In this story-led space adventure for kids ages 4–10, Little Modak follows a curious child and a narrator who investigate the Hubble Space Telescope one question at a time, making a guess before each answer. Find out why a telescope goes above the air, how a curved mirror gathers light, what made the first pictures blurry, and how scientists and astronauts worked together to put it right.

Young listeners will discover:

- Why stars twinkle, why NASA says moving pockets of air cause it, and why Hubble gets steady light above the air. Hubble went up on Space Shuttle Discovery on 24 April 1990.
- How Hubble's 2.4-metre glass mirror, with its thin aluminium coat, was designed to bring all the light to one sharp focus.
- Why the first pictures were blurry: the mirror was a tiny bit too flat near its edge, by about two thousandths of a millimetre, which NASA says is roughly one-fiftieth of a hair. Both main cameras showed the same blur, and the team announced it in June 1990.
- Where the mistake began: a lens in a test device used to shape the mirror sat about a millimetre out of place, not in the mirror itself. Other checks did show the problem, but they were set aside and the plan relied on one test. The report calls it a process problem, and nobody is to be blamed.
- How seven astronauts on Endeavour, in December 1993, left the main mirror as it was and added correcting optics instead: the new camera WFPC2, with the correction built in, and COSTAR, a phone-booth-sized package of correcting mirrors for older instruments.
- How the first repaired pictures looked: a huge galaxy that was blurry before had a sharp centre. New data came back in December 1993, NASA showed the pictures in January 1994, and astronauts visited Hubble four more times, up to 2009.

Admit mistakes, repair them together, keep learning: a true story about teamwork, careful checking and curiosity.

Perfect for curious kids who love space, telescopes, engineering puzzles and real stories of teamwork and learning from mistakes.

🎧 A screen-free educational podcast for kids and families.

Topics: Hubble Space Telescope, telescope mirror, why stars twinkle, blurry pictures, test device, Space Shuttle Endeavour, spacewalk, WFPC2, COSTAR, teamwork, learning from mistakes

In this story-led space adventure for kids ages 5–10, Little Modak follows two spacecraft launched on different routes in 1977: Voyager 2 on 20 August and Voyager 1 on 5 September. Discover how a rare arrangement of the outer planets opened a remarkable path, how a moving planet can change a spacecraft's journey through a gravity assist, and how close observations transformed what scientists knew about distant worlds. Then find out how teams on Earth keep in touch with spacecraft this far away, and why each Voyager carries a record about Earth.

Young listeners will discover:

- Why Voyager 2 launched first but Voyager 1 followed a faster route, and why a rare outer-planet arrangement mattered.
- How gravity assists change a spacecraft's path without creating energy from nowhere.
- How Voyager 1 visited Jupiter and Saturn, how Voyager 2 went on to Uranus and Neptune, and how active volcanoes were found on Io.
- How high-gain dish antennas and NASA's Deep Space Network carry radio messages across enormous distances. NASA reported on 17 April 2026 that a command from Earth took about 23 hours to reach Voyager 1.
- How teams manage limited electrical power from plutonium-238 generators and shut down selected instruments to keep useful science going. NASA reported on 17 April 2026 that each Voyager was losing about four watts of power per year.
- Why each Voyager carries a 12-inch gold-plated copper Golden Record of images, natural sounds, music and greetings, and why entering interstellar space is not the same as leaving every part of the Solar System.

Perfect for curious kids who love space, planets, spacecraft, engineering puzzles and real stories of long-term teamwork.

🎧 A screen-free educational podcast for kids and families.

Topics: Voyager 1, Voyager 2, gravity assist, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Io volcanoes, Deep Space Network, spacecraft power, interstellar space, Golden Record

How did Apollo 13 bring three astronauts safely home after its Moon landing had to be cancelled?

In this story-led space adventure for kids ages 5–10, Little Modak follows Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise as they protect air, water and power, turn the Aquarius lunar module into a lifeboat, solve a dangerous carbon-dioxide filter problem and guide Odyssey back to Earth.

Young listeners will discover:

- Why a damaged oxygen tank changed the mission.

- How Aquarius sheltered three astronauts after the Moon landing was cancelled.

- How teams on Earth tested a way to connect square filter cartridges to a round opening.

- How careful planning, engine burns and teamwork led to a safe Pacific splashdown.

Perfect for curious kids who love space, astronauts, engineering puzzles and real stories of teamwork.

🎧 A screen-free educational podcast for kids and families.

Topics: Apollo 13, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, Fred Haise, Aquarius lunar module, Odyssey command module, carbon dioxide filter, space rescue

Apollo 11 was not the work of one hero—it was a giant puzzle solved by astronauts, engineers, computers, mission controllers, tracking stations, manufacturers, universities, and recovery crews. Learn what each spacecraft module did, how Armstrong avoided a hazardous landing area, why 1202 and 1201 alarms did not stop the computer, and how the crew returned safely to Earth.

Luna 9 faced a huge question: how could a machine land safely on an unknown Moon? Follow its careful descent, cushioned impact and four opening petals, then discover how its camera and radio signals delivered the first photographs from the lunar surface. This story explains soft landing, braking and remote operation while showing how patient testing can make bigger journeys possible.

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Could humans survive the journey into space? This child-friendly episode follows Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova as they take early Vostok missions from daring experiments to carefully supported orbital flight. Discover weightlessness, life support, training, re-entry and the teamwork behind their shared achievement.

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A shiny sphere, about the size of a beach ball, once sent a tiny “beep, beep” around the world. How did Sputnik 1 stay above Earth—and why did that little sound begin a new age of exploration?

In this playful science story, children discover what an orbit is, why Sputnik kept circling Earth and how one small first step helped lead to the satellites we use for weather, television and maps today. A warm narrator and a curious child explore gravity, radio signals and the courage it takes to try something new.

Designed for children ages 6–10 and families listening together. After the story, ask: What small first step would you like to take?