Behind the Wings

• Collecting Space Dust from Asteroid Bennu - Episode 63

  University of Arizona Professor and OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator Dr. Dante Lauretta explains how asteroids could solve some of the oldest mysteries of the universe.In this episode, we celebrate the five-year anniversary of the asteroid sample collection on October 20 and explore the spacecraft’s design, the daring Touch-And-Go maneuver, challenges the team overcame, and what we’ve learned so far from the materials returned from Asteroid Bennu. Our knowledge of space is rapidly evolving, and we still have so much to learn about why these ancient space rocks may hold the secrets to life itself.This special release features the full-length conversation with Dante from our upcoming Season 7 of Behind the Wings on PBS. To dive deeper into the OSIRIS-REx mission, watch the video premiere on November 27 on our YouTube page. This one is going to be cool!The regular podcast will take a short mid-season break and return on November 24. In the meantime, check out our upcoming weekly mini-series: The Making of Behind the Wings PBS Season 7! Resources:Dante's Bio (University of Arizona) Asteroid Bennu (NASA) Asteroid Apophis (NASA) OSIRIS-REx Mission (NASA) OSIRIS-APEX (NASA)Chapters:(00:00) - Intro (02:43) - Aerospace Beginnings (06:07) - Antarctic Collection Mission (09:36) - Why Go to an Asteroid? (11:57) - Designing OSIRIS-REx (14:16) - Earning NASA Funding (17:33) - Michael Drake's Passing (21:53) - The Challenge of Microgravity (24:35) - Testing the Spacecraft (26:51) - Launch Day (30:26) - Why was Asteroid Bennu Chosen? (31:47) - First Images (33:33) - Unexpected Obstacles when Landing (36:35) - The Touch-And-Go System (45:51) - Returning O-REx to Earth (52:06) - Removing the Samples (53:46) - Space Rock Testing (55:17) - What Have We Learned so Far? (57:48) - Are We Alone in the Universe? (59:51) - Future Missions (01:01:48) - Dante's Advice (01:03:06) - Outro

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• The Making of Behind the Wings PBS S7 Miniseries Trailer

  We're excited to announce our special four-part podcast miniseries featuring stories from the making of our newest Behind the Wings PBS season! Director Cray Novick and Host Tracy "Jackie'O" LaTourrette discuss our upcoming episodes: "The Hurricane Hunters," "Building the International Space Station," "50 Years of the F-16," and "Unlocking Asteroid Secrets." Join us to hear inside tales you won't find anywhere else. This is going to be cool!Miniseries episodes come out every Thursday starting October 23. Also, check out the new season on PBS or at our YouTube channel beginning November 6. We can't wait to show you what we've been working on!Our regular podcast episodes will take a mid-season break after Episode 63 and return on November 24.Full Season Premiere Schedule:PBS:Episode 1 – The Hurricane Hunters: November 6, 2025, 7:00 p.m. MTEpisode 2 – Building the International Space Station: November 6, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MTEpisode 3 – 50 Years of the F-16: November 13, 2025, 7:00 p.m. MTEpisode 4 – Unlocking Asteroid Secrets: November 13, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MTWings’ YouTube Channel:Episode 1 – The Hurricane Hunters: November 6, 2025, 7:00 p.m. MTEpisode 2 – Building the International Space Station: November 13, 2025, 7:00 p.m. MTEpisode 3 – 50 Years of the F-16: November 20, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MTEpisode 4 – Unlocking Asteroid Secrets: November 27, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MT

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• How Black Holes Could Unlock the Mysteries of the Universe - Episode 62

  Theoretical Physicist Andrew Strominger explains what exactly black holes are and how they could tell us about the beginning of the cosmos.In this episode, Andrew discusses the questions behind black holes, the strange physics at their event horizon, what they reveal about the nature of space and time, and how he, Stephen Hawking, and Malcolm Perry helped develop the theory that "soft hairs" may store information on black holes' surface. From leading minds like Einstein, Hawking, and Strominger, our understanding of these celestial bodies is constantly evolving, and we still have so much to learn. This one is going to be cool!Resources:Andrew's Bio (Harvard)The Event Horizon TelescopeHawking team updates soft hair theory to help solve black hole information paradox (Phys.org)What are black holes? (NASA)Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity (Space.com)Chapters:(00:00) - Intro (01:59) - Andrew's Favorite Theories (04:11) - Aerospace Beginnings (05:53) - From Commune to Harvard (08:24) - What Is a Black Hole? (12:29) - The Different Types (14:17) - How They Form (15:52) - How Far Are They from Earth? (16:06) - Why Should We Study Black Holes? (17:38) - Why Doubt Is a Valuable Tool (19:37) - The Information Paradox (22:22) - Working Alongside Stephen Hawking (24:12) - Soft Hairs (26:29) - The Holographic Principle (30:31) - Can Black Holes Be Used for Travel? (31:19) - "Interstellar" Time Dilation (34:14) - Why Isn't a Black Hole Considered a Vacuum? (35:02) - The Future of Physics (36:15) - Andrew's Advice (37:04) - Outro

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• Landing a Helicopter on a Bank Robber's Car - Episode 61

  Pilot Mike Silva recalls a high-speed chase that ended when his news helicopter stopped a fleeing criminal’s stolen car, allowing police to save a hostage's life.Welcome to Season 7 of the Behind the Wings podcast! In this episode, Mike discusses Huey missions in Vietnam, piloting Copter4 at Denver CBS, returning to combat as the oldest Black Hawk aviator in Iraq, and saving lives during intense missions. From the Fire Base Mary Ann battle to flying alongside dangerous tornadoes, he has done it all in a career spanning more than 50 years. This one is going to be cool!Resources:Wings Museum's Huey The UH-1 Huey (Wikipedia) The UH-60 Black Hawk (Lockheed Martin) The Battle of Fire Base Mary Ann (Wikipedia)1988 Denver Police Chase (YouTube) Chapters:(00:00) - Intro (01:36) - Which Aircraft Taught You the Most About Flying? (02:19) - Mike's Favorite Aircraft (03:17) - Aviation Beginnings (04:05) - Joining the Army (05:37) - Flight Training (07:24) - Going to Vietnam (08:03) - Lessons Learned From Vietnam (08:50) - Flying the UH-1 (09:43) - Huey Roles (10:26) - Fire Base Mary Ann Battle (14:39) - Returning Home (15:28) - Working for CBS (17:02) - Landing on a Bank Robber's Car (23:14) - Journey to Iraq (25:18) - Encountering Snipers (26:10) - Vietnam vs. Iraq (27:05) - Awards and Honors (27:54) - Mike's Advice (29:15) - Outro

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• Behind the Wings Season 7 Trailer

  The Behind the Wings podcast is back with Season 7 and 10 new episodes! From the mysteries of black holes to the hovering capabilities of the Harrier Jump Jet, and the final flight of the SR-71 Blackbird, we've got some incredible stories and guests lined up!New episodes come out every other Monday, starting next week with Pilot Mike Silva, famously known for landing his news helicopter on a fleeing bank robber's car. Subscribe wherever you listen, because this season is going to be cool.See you next week for Season 7 of Behind the Wings. In the meantime, check out our past episodes!

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