Xploration Outer Space

Join host Emily Calandrelli as she talks to scientists about the next stop in our solar system – Mars. She visits NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to meet Curiosity, the rover currently exploring Mars and slowly unlocking its mysteries. Then Emily heads to Hanksville, Utah to meet up with a group of students at the Mars Desert Research Station and find out what it could be like to live on Mars.

Emily Calandrelli travels to Johnson Space Center to get an inside look at what it takes to be an astronaut. She explores an astronaut dive in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, then takes a closer look at the suit that keeps astronauts safe in the vacuum of space. Veteran astronaut Cady Coleman joins her as she rides the famous Vomit Comet aircraft to experience the weightlessness of space.

Host Emily Calandrelli explores the robots that are changing the way we explore space - and helping people on earth. Emily meets Robonaut, a man-like robot assisting astronauts on the International Space Station. Then she takes a ride in the Space Exploration Vehicle, which hopes to eventually land on the Moon or Mars. She also examines a 13 foot spider like robot named ATHLETE.

Host Emily Calandrelli assembles an investigative team to tackle one of the biggest questions of our time: Are we alone? She travels to the SETI institute to meet with leading scientists Jill Tarter and Seth Shostak to learn how we are searching for intelligent life in our universe. She also meets with Chris McKay at NASA Ames Research Center to hear his top candidates to host life beyond earth.

Host Emily Calandrelli speaks to experts who are learning everything they can about asteroids and their potential impact on earth. From the dinosaur killer to the Chelyabinsk meteor of 2013 - we learn about the destructive power of asteroids. Emily takes a trip to the Ames Vertical Gun Range for an experiment that predicts impact size on the moon and the Earth. Emily also travels to Seattle Washington to meet a company that has a plan to profit from the valuable material hidden in these rocky bodies.

Host Emily Calandrelli visits with experts to discuss the scientific advantages of high altitude balloons. Emily travels to Wallops Flight Facility to see how these balloons are created and tested to survive the rigors of near space. She also learns about one balloon that lifted an 8000 lb. telescope to the edge of space and discovered something amazing. And finally, Emily travels to West Virginia to launch a balloon of her own, which leads to a dramatic search and rescue mission.