Loading...

PODCAST

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

The Planetary Society

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our Solar System and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts who are taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye the Science Guy and Bruce Betts as they dive deep into space science and exploration. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the

science

All Episodes

73:38

Space Policy Edition: NASA's Economic Impact with...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/12/02

NASA supports nearly 340,000 jobs spread throughout every state in the union, generates billions of dollars of tax revenue, and invests in critical high-tech, high-skilled workers. But how do we know this? A new report, prepared by a team at the University of Illinois Chicago and sponsored by NASA's Chief Economist, provides the sound economic analysis behind understanding the immense benefit of the U.S. space program. We dive into how this analysis is done, how to interpret the results, and why

en-US

78:44

A Happy 20th Anniversary for Planetary Radio

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/11/30

Join our celebration with Planetary Society chief executive officer Bill Nye, Society co-founder Louis Friedman, and chief operating officer Jennifer Vaughn. Incoming Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed calls our attention to several of the Society’s biggest accomplishments in 2022, and Bruce Betts shares not-so-random space facts about our public radio show and podcast. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-planetary-radio-20th-anniversarySee omnystudio.com/listener for

en-US

69:52

Giving the University of Arizona Mirror Lab a spin

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/11/23

It has been on host Mat Kaplan’s bucket list for years. Join him for a tour of the cavernous Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona, where the mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope or GMT are being spun into reality. Want your own GMT? You might win a model kit when Bruce Betts delivers this week’s What’s Up space trivia quiz. Stumped by what to get that space nerd in your life? Check out The Planetary Society’s gift guide! Mat and Sarah Al-Ahmed share their favorite

en-US

58:30

Voyager Mission Project Scientist Linda Spilker

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/11/16

She has been heard on Planetary Radio more than any other guest. Linda Spilker returns in her new role as the Voyager project scientist, following the legendary Ed Stone’s half-century in that job. Linda provides an update on the interstellar journey. The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 may be only hours from the end of its very successful mission. LightSail Program Manager Bruce Betts makes a special up-front appearance to prepare us for this milestone. And incoming Planetary Radio host Sarah

en-US

58:17

Space Policy Edition: What the Congressional...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/11/11

Next year a new class of elected officials will enter Congress and usher in changes to the political focus and leadership of key space and science committees. Dr. Bethany Johns, the deputy director of Public Policy for the American Astronomical Society, joins the show to discuss how her organization is preparing for the change, what issues they intend to focus on, and how the scientific community can engage with members of both parties to ensure continued investment in U.S. scientific capability

en-US

64:07

Ann Druyan wishes you a happy Sagan Day

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/11/09

November 9 would have been our co-founder Carl Sagan’s 88th birthday. His professional and life partner, Ann Druyan, returns with a love story — the love between two people that encompassed the Cosmos and had to be shared. Sarah Al-Ahmed will tell us about two missions to Venus. Sarah, too, was inspired by Dr. Sagan. The theme continues with Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts in this week’s What’s Up segment. Discover more at

en-US

98:56

Space Policy Edition Bonus: Q&A with Casey Dreier and...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/11/04

While we wait for the result of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, enjoy this special bonus episode of Space Policy Edition featuring The Planetary Society's Chief Advocate and CEO answering dozens of space policy questions submitted by our members. These twice-annual policy briefings are moderated by Mat Kaplan, and are an exclusive benefit for Planetary Society members. Want to submit questions next time? Join us at planetary.org/join Our regular Space Policy Edition episode will be published

en-US

56:26

DART smacked an asteroid! So what’s next in planetary...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/11/02

The success of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test was just one more step toward protecting our world from wayward asteroids and comets. NASA Planetary Defense Officer Lindley Johnson, and Kelly Fast, the agency’s near-Earth object observation program manager, return to our show for a discussion of where we go from here. Sarah Al-Ahmed will tell us about an article that locates the water on and under Mars, while Bruce Betts gets us ready to enjoy the upcoming total lunar eclipse. There’s more to

en-US

48:08

Meet the new Planetary Radio host! (and enjoy a beer...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/10/26

Join host Mat Kaplan as he proudly introduces the person who will take on the show he created 20 years ago. Then we’ll join astrophysicist Brian Keating at a joyful gathering of cosmologists who hope to reveal secrets of the Universe through the new Simons Observatory. You might win Brian’s new book about thinking like a Nobel Prize winner in the What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-introducing-new-hostSee omnystudio.com/listener

en-US

62:36

Eyes on the Sky: Spacewatch and the Catalina Sky Survey

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/10/19

The University of Arizona in Tucson hosts two of the most successful asteroid searches on our planet. Together, they have discovered, tracked, and characterized tens of thousands of objects, many of which could pose a threat to Earth. Listen to back-to-back, in-person conversations with the leaders of both efforts. Then we’ll jump to the ever-watchful Bruce Betts for this week’s installment of What’s Up. There’s more to discover at

en-US

61:03

Innovate! NASA’s leading-edge fellows share their...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/10/12

Mat Kaplan once again hosted the live webcast from the annual NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts or NIAC symposium. He presents a speed dating sample of highlights. How about a Mars habitat grown from mushrooms? A lunar farside radio telescope built by robots? Or a kilometer-long space station launched by a single rocket? We’ll also join Planetary Society chief scientist Bruce Betts for another What’s Up scan of the night sky and more. There’s more to discover at

en-US

62:43

Space Policy Edition: The Geopolitics of a Successful...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/10/07

What would nation-states do in response to a signal from an alien intelligence? Would they compete for status and control of the message, or hope to gain some technological advantage from its contents? Or would the world shrug its shoulders and move on? Professor Jason Wright, Director of the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, joins the show to discuss a new paper proposing a more nuanced and positive view of world behavior given a potential SETI detection, and how the most likely

en-US

44:08

Grounded: The director of the SOFIA flying...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/10/05

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) made its last flight on Sept. 30, 2022. Astronomer Margaret Meixner was onboard as the huge telescope built into a 747 aircraft ended its observations of the universe. Margaret joined us earlier that day to celebrate the great successes of this unique instrument and its team. You may win a signed CD copy of “The Moons Symphony” in the new What’s Up space trivia contest! There’s more to discover at

en-US

68:44

Bull’s-eye! DART impacts Dimorphos, and we meet space...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/09/28

They did it! The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft scored a direct hit on Dimorphos. We’ve got the thrilling last moments before impact, followed by an exclusive, triumphant conversation with DART Coordination Lead Nancy Chabot. Then we’ll go from spectacular success to spectacular beauty as we meet extraordinary space image processor and artist Judy Schmidt. Bruce Betts salutes the DART mission with this week’s space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at

en-US

52:43

Countdown to DART: Will We Move an Asteroid?

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/09/21

We are less than a week from the DART spacecraft’s impact on asteroid moonlet Dimorphos as this episode is published. Mission Coordination Lead Nancy Chabot gives us a status update and a preview of what to expect during the September 26 encounter. Watching the smackdown from a few kilometers away will be LICIACube. Simone Pirrotta, program manager for the Italian Space Agency’s little cubesat, tells us about his high hopes. We’ll also visit NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab to hear the exciting

en-US

77:59

It’s Not Just NASA: Space Agency Leaders at the...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/09/14

More than 100,000 came to the Kennedy Space Center hoping to see Artemis 1 head for the Moon on August 29. Among them were leaders of the European Space Agency (ESA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). They sat down with Mat Kaplan for conversations about the international collaboration behind the Artemis program, along with some of the other brilliant successes they have achieved. We also celebrate the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s speech that

en-US

70:53

Countdown to Artemis, The Return to the Moon

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/09/07

Come with us to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for our special coverage of the first attempt to launch the giant Space Launch System rocket toward the Moon. You’ll hear astronaut Thomas Pesquet, “Everyday Astronaut” Tim Dodd, NASA Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen, and much more. Then take your best shot at winning the Artemis 1 prize package in this week’s space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-artemis-1-launch-special-coverageSee

en-US

63:41

Space Policy Edition: Mike Gold on Crafting the...

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/09/02

As we wait for the launch of Artemis 1, we explore the Artemis Accords: a shared set of principles for exploring space, signed now by more than twenty nations. The accords outline a set of peaceful behaviors and shared values, including the open sharing of scientific data, safe disposal of orbital debris, commitments to mutual aid, and practices for using space resources and preservation. Mike Gold, former Associate Administrator of Space Policy and Partnerships at NASA, helped draft these accords

en-US

78:42

The Voyager Mission: A 45th Anniversary Celebration

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/08/31

Join us at the Jet Propulsion Lab for the celebration of the two Voyager spacecrafts’ 45-year journey across the solar system and beyond. Stick around for a stimulating conversation with Ann Druyan, creative director for the Golden Record carried by the probes. The Voyager theme continues in this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-voyager-45th-anniversary-ann-druyanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

38:35

Pieces of Mars: How We’ll Get Them to Earth

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and... ·

2022/08/24

We now know the rough outline of how NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) expect to get the samples collected by Perseverance off Mars and into labs on Earth. Mars Sample Return Program Manager Richard Cook of JPL will take us through the intricate and audacious steps required. The plan now includes two Mars helicopters! Trickster Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, provides the surprising answer for his latest space trivia question. Apollo 11 was not the first liftoff from

en-US

1,364 results

Similar Podcasts

Rabbit Hole of Research

Jotham Austin, II PhD, Nick Elizalde,...

La Science CQFD

France Culture

A Moment of Science

Indiana Public Media

Meteorology Matters

Rob Jones

The Deep Dive Lab: Unraveling Materials Science

Son Hoang