Rod Pyle (born September 17, 1956) is an American author, journalist, public speaker, and former television producer and educator who concentrates on subjects regarding spaceflight.
Pyle is the editor-in-chief of Ad Astra magazine, a print and digital quarterly published by the National Space Society. He is author of 20 general market nonfiction books and has co-authored four public reports for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Pyle has hosted two podcast series, including "This Week In Space" with Tariq Malik, and is a frequent guest on national and regional radio and appears on various television shows as a space expert.
Education Upon leaving high school, Pyle attended Pasadena City College for two years before entering the University of California at Los Angeles. He eventually received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, with an emphasis in film and television in 1994. He then received a master’s degree from Stanford University in 1995.
Career Pyle has been the editor-in-chief of Ad Astra magazine, the quarterly print and digital publication of the National Space Society, since 2017. He has authored 20 nonfiction books, mostly on space exploration, history, and development, since 2005.
Books +YearTitlePublisherNotesReference2003In Their Own Words: Race Across EuropeFirst Person PressCo-author2003In Their Own Words: The PacificFirst Person Press2003In Their Own Words: The Space RaceFirst Person Press2007Destination MoonSmithsonian Press2010Missions to the MoonCarlton BooksForeword by Gene Kranz2012Destination MarsPrometheus BooksForeword by Rob Manning2014Curiosity Prometheus Books2014Innovation the NASA WayMcGraw HillForeword by Lori Garver2016Blueprint for a BattlestarSterling Books2017Mars: Making ContactAndre DeutschForeword by James Green2017Amazing Stories of the Space AgePrometheus Books2017Technology Highlights 2017NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory2018Technology Highlights 2018NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory2019First on the MoonSterling PublishingForeword by Buzz Aldrin2019Interplanetary RobotsPrometheus BooksForeword by James Green2019Heroes of the Space AgePrometheus Books2019Space 2.0BenBella Books/National Space SocietyForeword by Buzz Aldrin2022Technology Highlights 2021NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory2024NASA/NIAC Proceedings(in process)2024A Month on Mars(in process)
Film and television +YearTitleRoleNotes1995-1997Star Trek: Deep Space NineVFX CoordinatorParamount TV1998The Osiris ChroniclesVFX SupervisorParamount TV1993Modern Marvels: The World’s Longest BridgeProducer/DirectorHistory Channel1993Modern Marvels: Apollo 11Producer/DirectorHistory Channel1994Modern Marvels: The ArchProducer/DirectorHistory Channel2002Battlestar GalacticaVFX Previz ProducerParamount TV2005Beyond the War of the WorldsProducer/DirectorHistory Channel
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