How NASA Creates Future Gravity w/ Steve Rader

The Storied Future

Feb 1 2024 • 1 hr 27 mins

There are few narratives bigger than space exploration, and few journeys that require a more dogged commitment to an unseen future—one that can only be reached through sustained innovation, flawless operations, and a whole lot of belief in that future.

Today's guest, Steve Rader, has worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for 34 years, in mission control, developing software for the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, building command and control systems for the X-38, and working on the Constellation Program. He is currently working to crowdsource innovation at NASA and across the federal government by tapping into a crowd of hundreds of millions of people around the globe.

In today’s episode, Steve and Chris discuss:

  • How Steve's upbringing inspired a love of space and an appreciation of the importance of diversity
  • Why some organizations fail at unlocking internal innovation, and what they can do differently
  • The story of the very first video conference in space
  • How the right narrative can become a center of future gravity that overcomes the pull of the status quo and shifts the future to give everyone the opportunity to win, together

And much more!