What can a few grains of asteroid dust tell us about the origins of life on Earth?

In this episode, Host Rick Crandall talks with NASA astrochemist José C. Aponte about the organic chemistry preserved inside asteroid Bennu. From NASA’s OSIRIS-REx sample-return mission to amino acids, nucleobases, and the mystery of life’s left-handed molecules, Aponte explains how scientists search for clues to our chemical origins. This one is going to be cool!

What you’ll hear:

• Why NASA traveled to Bennu: Pristine asteroid material offers evidence that meteorites altered by Earth’s environment cannot.
• How scientists prevent contamination: A fingerprint can contain more organic material than the tiny Bennu samples researchers analyze.
• What researchers discovered: Bennu contains 14 of the 20 amino acids used to build proteins and all five nucleobases found in DNA and RNA.
• Why molecular diversity matters: Thousands of nitrogen-bearing compounds reveal the complex chemical environment of the early solar system.
• How a mass spectrometer works: Aponte explains how scientists use molecular fragments to identify compounds inside asteroid material.
• The mystery of left-handed amino acids: Life uses almost exclusively one mirror-image form, but scientists still do not know why.
• The search for tryptophan: Researchers found tentative evidence that could represent the first extraterrestrial detection of this complex amino acid.
• What Bennu’s salts reveal: Minerals formed through evaporating water suggest Bennu’s material originated in a different part of the solar system.

Learn More:

• Read the full show notes on the Wings Over the Rockies website
• Donate to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
• Subscribe and leave a review to support the show

This episode is supported in part by United Airlines.

NASA’s Meredith McKay discusses how diplomacy, trust, and international cooperation are helping turn ambitious space missions into reality.

In this episode, Host Rick Crandall talks with Meredith McKay, Deputy Associate Administrator in NASA’s Office of International and Interagency Relations, about the partnerships behind humanity’s next steps into space. From the hard-earned lessons of the International Space Station to Artemis and the growing community of nations signing the Artemis Accords, McKay explains how cooperation on Earth becomes exploration in space. This one is going to be cool!

What you'll hear:

• NASA diplomacy behind the scenes: How a team of fewer than 50 people helps scientists, engineers, governments, and space agencies build successful partnerships
• Reworking the International Space Station: McKay recalls helping negotiate a new assembly plan after the loss of Columbia reduced the remaining shuttle flights from 28 to 18
• What makes international cooperation last: Why shared goals, clearly defined responsibilities, and benefits for every participating nation give partnerships staying power
• Lessons from 25 years aboard the ISS: How trust and open communication have sustained one of the most complex international projects ever attempted
• The transition beyond the space station: How NASA is helping prepare commercial destinations and a new economy in low Earth orbit
• What makes Artemis different from Apollo: The international crews, spacecraft, rovers, payloads, and surface systems supporting a long-term return to the Moon
• What the Artemis Accords actually do: How their principles put the Outer Space Treaty into practice through peaceful exploration, scientific cooperation, astronaut assistance, and coordination on the lunar surface
• Building the future together: Why listening, remaining open to unexpected opportunities, and “rowing in the same direction” may be as important as any spacecraft or technology

Learn More:

• Read the full show notes on the Wings Over the Rockies website
• Donate to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
• Subscribe and leave a review to support the show

This episode is supported in part by United Airlines.

As wildfires grow larger and more complex, pilots, firefighters, scientists, and aviation experts are developing new ways to protect communities from the air.

In Episode 78, Host Rick Crandall revisits interviews about wildfire aviation originally recorded in 2021. From Colorado’s East Troublesome Fire and infrared-equipped Pilatus PC-12s to single-engine air tankers, Firehawk helicopters, and night-vision operations, these experts reveal how people, aircraft, and real-time information come together to support firefighters on the ground. This one is going to be cool!

What you'll hear:

• The East Troublesome Fire reaches Grand Lake: Resident Ernie Bjorkman and Assistant Fire Chief Schelly Olsen recall the evacuation and the challenges facing local firefighters.
• Why wildfires are becoming more difficult to contain: Colorado State Climatologist Dr. Russ Schumacher explains how heat, drought, wind, forest health, and climate shape fire behavior.
• Seeing through smoke with infrared sensors: Mission Sensor Operators explain how Colorado’s Multi-Mission Aircraft locate hotspots and map active fires.
• A symphony in the sky: PC-12 pilot Dave Bickerstaff describes how tankers, helicopters, lead planes, intelligence aircraft, and ground crews coordinate over a wildfire.
• Single-engine air tankers: SEATS are agile aircraft that can operate from smaller airports and deliver precise retardant drops to help ground crews contain fires before they grow.
• The Firehawk: CAL FIRE leaders explain how the Black Hawk-based helicopter transports crews, performs rescues, and carries a 1,000-gallon water tank.
• Marc “Thor” Olson’s night-flying legacy: The veteran pilot explains how night-vision goggles could extend fixed-wing firefighting operations beyond sunset.

This episode honors Marc “Thor” Olson, who died in the line of duty on November 16, 2021, while flying a nighttime water-drop mission on the Kruger Rock Fire near Estes Park, Colorado. It also recognizes every firefighter and aviator who has made the ultimate sacrifice protecting people, communities, and public lands.

Learn More:

• Read the full show notes on the Wings Over the Rockies website
• Donate to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
• Subscribe and leave a review to support the show

This episode is supported in part by United Airlines.