Illinois Public Media

Science

A full Moon is seen shining over NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, part of the Artemis program, on February 1, 2026. Inset: Joseph Fernando Gonzalez in the IPM studios on May 8, 2026.

From the prairie to the moon, these Illinoisans are connected to the NASA Artemis program

 When the four astronauts of Artemis II orbited the moon, it was the culmination of work by countless thousands of people — including some based here in Illinois. The 21st Show talks with an aerospace engineer who dreamed of space as a boy (and still does), and the head of a company whose work with NASA dates back to Apollo.
IPM Newsroom
Black Music Month performance by Certified Organic, June 4, 2026 at the Gallery Art Bar starting at 7:30pm.
Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

Your home for Classical and more in Central Illinois.
Prairie Performances
A filipino man with dark hair.

Prairie Performances: Revisiting the Music of Tim Corpus
Filipino-American composer and arts manager Tim Corpus is recognized for his compositions across concert music, film, and interactive media…
Dialogue
ochestra conductor, man looking at camera

Direct from Champaign: A Hamilton star and a Student Virtuoso talk about raising the bar
Our Dialogue for Teens hosts learn about a ‘Hamilton’ star who rose from Champaign to Broadway and an emerging talent from Centennial High School.
The 21st Show
The video game American Truck Simulator will soon expand its playable area to Illinois, where drivers can pass Buckingham Fountain on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

New video game provides virtual drive to cities across Illinois
SCS Software, the makers of American Truck Simulator, is soon releasing an expansion for the game that highlights several cities across Illinois, including Chicago, Champaign,…
The 21st Show
Demonstrators outside Hovey Hall, the main administration building, at Illinois State University on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

A look into the settlement after Illinois State University workers’ strike
A settlement has been reached between AFSCME Council 31 and Illinois State University following a strike that lasted nearly four weeks.
The 21st Show
a montage with the book cover (black with orange lettering) and a portrait of Lee Hawkins: he's got a shaved head; large, thick-rimmed glasses; and he's wearing a tweed sport coat with an elaborate Dolce & Gabbana crest embroidered on the breast pocket; the jacket is worn over a red polo shirt, which in turn is worn over a pink button-down shirt

Best of: How Lee Hawkins found freedom in exploring traumatic family history
Lee Hawkins is a journalist, a podcast producer, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. But in his new book, he turns his skills toward telling his own family’s story. It’s a…
Prairie Fire

Prairie Fire: Season 3 - Episode 6 - March 2026
We introduce you to the art of Brian Dettmer, get a special performance from hip-hop duo Mother Nature, and visit with quilter Millie Sorrells, who shows us creativity has no…
News Local/State

Behind The Mic: News & Public Affairs Reginald Hardwick loves meeting new people through journalism
After two decades as a television producer in Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth, IPM News Director Reginald Hardwick switched to public media ten years ago. 
State of Change

Small gestures to make a big difference in preserving our planet
We visit a zero-waste general store, a garden bringing a community together in a Chicago food desert, a program protecting pollinators, and advice to increase sustainability…