Miles To Go
Join award-winning journalist Miles O’Brien as he explores developments in technology, science, aviation, space and the environment.
A 35-year veteran of the news business, Miles is currently an independent producer, writer, and director for PBS NewsHour, NOVA, Frontline, and the National Science Foundation. An experienced pilot himself, he also serves as aviation analyst for CNN (And he does it all with one arm).
For even more of Miles's insights, subscribe to his Substack: https://milesobrien.substack.com/
- Update frequency
- every 10 days
- Average duration
- 39 minutes
- Episodes
- 44
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Episode 44: "Collision Course over the Capital"
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 6…
Episode 43: “Cutoff: When a Pilot Becomes the Threat – Air India 171”
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…
Episode 42: Leroy Chiao on the perils of long-duration spaceflight
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 coope…
Episode 41: Lars Perkins on the Mid-Air Collision over the Potomac
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 discu…
Episode 40: Harold Coghlan on the Mid-Air Collision near Reagan National Airport
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 dow…
Episode 39: Jared Isaacman: From Entrepreneur to Space Pioneer and NASA's Next Leader?
This episode of Miles To Go features Jared Isaacman, serial entrepreneur, space explorer, and nominee for NASA Administrator. From founding Shift4 Payments to commanding groundbreaking space missions…
Episode 38: Not a Landslide, but too Big to Rig - with Alex Halderman
In this conversation, Miles O'Brien and J. Alex Halderman discuss the critical issues surrounding election security, focusing on the importance of trust, the vulnerabilities of local voting systems, …
Episode 37: The Hunt for Methane Leaks - with Melissa Ostroff
In this episode of Miles to Go, we delve into the invisible world of methane leaks with environmental advocate Melissa Ostroff. Armed with a thermal imaging camera, Melissa tracks methane emissions f…
Episode 36: The Fight for Secure Elections - with Donna Curling
Today is Election Day—at long last. I am exhausted, and I suspect many of you feel the same way.
I am in Georgia to cover this important day in history for the PBS News Hour. I'm sure you know by now…
Black Box Episode 3: Inside the Cockpit of JAL 123, The Worst Single Aircraft Accident in History - Part 3
In this three part miniseries, Miles O'Brien and Lars Perkins - along with several special guests - investigate the bizarre circumstances that led to one of the most fatal plane crashes of all time. …
Black Box Episode 2: Inside the Cockpit of JAL 123, The Worst Single Aircraft Accident in History - Part 2
In this three part miniseries, Miles O'Brien and Lars Perkins - along with several special guests - investigate the bizarre circumstances that led to one of the most fatal plane crashes of all time. …
Black Box Episode 1: Inside the Cockpit of JAL 123, The Worst Single Aircraft Accident in History - Part 1
Episode 32: What Happened to China Eastern Flight MU5735
Episode 31: The Challenge of Robots and Artificial Intelligence, a Retrospective – with AI Pioneer Marvin Minsky
Marvin Minsky is often regarded as the father of modern AI, but when Miles visited him in 2010, Minsky wasn’t a proud father. In fact, Minsky was disappointed with the lack of progress in the field a…
Episode 30: How and Why We’re Sampling Asteroid Bennu – with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Team
How did our early solar system form? What are the origins of life? How likely are we to get hit by a dangerous asteroid? A daring NASA mission called OSIRIS-REx hopes to find the answers to these big…
Episode 29: Why Europa is the Most Likely Spot We’ll Find Aliens – with NASA’s Kevin Peter Hand
Jupiter 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 Sola…
Episode 28: How Average Americans are Fighting Climate Change – with Clean Air Carolina’s June Blotnick
Hurricane Florence was a perfect example of how climate change supercharges extreme weather events. But climate change also affects us in other more subtle, interconnected, and difficult to manage wa…
Episode 27: Steve Squyres – On Exploring Mars, and Other Celestial Objects
Steve Squyres is the principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover Program, which gave us the plucky and productive rovers Spirit and Opportunity. With the latter on life support and the form…
Episode 26: The Murky World of Science Transparency – Hash it Out with NYU Professor George D. Thurston
There are calls in the EPA and in Congress for the use of more transparent science. But what does that mean? Why do scientists seem united against these regulations? And what would it mean if they we…
Episode 25: Snorkeling with Some Wild Dolphin Friends – or Another Day in the Office for Denise Herzing
For more than three decades, behavioral biologist Denise Herzing has tracked and observed a pod of wild spotted dolphins that live in the warm clear waters of the Bahamas. She’s learned an awful lot …