The Grace in Space Podcast

Bryant Cruse has been a pioneer in the application of AI technology to difficult real-world problems. He graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland where he acquired his lifelong interest in the philosophy of Epistemology or “how we know what we know.” After serving for eight years as a Naval Aviator he returned to school for an MS in Space Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins. Whi...

As a passionate mechanical engineer, Salam Abualhayjaa specializes in spacesuit design and advanced life-support systems for extreme environments. With a commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration, she has contributed to the development of 8 cutting-edge spacesuits for analog missions and real-world applications on Earth and beyond. She also founded MENA, a non-profit woman-led orga...

Paul is the former Founder and Chief Story Architect of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s StoryLab. StoryLab is NASA’s first “story accelerator”: a strategic communications shop that brings expertise to the Lab in using the tools and language of storytelling to support JPL's impact on humanity. With more than 20 years in strategic communications, Paul has a knack for “communicating complexity” and the “...

Step inside the high-stakes world of space security with Theresa Hitchens , a trailblazing journalist and analyst whose career spans over three decades at the intersection of national defense, global policy, and the final frontier. In this episode, Theresa shares stories from her front-row seat covering everything from U.S. military space strategy to the delicate art of international space governa...

Sabrina Thompson is a pioneering figure in the world of aerospace engineering, an advocate for women in STEM, and the visionary CEO and Founder of GIRL IN SPACE CLUB . With a multifaceted career that encompasses roles at NASA as an Aerospace Engineer/Astrodynamicist, as well as an Atmospheric Physicist, she has established herself as a leading force in space exploration and innovation. At NASA, Sa...

Born in Riverside, California to Chinese immigrant parents, Garrett Wang (pronounced Wong) spent his formative years on the move, living in Indiana, Bermuda and Tennessee. He moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA where he majored in East Asian Studies and minored in theater. He was especially proud of his portrayal of Michio Tanaka in Wakako Yamauchi’s play "12-1-A," which commemorated the 50th anni...

Eric Ingram is a trailblazing entrepreneur and advocate for accessibility in space exploration. As the Founder of Scout Space, he pioneered innovations in orbital safety and cutting-edge technologies to enhance space domain awareness. After six years of leadership at Scout, including five as CEO and a year as Chief Strategy Officer, Eric successfully transitioned the company into the hands of a ca...

Michael “Orbit” Nayak is a science-fiction author, and a Program Manager with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He has worked as a space shuttle engineer; flight director for multiple experimental spacecraft; a skydiving instructor; a planetary scientist at NASA Ames; research section chief for the DoD’s largest telescope; instructor flight test engineer and instructor pilot....

Join Grace Frazier, a trailblazing young engineer who leapt from HVAC systems to the cutting-edge world of space technology, as she explores the human stories behind the stars.