John Crassidis, Moog Professor of Innovation at UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, works with NASA, the Air Force and other agencies to monitor space debris, also known as space junk.  In this episode, Cory Nealon talks to Crassidis about his journey from aspiring astronaut to academia, why space junk poses a threat to the future of satellites and space missions, and how he’s applying a $5 million grant from the Air Force—with the help of institutional partners and his students at UB—to help solve the problem. 

Credits: 
Host: Cory Nealon
Guest: John Crassidis
Writer: Laura Silverman
Designer: Kristen Kowalski
Production and Editing by UB Video Production Group

Next on Driven to Discover: Host Vicky Santos talks to biological anthropologist Stephanie Poindexter about her research on the slow loris, an adorable yet venomous primate that inhabits Southeast Asia and surrounding areas.