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 ScienceLive from Washington, D.C.: The future of space politics
Join Sarah Al-Ahmed and Casey Dreier for a special live recording of Planetary Radio at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe Other Moonshot: The untold stories of Apollo’s Black engineers in Los Angeles
The Apollo program put humans on the Moon, but behind that historic achievement were engineers whose stories have gone largely untold. In this episode…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe Mars Innovation Workshop
We take you inside the Mars Innovation Workshop, hosted at the SETI Institute’s headquarters and produced by Explore Mars. Planetary Society Senior…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAn extinction-level event for NASA science
NASA's science missions have transformed our understanding of the Universe, from breathtaking images of deep space to robotic explorers on Mars. But now, a…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: Locke, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (in space)
Philosopher Rebecca Lowe joins us to explore how the ideas of classical liberalism can provide fresh insight into humanity’s activities in space. Our…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceBreaking down Bennu: OSIRIS-REx finds life’s building blocks in asteroid sample
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has returned pristine samples from asteroid Bennu to Earth, and the early results are remarkable. Sample analysts have…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceGenesis: The sample return mission that fell to Earth and still succeeded
Twenty years ago, NASA’s Genesis spacecraft returned to Earth carrying precious samples of the solar wind, only to crash-land in the Utah desert. But…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAstronaut Hayley shares her brave adventure
From IV drips to rocket ships, Hayley Arceneaux has been on a journey. She joins Planetary Radio to discuss her memoir “Wild Ride” and her newly…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceNear-Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4 and NASA under a new administration
The internet is buzzing about Asteroid 2024 YR4, currently ranked as the highest-threat asteroid in our skies. But is it really cause for concern? Our Public…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: Mars Sample Return, but at what (fixed) price?
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck joins the show to unpack his company’s bold, $4-billion fixed-price plan to bring Martian samples home, why he believes…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceKiss-and-capture: The dance of Pluto and Charon
How did Pluto meet its largest moon, Charon? Many have speculated that Charon formed in an impact, but traditional models of planetary formation have struggled…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe Edward Stone Voyager Exploration Trail
This week on Planetary Radio, we celebrate the enduring legacy of Ed Stone, the longtime project scientist for NASA’s Voyager mission and former director…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceDoes It Fly? Putting science in entertainment to the test
This week, we discuss how to examine the science behind our favorite TV shows and movies with the co-hosts of the "Does It Fly?" podcast, Hakeem Oluseyi and…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceRevisiting K2-18 b: JWST finds a lead in the search for life on a mysterious exoplanet
This week we revisit one of the most remarkable exoplanet discoveries of 2024 with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST detected signs of…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceEmily Calandrelli becomes the hundredth woman in space
This week, we celebrate a remarkable milestone as Emily Calandrelli, also known as “the Space Gal,” becomes the 100th woman to venture into space…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: The Challenges of Change at NASA
How does change happen within NASA, and what prevents it? Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joins the show to discuss the opportunities and…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe Planetary Society’s 45th anniversary with Bill Nye
Planetary Radio kicks off The Planetary Society's 45th anniversary year with CEO, Bill Nye. Bill reflects on the organization's first forty-five years and what…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceLooking back on 2024
The Planetary Society team reviews the best space moments of 2024, from the China National Space Administration's return of samples from the far side of the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceMars “spiders” recreated in the lab
Lauren Mc Keown, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, discusses her experiences recreating Martian araneiform terrain, also called Mars…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: The Myth of Presidential Leadership
For over half a century, space advocates and presidents alike have tried to recreate the JFK moment of calling on the country to send a man to Moon — but…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceStarTalk with Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson
We take you to Planetary Society headquarters, where Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and host of StarTalk, interviews Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye about…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA hundred weeks in space exploration
Sarah Al-Ahmed, the host of Planetary Radio, marks her 100th episode with a look back at the defining moments of the past 100 weeks of space exploration. We'll…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSeven worlds, one mission: The United Arab Emirates aims for the asteroid belt
The United Arab Emirates Space Agency is working on its next ambitious spacecraft, the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt. It will visit seven asteroids…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceWhat does the U.S. election mean for NASA?
Presidential elections in the United States don’t just shape the country’s future — they set the course for space exploration. This week, Casey Dreier, the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceEELS: AI-enabled snake robots and the search for life on Enceladus
Morgan Cable and Hiro Ono from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory join Planetary Radio to discuss the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) robot concept, a…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpaceport Nova Scotia
Spaceport Nova Scotia, Canada’s first commercial launch site, represents a significant step forward for the Canadian space industry. This week, we learn what…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: NASA at a Crossroads
Norm Augustine, the distinguished aerospace industry veteran behind numerous influential studies, joins the show to discuss “NASA at a Crossroads,” the new…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSplat or subsurface ocean? The mysterious positioning of Pluto’s heart
This week, we investigate the mysteries of Pluto's iconic heart-shaped feature. We explore recent research on the origins of the Sputnik Planitia region and…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceEuropa Clipper blasts off: How the mission team weathered Hurricane Milton
NASA's Europa Clipper mission launched on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, embarking on a journey to explore Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. This week, Planetary Radio…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceInternships, conferences, and grad school: A space student's guide
This week, Planetary Radio offers advice for students pursuing higher education in space-related fields. Elizabeth Koenck, a Zed Factor Fellow, shares how her…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceClipper’s champions: Space advocates and the fight for a mission to Europa
Jupiter's moon Europa is one of the most promising targets in the search for life. The Planetary Society and space advocates around the world fought to make…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: The space policies of a Harris Administration
Lori Garver, former NASA Deputy Administrator, joins the show to discuss the potential space policy priorities of a Harris Administration. We explore Harris’…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceReturn to Dimorphos: Looking forward to the Hera launch
We look forward to the Oct. 7 launch of the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft with Michael Küppers, project scientist for the mission. Then Ambre…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science2024 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium: Part 2 - Stellar imaging and looking for life while mining water on Mars
We return to the 2024 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium for part two of our coverage. Astronaut and NIAC external council member Mae Jemison…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science2024 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium: Part 1 - Human hibernation and swarming Proxima Centauri
Join us on a journey to the 2024 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium. We'll hear from the teams behind two NIAC projects that could help us…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceChasing auroras with the Aurora Guy
We are near solar maximum, a time in the solar cycle when our Sun is most active. That means more sun spots, coronal mass ejections, and auroras on worlds…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: The Space Policy of a Second Trump Administration
Dr. Greg Autry, who served on Trump’s NASA transition team in 2016 and was nominated for the position of NASA CFO in 2020, joins the show to discuss the space…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceEuropa in reflection: A compilation of two decades
With less than two months to go until the highly anticipated launch of NASA's Europa Clipper mission, we take a look back at over twenty years of Planetary…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceRamses and rockets: Commercial space adventures and the race to Apophis
Get up to speed on the latest in commercial space news. Mat Kaplan, the senior communications advisor for The Planetary Society, returns with an update on the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceCrickets and gastrodiplomacy: The future of space food
As we look to build a more sustainable human presence in space, we will need to find new and innovative ways to feed our travelers. This week, we hear from…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAn Earthling’s guide to the "Moons Symphony"
Planetary Radio takes a melodic adventure to the Ravinia Festival in Illinois, USA, for the public premiere of the "Moons Symphony." Mat Kaplan, senior…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceHide and seek with Planet 9
A ninth planet may be lurking in our Solar System out beyond Neptune. Caltech's Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin join us to discuss their new paper, the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: Do we need a philosophy of space exploration?
Why do we explore space? This is not an easy question to answer. Yet policy expert G. Ryan Faith believes there is value to be had in communal engagement with…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and SciencePossible biomarkers: Perseverance rocks the Tenth International Conference on Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars: a sample that may hold evidence of ancient microbial life. This week, we visit the Tenth…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceVictory for VERITAS
Fans of Venus were saddened in late 2022 to learn that one of NASA's upcoming Venus missions, VERITAS, was defunded, but with the help of space advocates, the…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe penguin, the egg, and the asteroid collision in Beta Pictoris
We celebrate the second anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) science operations with Christine Chen, associate astronomer at the Space…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceMeet Roo-ver and The Planetary Society’s new board member
The Planetary Society introduces the newest member of its board of directors this week on Planetary Radio. Newton Campbell Jr., the director of the Australian…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: NASA and the American South
Every major NASA center built after the agency’s inception is located in the American South. Why? Dr. Brian Odom, NASA’s chief historian, joins the show to…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceFifty-five hundred worlds and counting: The astonishing diversity of exoplanets
Scientists have discovered over 5,500 exoplanets, but they’re just getting started. We dive into the stunning variety of exoplanets beyond our Solar System…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAn asteroid bash and an asteroid smash
Every year on June 30, the space community observes Asteroid Day, the anniversary of the Tunguska blast. Markus Payer, Asteroid Foundation Chair, joins us to…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceA big year for heliophysics and Parker Solar Probe
Our Sun is nearing the most active part of its solar cycle. This week, we explore recent solar activity and discoveries from NASA's Parker Solar Probe with…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceThe nova and the naming contest
Last week was a big one for commercial space. Our senior communications advisor, Mat Kaplan, discusses the first crewed Boeing Starliner test and SpaceX…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: Is Human Spaceflight a Religion?
Holy texts and salvation ideology. Saints and martyrs. True believers and apostates. This isn’t a religion — this is human spaceflight. So says Roger Launius…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceAccidental astronomy
Astronomical and planetary science discoveries often unfold in strange and serendipitous ways. We discuss the delightfully unpredictable nature of space…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceInternational integration: The path from the Moon to Mars
Every year, Explore Mars hosts the Humans to Mars Summit, a gathering of people from around the world who want to advance human exploration of the Red Planet…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceBot battles and space dreams
As humanity aims to explore new frontiers in space, the need for good roboticists has never been greater. Robotics leagues and competitions offer a gateway…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceDay of Action 2024: The Planetary Society goes to Washington
Every year, passionate space advocates from the United States travel to Washington, D.C., to ensure that their vision for the future of space exploration gets…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceTARDIS Talk: Space, Time, and “Doctor Who” with Russell T. Davies
This week on Planetary Radio, we celebrate the longest-running science fiction show in history, “Doctor Who.” We explore how this iconic series has influenced…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceSpace Policy Edition: The power of the lunar sublime
Should policymakers spend more time looking — really looking — at the Moon? Chris Cokinos thinks so. He is the author of the new book, Still As Bright: An…
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and ScienceEuropa Clipper’s message in a bottle
NASA's Europa Clipper mission is almost ready for its historic trip to the Jovian system. Merc Boyan, a visual storyteller at The Planetary Society, takes us…