On the Gravity Assist podcast we have interviewed dozens of scientists, engineers, and others dedicated to the mission of NASA space exploration. After five years, the show is coming to a close. Here are some final thoughts and episode highlights from the podcast team.

NASA Space Radiation Element Scientist Robin Elgart discusses research aimed at reducing radiation health risks.

The James Webb Space Telescope awed the world on July 12 with its first images and data. And it’s just getting started with its exploration of the cosmos. Dr. John Mather, the observatory’s senior project scientist, has been working toward this milestone for more than 25 years. Before Webb, he worked on a spacecraft that delivered a groundbreaking baby picture of the universe and offered the best evidence yet that the universe began with a rapid expansion we call the big bang. Dr. Mather describes some of the first images and explains the mysteries that Webb will tackle.

Boston University Assistant Professor Virginia Greiman discusses enduring lessons from the largest, most technically challenging highway project in U.S. history.

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Chief Pilot Håvard Grip discusses the rotorcraft's history-making flights on the Red Planet.

The world will get a first glimpse of the universe as never before when the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope come out on July 12. And this is only the beginning — the telescope will deliver all kinds of insights about galaxies, planets, and more, for years to come. But someone has to translate that data into beautiful imagery, especially since Webb collects light that falls outside of human vision. That’s where Joe DePasquale of the Space Telescope Science Institute comes in. Learn how he makes choices about color and other aspects of space images in this week’s Gravity Assist podcast.

NuSTAR Principal Investigator Fiona Harrison discusses NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array.

NASA Astrobiology Program Senior Scientist Mary Voytek discusses Research Coordination Networks.

NASA's Tiffany Nickens discusses habitats being developed for living on the lunar surface and traveling to Mars.

Astronauts on the International Space Station have been conducting experiments to grow food, including peppers and radishes. Christina Johnson, a NASA postdoc fellow at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, has been working on a variety of techniques to grow food in space. Learn what she thinks about the future of growing food beyond our planet, including on Mars.