Exploring the world below our feet and beyond our atmosphere.
Ariel is an explorer, filmmaker, and creative director. Her expeditions to Antarctica focus on filming life under the ice, which became the subject of her TED Talk. She is also a NASA advisor and National Geographic Explorer who collaborates with research teams. An art school graduate who pivoted to science, Ariel was recognized by the Obama White House as a Champion of Change in Citizen Science.
Previously, Ariel served as the chair to NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts advisory council. In 2014, she co-authored a congressionally-requested National Academy of Sciences’ report on the future of human spaceflight.
Ariel is the author of two books:
"Out There: The Science Behind Sci-Fi Film and TV" (2023)
"What’s It Like in Space?: Stories from Astronauts Who’ve Been There" (2016)