Episode 29: Why Europa is the Most Likely Spot We’ll Find Aliens – with NASA’s Kevin Peter Hand
Release Date: 11/26/2018
Episode 49: We Have No Money, So We Have To Think - with Peter Beck
Miles Ahead
Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck is often mentioned alongside billionaire space entrepreneurs — but his motivations are strikingly different. In this episode of Miles Ahead, Miles O’Brien speaks with Beck about building a multigenerational space company, the discipline required to survive in commercial space, and why the most important impact may come long after a founder is gone. The conversation was recorded remotely before Miles traveled to New Zealand and then boarded an Antarctic icebreaker to report on climate science.
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Episode 48: Titan Unfinished: A Conversation With OceanGate Co-Founder Guillermo Söhnlein
Miles Ahead
In this conversation, Guillermo Sohnlein, co-founder of Ocean Gate, shares his journey from military service to entrepreneurship in the marine and space exploration sectors. He discusses the founding of Ocean Gate with Stockton Rush, the challenges of deep-sea exploration, and the tragic implosion of the Titan submersible during a Titanic expedition. Sohnlein reflects on the media coverage surrounding the incident, the importance of crisis management, and the balance between innovation and safety in extreme environments. He also talks about his motivations for writing as a personal catharsis...
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Episode 47: From The End of Nature to a New Beginning - with Bill McKibben
Miles Ahead
Journalist Miles O’Brien sits down with legendary climate activist and author Bill McKibben to talk about his new book Here Comes the Sun. They discuss the rapid rise of renewables, China’s stunning lead in solar, America’s political roadblocks, and why McKibben — yes, the man who once wrote The End of Nature — now dares to feel hopeful. The two also explore how the surge in AI and data-center demand could reshape the energy landscape — and why sun and wind may be the only scalable way to keep the lights on.
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Episode 46: Science Under Siege — Michael Mann and Peter Hotez on the War Against Truth
Miles Ahead
In this episode of Miles to Go, Miles O’Brien speaks with climate scientist Michael Mann and vaccine researcher Peter Hotez — two scientists who have endured personal attacks, threats, and political smears for standing up for evidence-based truth. Their new book, Science Under Siege, exposes the powerful alliance of plutocrats, petrostates, propagandists, and politicians working to dismantle trust in science — and, increasingly, the institutions that sustain it. Mann, creator of the famed “hockey stick” graph, recounts how fossil fuel interests and their media allies targeted...
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Episode 45: Powering the Final Frontier: The Case for Nuclear on the Moon
Miles Ahead
NASA wants to land a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030. Is this the real deal—or another paper plan? Miles O’Brien talks with Bhavya Lal (RAND, former NASA) and Keith Cowing (NASA Watch) about why space needs nukes and how we get there. 🎧 Plus: meltdown myths, mission politics, and Bhavya’s 3-tier roadmap from her report for Idaho National Lab. Read it here:
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Episode 44: "Collision Course over the Capital"
Miles Ahead
In this episode of Miles to Go, I’m joined by veteran airline captain and aviation analyst Les Abend to examine the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport in January 2025 that claimed 67 lives. We dissect the findings from the recent NTSB hearing, detailing how a Black Hawk helicopter flying with night vision goggles, a regional jet on a challenging approach, and an overwhelmed air traffic controller all played a role in the tragedy. We dig into why ADS‑B Out wasn’t active, despite being installed on the military helicopter, and how longstanding FAA warnings about that...
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Episode 43: “Cutoff: When a Pilot Becomes the Threat – Air India 171”
Miles Ahead
When Air India Flight 171 fell from the sky just seconds after takeoff, killing all aboard and many on the ground, investigators were baffled. The Boeing 787 was mechanically sound. The weather posed no threat. The pilots were sober and experienced. So what went wrong? In this episode of Miles to Go, veteran aviation journalist Miles O’Brien is joined by retired American Airlines captain Les Abend to dissect the deeply troubling conclusion: one of the flight crew members appears to have intentionally moved both engine fuel cutoff switches—a deliberate act of sabotage from the cockpit....
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Episode 42: Leroy Chiao on the perils of long-duration spaceflight
Miles Ahead
In this wide-ranging conversation, astronaut Leroy Chiao joins Miles to talk candidly about what it’s really like to live and work in space — and inside NASA. From Cold War suspicion to Russian cooperation, and from toilet paper certification to Starliner delays, it’s a journey full of humor, frustration, and hard-earned insight. Chiao also shares why he almost flew a year-long mission (spoiler: a very large space tourist), what happens when blood flows the wrong way in microgravity, and whether Jared Isaacman can actually fix what’s broken at NASA.
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Episode 41: Lars Perkins on the Mid-Air Collision over the Potomac
Miles Ahead
In this special edition of Miles to Go, I sit down with longtime friend and aviation expert Lars Perkins to analyze the NTSB’s latest findings on the midair collision over the Potomac River. We discuss the altimeter discrepancy, the challenges of visual flight rules (VFR), and whether night vision goggles (NVGs) may have hindered rather than helped the helicopter crew. We also explore systemic issues in aviation safety, including the normalization of deviance—where repeated near misses create a false sense of security. Finally, we examine the political interference in the NTSB...
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Episode 40: Harold Coghlan on the Mid-Air Collision near Reagan National Airport
Miles Ahead
A tragic mid-air collision near Washington Reagan Airport has put a spotlight on the dangers of D.C.'s complex airspace. In this episode, veteran pilot Harold Coghlan joins Miles O’Brien to break down what happened, the risks of military and civilian aviation operating so closely, and what needs to change to prevent future disasters. 🔍 Key Topics Discussed: ✅ The unique dangers of flying in Washington D.C. airspace ✅ How military helicopters and airliners operate in the same congested airspace ✅ The ‘see and avoid’ problem—why night flying increases the risk ✅ What went...
info_outlineJupiter has many moons, but none are quite like Europa: it has a thick crust of ice and a huge amount of liquid saltwater underneath its surface. In fact, many believe it’s the best place in the Solar System that we could find other lifeforms. To dive deeper into the mysteries of this icy world–and how we plan on exploring it–Miles sits down with Kevin Peter Hand, Deputy Project Scientist of NASA’s Europa Mission on this episode of Miles To Go.