NASA's Artemis Webinar for Blind People: RS-25 Engines, Blind Engineers and Accessible Space
Notas do episódio
NASA ran an Artemis webinar built for blind and low vision people, and two of the panelists are blind NASA engineers. Steven Scott talks to Dr. Robert Shelton, Dr. Craig Moore and Christine Malec about the RS-25 rocket engine, how they built careers at NASA, and what would make space missions accessible to blind fans.
Bob Shelton has worked at NASA for almost 40 years and is now lead simulation engineer for the Commercial Crew Program. He describes joining Johnson Space Center as a blind mathematician in 1971. His first boss told him to figure out where he could make the biggest impact. Craig Moore, a chemist turned materials engineer at Marshall, explains what changed in the RS-25 between the Space Shuttle and Artemis, including 3D printed parts.
The panel also covers how AI tools like Gemini make maths PDFs readable, with equations converted to LaTeX. Christine explains why science descriptions should include the science as well as what's on screen, and how sonification turns telescope data into sound. She also wants NASA to release the astronauts' own conversations about what they saw from the far side of the Moon.
The webinar drew 800 sign-ups and over 220 live attendees, with questions ranging from digital twins to how blind people could live in space. In the feedback, Eleanor's request to Gemini goes amusingly wrong, Leander asks about alert and ringer volume in iOS 27, and Glendon James shares his thoughts on modernising braille and on the inaccessible websites blind people still have to fight with.
Chapters
0:00 – Intro
2:52 – Meet the panel and why NASA made the webinar
8:09 – Bob Shelton's path into NASA as a blind mathematician
13:22 – Inside the RS-25 rocket engine
18:47 – AI, LaTeX and accessible maths
21:43 – Audio description and sonification
27:01 – Careers at NASA and advice for blind students
33:12 – Following Artemis missions without sight
37:05 – Webinar questions and turnout
43:35 – Listener feedback: Gemini, iPhone volume and braille
Relevant Links
NASA Artemis webinar for the blind and low vision community: https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-hosts-virtual-artemis-webinar-for-blind-low-vision-community/
NASA Artemis program: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/
Chandra X-ray Observatory: https://chandra.harvard.edu/
Google Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/
Smooth Scotland: https://www.smoothradio.com/scotland/
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About Double Tap
Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.
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