Ten years ago, a new NASA program dedicated to the science of Astrobiology was born. Dan Goldin, former NASA administrator, and Baruch Blumberg, the original director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), discuss the history of the NAI and recount how this unique, multi-disciplinary science came to be. The NAI has continued to grow since its creation, expanding its involvement in new types of research. This year, as NAI celebrates an important decade of scientific discovery, the program has awarded ten new grants to NAI teams to conduct innovative research.