographer...
Season 3, Episode 4: A World Shaped by Water
Dive to the deepest point of the ocean with an astronaut, brave the high seas with an oceanographer, and meander through sparkling rivers wi...