Shows / Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science
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…
Episodes
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe SpaceShipTwo and Antares Disasters: Special Coverage With John Logsdon
It was a terrible, tragic week for commercial space development. Historian and space policy analyst John Logsdon helps up understand the greater meaning of the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA MESSENGER From Mercury—Principal Investigator Sean Solomon Returns
MESSENGER has been orbiting the innermost planet for more than three-and-half-years. Principal Investigator Sean Solomon returns with a status report as the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAncient Water Was Here Before the Sun
Ilse Cleeves is lead author of a paper that concludes up to half of our solar system’s water is older than the solar system itself. The implications for life…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceYale’s Debra Fischer and the Ever More Precise Search for New Worlds
It’s terribly hard to find exoplanets that look like our homeworld. The search requires development of astoundingly powerful and precise instruments. That’s…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePlanetary Radio Live! We See Thee Rise: The Canadian Space Program
We welcomed 1,600 Canadian space enthusiasts to the University of Toronto for our October 1st celebration of Canada in space! Join Mat Kaplan and Bill Nye with…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA Conversation With Congressman Lamar Smith
The Chairman of the powerful Science, Space and Technology Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives joins us for a talk about planetary science, Europa…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePlanetary Radio Live: MAVEN Arrives at Mars!
The latest guest of the Red Planet arrived in orbit on the evening of September 22, 2014. Planetary Radio Live was watching with fingers crossed in Pasadena…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceDr. Bell Goes to Washington
Planetary Scientist Jim Bell of Arizona State University joined other experts in front of the US House of Representatives Space Committee on September 10th…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceMiguel Alcubierre, Inventor of Warp Drive?
Inspired by Star Trek, distinguished physicist Miguel Alcubierre developed the general relativity-based model for warp drive 20 years ago. Hear why he doubts…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSmashing Holes in Mars to Look for Life
Explore Mars wants to look for life on the Red Planet. Not past life. Life thriving under the Martian surface right now. Chris Carberry will tell us how the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAlan Stern and a Big Milestone on the Way to Pluto
New Horizons passed through the orbit of Neptune on August 25th. By cosmic coincidence, this was the 25th anniversary of Voyager 2’s flyby of that big, blue…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceJourney to the Center of Jupiter: Creating Fantastic Pressure With the World’s Largest Lasers
Physicist Gilbert "Rip" Collins of the Lawrence Livermore National Lab will tell us about recent use of the world’s most powerful lasers to recreate conditions…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe Search for Extraterrestrial Polluters?
Harvard’s Henry Lin led work that determined the soon-to-be-launched James Webb Space Telescope may be able to detect an alien civilization by analyzing its…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA Death-Defying Climax for Venus Express
Venus Express Project Scientist Håkan Svedhem tells us about the spacecraft’s harrowing descent into the Venusian atmosphere, what it is currently up to, and…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceJay Barbree on “Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight”
In his 55 years as NBC’s space correspondent, Jay Barbree has won the respect and friendship of many astronauts. Neil Armstrong stands above them all. Now Jay…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceKeith Cowing and the ISEE-3 Rebooters
They have generated excitement, enthusiasm and support throughout the world. The ISEE-3 Reboot Project has succeeded in gaining control over the 36-year old…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePlanetary Radio Live: The LightSail Countdown Begins!
LightSail, the Planetary Society’s innovative solar sail cubesat, will ride into space on the huge SpaceX Falcon Heavy, now in development. Bill Nye and others…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceDiscovered: Titan's Magic Island
Cornell grad student Jason Hofgartner reports on the discovery of what appears (and disappears!) to be an island on one of Titan’s frigid lakes.Learn more…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceWas a Natural Fuel Cell Key to the Origin of Life on Earth?
There’s so much we don’t know about the origin of life here or anywhere else in the universe. But there must have been an energy source. Researcher Laurie…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceElisa Quintana on the Discovery of Earth 2.0
Kepler-186f is the very first exoplanet that is both the size of our own world and in the habitable zone surrounding its star. SETI Institute scientist Elisa…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePathways To Exploration: John Logsdon Analyzes the Human Spaceflight Report
The National Research Council released its long-awaited report June 4th. Distinguished space policy analyst John Logsdon returns to Planetary Radio with his…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAstronomers Without Borders: Spreading the Wonder Worldwide
Astronomers Without Borders Founder and President Mike Simmons and his colleagues share the passion, beauty and joy of the night sky from Argentina to…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA Starlight Festival Cassini Mission Update
Cassini Project Scientist Linda Spilker joins us at the first Starlight Festival in Big Bear Lake, California, and festival MC Andre Bormanis makes a bonus…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAt Spacefest VI With Apollo Astronaut Gene Cernan and a Host of Proud Space Geeks
Planetary Radio visited Spacefest in Pasadena to talk with planetary scientist and space artist Dan Durda, Marc Rayman of the Dawn asteroid mission, and a guy…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceLiving and Working on Mars—A Conversation at the International Space Development Conference
Planetary Radio visits the 33rd ISDC to talk with three explorers who’ve set their sights on the Red Planet: MD and space medicine researcher Susan Jewell…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpecial Planetary Radio Advocacy Report From Casey Dreier: A Good Week in Washington
Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan learns why Director of Advocacy Casey Dreier is cautiously optimistic about the budget outlook for planetary science and…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpinoff 2013: Bringing Space Technology Home
NASA has just published "Spinoff 2013," the latest of its annual reports on outstanding innovations developed for space that are solving problems and improving…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceNeil deGrasse Tyson
The host of COSMOS: A Spacetime Odyssey, returns to our show with a behind the scenes look at the spectacular television series.Learn more about your ad…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePlanetary Radio Live at the USA Science and Engineering Festival with Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs
Join us at the world’s biggest public science event in Washington DC, where we talk about dirty jobs in space with television’s terrific Mike Rowe.Learn more…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA Second Earth, and OSIRIS REx is Go for Asteroid Bennu
Finally found: an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone. You’ll hear lead scientist Elisa Quintana make the announcement. Then OSIRIS REx mission Principal…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePlanetary Radio Live at Yuri’s Night—Under Space Shuttle Endeavour
Join the party as we celebrate the 53rd anniversary of humanity’s transition to spacefaring species with Yuri’s Night Executive Director Loretta Hidalgo…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceMicrobes in Orbit: Cheryl Nickerson’s Revealing Biomedical Research
You may have heard that the sometimes deadly Salmonella bacterium becomes stronger in microgravity. Cheryl Nickerson tell us about this and other results her…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceRocketing Into the Aurora With Neal Brown
It’s back to Alaska, this time to the Poker Flat Research Range, where former Director Neal Brown and his staff launched sounding rockets into the heart of the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceEmily Lakdawalla At Her Favorite Conference While Alan Stern Stirs Up the Solar System
Emily shares highlights from last week’s Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, and Alan Stern provides updates on the Rosetta comet mission and his New…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAlaskan Aurora Adventure!
Join Mat Kaplan and other Aurora “virgins” as they seek the Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska, and meet retired rocketeer and Director of the Poker Flat…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceExploring Black Holes and Supernovae With NuSTAR
Principal Investigator Fiona Harrison provides an X-ray tour of some of the universe's most fascinating objects, Casey Dreier has analysis of NASA's 2015…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA Planetary Radio Special Feature: NASA Unveils Its Proposed FY2015 Budget
NASA unveiled its 2015 budget plans in a March 4 media briefing. Minutes later, Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan got an enlightening and engaging analysis from…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceVerified: More Than 700 New Worlds
SETI Institute researcher and member of the Kepler team Jason Rowe helps us dig into the latest big announcement about hundreds of planets in solar systems…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceTalking with JPL's Blaine Baggett and Ed Stone About "The Stuff of Dreams"
JPL’s Blaine Baggett and former JPL director Ed Stone talk “The Stuff of Dreams,” a documentary about an era in planetary exploration that was both…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceGetting Humans to Mars Without Breaking the Bank
NASA scientist Harley Thronson tells us about a new initiative that is figuring out how we will get men and women to the red planet at a reasonable price. You…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSurprising Budget News for Planetary Exploration
Good news, for a change! Congress decided to provide $127 million more for planetary science than was requested by the President. Bill Adkins of Adkins…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceBack to Planetary Radio Live With the Mars Rovers
Our celebration of the Mars rovers continues from Southern California Public Radio’s Crawford Family Forum, this week featuring planetary scientist and author…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePlanetary Radio Live Celebrates the Mars Rovers
Opportunity has been rolling across Mars for 10 years! We celebrate the Mars Exploration Rovers and their sisters on the red planet at Planetary Radio Live…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceFrom Earth to the Edge of the Universe: A New Edition of “The Cosmos”
Astronomers Jay Pasachoff and Alex Filippenko join us for a conversation about their newest version of their monumental textbook, "The Cosmos." Emily…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe Gemini Planet Imager: Worlds Made Visible
Principal Investigator and physicist Bruce Macintosh joins astronomer Franck Marchis to celebrate first light from the most powerful instrument for imaging…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA 2014 Preview From Emily Lakdawalla
24 spacecraft are either busy exploring the solar system or speeding toward an exciting destination. The Planetary Society's Senior Editor takes us on a…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAmy Mainzer Is Hunting Asteroids With NEOWISE
Take a spacecraft that can no longer survey the realm of galaxies and repurpose it to discover thousands of much nearer asteroids and comets. Put it to sleep…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science10 Years A Roving: A.J.S. Rayl on the Mars Exploration Rovers
What a long, wonderful trip it has been for Spirit and Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rovers. Planetary Society reporter A.J.S. Rayl has been writing about…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA Big Week for Space Science at the AGU and Beyond
The annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union revealed lots of science, some of it astounding. Emily Lakdawalla was there with Advocacy and…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceComet ISON: Much More Than a Memory
Maybe it wasn’t “the comet of the century,” but ISON has left a scientific legacy that is beyond compare. That’s according to Karl Battams of NASA’s Comet ISON…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceCelebrating the Admiral of the Solar System
The life of explorer and teacher Dr. Bruce Murray was celebrated last November 10th at Caltech. This week we present a few excerpts from the tributes paid to…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAlyssa Rhoden and the Rise of the Europa Underground
Alyssa Rhoden studies Jupiter’s moon Europa…from a distance. She, many other scientists and millions of space exploration fans around the globe want to see a…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePlanetary Radio Live Celebrates the Launch of MAVEN
The successful launch of MAVEN was covered by Mat Kaplan, Bruce Betts and Emily Lakdawalla, with special, launch site reports from Jim Bell and Bill Nye.Learn…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpaceUp LA: What would you do with $13 Billion?
What would YOU do with an extra $10 Billion for space exploration and development? That’s what Mat Kaplan asked the passionate space enthusiasts at the 2013…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAll-Sky Optical Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
A burst of laser light could let humanity know it is not alone in the universe. Harvard’s Paul Horowitz and Curtis Mead will give us an update on the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceIt's Hot! Plutonium 238 is Back
Casey Dreier tells the winding tale of Plutonium 238, the radioactive isotope that is vital for exploration of the solar system. The US came dangerously close…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceJuno's Brief Home Visit on the Road to Jupiter
Juno Principal Investigator Scott Bolton reviews the spacecraft's Earth flyby and previews its long stay at our solar system's king of planets.Learn more about…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceEmily Lakawalla's DPS Report
The Planetary Society’s Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist recaps this year’s revealing meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS). Learn more…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe New Horizons Initiative
Carl Sagan’s longtime artistic collaborator, Jon Lomberg, designed the cover for the Voyager Interstellar Record. Now he wants to upload another message from…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceGregory and James Benford on the "Starship Century"
“Starship Century—Toward the Grandest Horizon” is the new collection of fact and fiction assembled by Gregory and James Benford. The brothers are among the…