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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

51:25

A Cosmic Odyssey: Decades of Discovery at the Palomar...

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

2021/02/03

Astronomer Linda Schweizer spent countless hours interviewing the explorers who revolutionized astronomy through observations made at California’s Palomar Observatory. She tells their fascinating stories and shares their science in her new book Cosmic Odyssey: How Intrepid Astronomers at Palomar Observatory Changed our View of the Universe. Attention space poets! You might win a Planetfest ’21 t-shirt as Mat and Bruce invite your best efforts in the new What’s Up contest. Hey, it

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55:11

‘Oumuamua: Avi Loeb says it may have been artificial

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

2021/01/27

Could the first object shown to have originated outside our solar system be a light sail built by an alien civilization? That’s the very controversial hypothesis put forward by distinguished Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb in his new book Extraterrestrial. The book is about much more than ‘Oumuamua, and so is Avi’s conversation with Mat Kaplan. Bill Nye pays tribute to a fallen member of The Planetary Society’s space family, and the biggest coincidence in the history of Planetary Radio surfaces

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45:17

7 More Minutes of Terror: Perseverance Arrives at Mars

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

2021/01/20

The 2020 Mars Rover will reach the Red Planet on February 18th after many months in the relative quiet of space. It will then undergo a true trial by fire as it descends to the surface. Jet Propulsion Lab systems engineer and his colleagues hope it will arrive as successfully as its sister Curiosity did in 2012. He tells host Mat Kaplan what to expect. Planetary Radio listeners prove once again that they are awesome as they go to amazing and unnecessary lengths (oops!) to answer the space trivia

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60:49

Space Policy Edition: A Mob at the U.S. Capitol

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

2021/01/15

This is not your normal episode of the Space Policy Edition, but these are not normal times. The centuries-old U.S. tradition of the peaceful transfer of power ended on 6 January 2021, as a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building during the certification of the electoral college vote, leaving 5 dead. Hours later, more than one hundred members of Congress voted to object to the certified electoral results of Arizona and Pennsylvania. Jared Zambrano-Stout, former congressional staffer and

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71:55

A Symphony for 7 Moons

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

2021/01/13

Composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg has created The Moons Symphony.You’ll hear excerpts from each of its 7 movements. They are inspired by and evoke 7 of our solar system’s smaller, unique worlds. Joining Amanda are her advisors and friends, artist and International Space Station astronaut Nicole Stott and Cassini mission project scientist Linda Spilker. Bruce Betts arrives with a new space trivia question based on a visitor to one of these moons. There’s more to discover at

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50:02

Solar Cruiser: A Giant Sail Prepares for Space

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

2021/01/06

It is many times larger than any previous solar sail, and it will pave the way for even bigger spacecraft propelled by light. Solar Cruiser principal investigator Les Johnson tells us about his latest project and looks to humanity crossing the gulfs of interstellar space. Stellaris: People of the Stars is a collection of science fact and fiction co-edited by Les. Mat and Bruce offer a copy in the new What’s Up space trivia contest.There’s more to discover at

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71:43

Planetary Society All-Stars Review 2020 Space Milestones

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

2020/12/30

Chief Scientist Bruce Betts, Editorial Director Jason Davis, Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Advisor Casey Dreier, and Communications Strategy and Canadian Space Policy Advisor Kate Howells join host Mat Kaplan for our annual look back at the closing year’s accomplishments in space exploration. They also predict 2021’s biggest events on the final frontier. A very cool prize awaits the winner of the new What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at

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49:14

Astronaut Stephanie Wilson Might Walk on the Moon

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

2020/12/23

Engineer and astronaut Stephanie Wilson was a toddler when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin visited the Moon. She may someday almost literally walk in their footsteps. Stephanie is one of 18 astronauts--9 women and 9 men--chosen for the Artemis Team. We also welcome back Cassini-Huygens project scientist Linda Spilker for another update on the discoveries still being made thanks to that flagship mission. Linda also looks ahead toward more missions in the outer solar system. Did you catch the great

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56:59

What Do You Need to Make Martian Oxygen? MOXIE!

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

2020/12/16

Mike Hecht is in charge of the MOXIE experiment on NASA’s Perseverance rover, arriving on Mars in February. The tiny device will test our ability to turn the Red Planet’s plentiful carbon dioxide into oxygen. Someday a scaled-up version may make the oxidizer that will get astronauts back to Earth. Mike also helps lead the groundbreaking Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration that captured the first image of a black hole. Want to win a Planetary Society baseball cap? Your opportunity arrives with

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59:29

Welcoming a New Leader, and China on the Final Frontier

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

2020/12/09

Carl Sagan was first in the job. Now it has been handed to Caltech planetary scientist Bethany Ehlmann. We’ll talk with the Planetary Society’s new president about her Moon mission and more. Society CEO Bill Nye and president emeritus Jim Bell also join in. Then we welcome back China space program expert Andrew Jones for an update on the nation’s lunar sample return effort and a survey of many other missions and developments. The new Planetary Society baseball cap will go with a great new book about

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69:31

Space Policy Edition: Operation Moonglow and the...

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

2020/12/04

Apollo was seen as a triumph of, not for, all mankind, argues Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony, author of the new book Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Apollo. She joins the show to talk about how this was not an accident, but the outcome of a carefully managed public relations campaign by the United States to promote its interests abroad. Discover more here. https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1202-2020-spe-teasel-muir-harmonySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See

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45:16

Observatory Director Francisco Córdova on the...

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

2020/12/02

The 900-ton instrument platform suspended high above the giant Arecibo dish crashed downward in the early morning hours of December 1st. Host Mat Kaplan had recorded a conversation with the leader of the observatory just hours before the disaster. You’ll hear it here, along with a reflection on the magnificent radio telescope by Bill Nye, and further comments by Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts. We’ve also got space headlines and a brand-new prize for a brand-new space trivia contest

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53:48

More Moon Water and an Update from Venus on Our 18th...

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

2020/11/25

We celebrate 18 years of Planetary Radio with two great features and 10 personal questions for host Mat Kaplan from Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts. Astronomer Jane Greaves is back with an update on the phosphine gas detected above Venus.Then we find water right out under the Sun on our own Moon.Research leader Casey Honnibal tells us how her team found it using the SOFIA telescope on a 747. Learn more at

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61:32

Revealing Mars From Above, and Crew Dragon is Go!

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

2020/11/18

Jeffrey Plaut and Richard Zurek are the project scientists for two of the most successful and long-lived Mars missions. Their orbiters, Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, are still delivering great science, even after 19 years above the Red Planet for Odyssey. We’ve also condensed the first 29 hours of the first operational Crew Dragon mission into 98 thrilling seconds. You’ll get a chance to win The Spacefarer’s Handbook in this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more at

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56:53

Space Policy Edition: NASA's Post-Election Landscape

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

2020/11/13

The United States' 2020 elections are over. What do the results mean for NASA in the years ahead? To help answer that question, we welcome back Brendan Curry, The Planetary Society's Chief of D.C. Operations.Join us as we review the changes in Congress and the White House that will impact the direction of the U.S. space program. Explore more here. https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1002-2020-spe-brendan-curry-election-reviewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See

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55:26

A Rogue World Wanders as PlanetVac Heads for the Moon...

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

2020/11/11

In a jam-packed episode, we’ll talk to a discoverer of a distant, lonely planet that wanders the galaxy, and then turn to plans to send a radically-simple sample collection system to the Moon and Mars’ moon Phobos. Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye will add his congratulations for the PlanetVac team. We’ve also got a signed copy of Bill’s latest book for the winner of the new What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more at

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67:27

A Return to Asteroid Mining, and Digging Into Space...

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

2020/11/04

At least two ambitious, smart asteroid mining companies have gone bust. Joel Sercel makes the case that his new effort comes at a much better time, and with a better approach. He’ll also share his audacious plan for mining water on the Moon, along with his concerns regarding humanity’s spread across the solar system.Can we avoid the mistakes made in past eras of exploration and expansion? You’ve got one more chance to win your own asteroid—a small, rubber one—in this week’s What’s Up space trivia

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44:59

A Deep Dive into Asteroid Bennu With Dante Lauretta

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

2020/10/28

We are joined by the leader of the OSIRIS-REx mission that sampled an asteroid last week. Dante reveals just how brilliantly successful the encounter was, and describes preparations for the journey back to Earth. Space journalist Nancy Atkinson tells us about Orbilander, a mission that would orbit and then descend to Saturn’s moon Enceladus in a search for life. Space headlines from The Downlink and our weekly visit with Chief Scientist Bruce Betts round out this week’s show. Explore more at

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50:11

We Have Sampled an Asteroid! And the Search for Life...

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

2020/10/21

OSIRIS-REx has done it! We have special coverage of the spacecraft’s successful collection of a sample from asteroid Bennu. Then we talk with Jane Greaves, leader of the team that found evidence of phosphine gas in the atmosphere of Venus. Has this put us on the road to discovery of life above that hellish world? Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan offer a copy of Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight in the new space trivia contest. Learn more at

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67:57

Beyond Earth’s Edge: A Celebrity Space Poetry Jam!

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

2020/10/14

Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight is the new and outstanding collection of poems edited by Julie Swarstad Johnson and Christopher Cokinos. They’ll join us to hear poems in the collection read by Bill Nye, Robert Picardo, Sasha Sagan, astronauts, scientists and others.Bruce Betts looks away from the night sky long enough to pen his own poetic contribution.We’ve also got space headlines from The Downlink, and a new space trivia contest.Learn more at

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1,364 results

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