Martian Chronicles: Crafting Clean Missions & Life-Detecting Tech with Heather Smith

In today's episode, we’re joined by Heather Smith, a contracted NASA Research Scientist working with The Kiss Institute. With a focus on Mars and its moons, she develops life-detection instruments and strategies to keep space missions clean and science-ready. Her path includes a PhD in Biological Engineering, a master’s in Space Studies, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Psychology. From Space Camp counselor to NASA Postdoc and AAAS Fellow, she’s built a career exploring the question: Are we alone?