Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

This week on Planetary Radio, we explore "The Lost Universe," NASA's first tabletop role-playing game, with Christina Mitchell, a senior multimedia specialist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, U.S.A. Then, we'll shift our gaze from the mythical to the methodical with Amaury Triaud, an astronomer from the University of Birmingham in the U.K. He and his colleagues have found a new method for potentially detecting liq...

Sometimes, misunderstandings can spark beautiful adventures. This week on Planetary Radio, we explore the story behind the naming of Zoozve, a quasi-moon of Venus, with Latif Nasser, co-host of Radiolab. He shares how a typo on a space poster led the Radiolab team on an epic quest to convince the International Astronomical Union to name this quirky space object. Then, Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, pops in for What's Up and a di...

Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin joins the Space Policy Edition to discuss his notable 2007 speech outlining the tension between so-called “real” and “acceptable” reasons for space exploration.

“Acceptable” reasons for space exploration are logical, policy-friendly justifications such as workforce development, technology spinoffs, and STEM engagement. They are quantifiable and dispassionate — the Vulcans of arguments.

Howev...

Planetary Radio marks its last show before the Apr. 8 total solar eclipse with a look back at discoveries made during totality. Planetary Society science editor Asa Stahl shares why solar maximum is excellent for eclipse observing but potentially scary for Earth. Then Jeff Rich, outreach coordinator at the Carnegie Science Observatories in Pasadena, CA, joins Planetary Radio to discuss how total solar eclipses have contributed to o...

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will sweep across North America. Ron Benner, the President of the American Optometric Association, joins Planetary Radio to share safety tips to protect your eyes during partiality. Then, astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy gives helpful advice about observing solar eclipses using telescopes and cameras. We close the show with our chief scientist, Bruce Betts, as he discusses The Planetary Soci...

Behind every space mission is a tale of hard work, love, and perseverance. Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator for NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, joins Planetary Radio to share stories from his new book, "The Asteroid Hunter." Then Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, looks back at the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact on Jupiter and answers a question from our audience in What's Up.

Discover more at: https://www.pl...

The countdown is on! With less than a month until the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, Planetary Radio is buzzing with anticipation. This celestial event will sweep across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, promising a spectacular view to millions. Jim Bell, a professor from the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University and former president of The Planetary Society's Board of Directors, will share c...

A team co-led by the Southwest Research Institute has made a groundbreaking discovery, revealing evidence of hydrothermal or metamorphic activity on the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake in the Kuiper Belt. The lead author of this research, Chris Glein, joins Planetary Radio to explain. But our journey doesn't stop there. We dive into the newly reformed US Planetary Science Caucus with The Planetary Society's top space policy exp...

The successful landing of IM-1 on the Moon ushered in a new era of commercial lunar exploration, one that has little to no historical precedent. The future, still highly uncertain, is rich with promise for what commercial payload deliveries can provide. There will be new and more frequent science opportunities, lower-cost access for national and non-state actors, and, potentially, a path to a sustainable presence on the lunar surfa...

Over two decades ago, an innovative partnership between The Planetary Society, NASA, and LEGO created the Red Rover Goes to Mars program. Today, we reflect on the program's remarkable achievements with our chief scientist, Bruce Betts. We're also joined by two extraordinary people whose lives were forever changed by their experiences as student astronauts in the program during their high school years. Courtney Dressing, an associat...

After NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft's successful sample retrieval from asteroid Bennu, it's onto its next adventure as OSIRIS-APEX, the Apophis Explorer. Scott Guzewich, deputy project scientist for APEX, joins Planetary Radio to discuss the next steps for the mission as we count down to asteroid Apophis’ flyby of Earth in 2029. Then Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society’s chief scientist, pops in for What's Up and a look at other mult...

This week on Planetary Radio, we take a peek behind the scenes at National Geographic's new documentary, “The Space Race,” which celebrates the triumphs and struggles of the first African-American space pioneers and astronauts. Co-directors Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés, space pioneer Ed Dwight, and astronaut Leland Melvin join us to discuss the film. But first, Casey Dreier, The Planetary Society's chief of space policy...

This week on Planetary Radio, we delve into the evolution of humanity's relationship with one of our planet's most awe-inspiring phenomena: total solar eclipses. Ed Krupp, the director of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, will share insights from the fascinating field of archaeoastronomy. We'll explore how cultures throughout history have interpreted and imbued solar eclipses with meaning. We'll also introduce The Planetary Soci...

It’s a policy paper episode! Laura Delgado López joins the show to break down “Clearing the Fog: The Grey Zones of Space Governance” by Jessica West and Jordan Miller. Grey zones are harmful or disruptive space activities that fall short of provoking a military response — ideally. But the ambiguity, by its nature, could generate unplanned escalation and conflict.

What are these grey zones, and why do they exist? What are their con...

January marks 20 years since NASA’s twin Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, touched down on the surface of the red planet. Matt Golombek, project scientist for the Mars Exploration Rover Project, joins Planetary Radio to celebrate. But first, the countdown to the next great American total solar eclipse continues. Kate Howells, The Planetary Society’s public education specialist and Canadian space policy adviser, explains why this...

We're celebrating lunar missions and the space advocacy that helps make them happen this week on Planetary Radio. Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly, chief of space policy and director of government relations at The Planetary Society, update you on our next Day of Action in Washington, D.C. Kate Howells, our public education specialist, shares the triumph and challenges of the Japanese space agency's SLIM lunar lander, as Japan becomes t...

Venture into the hearts of worlds and uncover how we study planetary interiors this week on Planetary Radio. Sabine Stanley, professor of planetary physics at Johns Hopkins University and author of the new book "What's Hidden Inside Planets?" discusses some of the amazing things that lie under the surfaces of the worlds in our Solar System. But first, Mat Kaplan, senior communications advisor at The Planetary Society, gives an upda...

This week on Planetary Radio, we're diving into one of the most remarkable new exoplanet discoveries with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST has detected signs of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of K2-18 b. This discovery could reshape our search for life beyond Earth and teach us more about the enigmatic class of exoplanets known as sub-Neptunes. Our guest, Knicole Colón, is the deputy project sci...

The history of India’s space program is, in many ways, the inverse of that of the US and Russia. While the two superpowers were outpacing each other in space spectaculars in their early decades, India — which began its space program around the same time in 1963 — prioritized practical programs by developing its own launch capability and launching satellites for weather, communications, and regional positioning systems. It is only i...