Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Space Policy Edition: Our Equinox Space Policy Briefing

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The coronavirus pandemic reminds us that everything we do in space depends on what we do here on Earth. The impacts on space exploration are being fel...

The Next 10 Years: Continuing our Solar System Tour

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our survey of the solar system in anticipation of the next planetary science decadal survey continues with Mars, the big outer planets, and the smalle...

The Next 10 Years…An Introduction to the Decadal Survey

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Preparations at NASA are underway for creation of the next planetary science decadal survey, a roadmap intended to guide exploration of our solar neig...

Building Our Future on Mars

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How will we build the structures, roads and landing pads humans will someday need on Mars? Civil engineer Peter Carrato has been building grand struct...

The Return of Cosmos and Ann Druyan

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cosmos: Possible Worlds is the third season of the beautiful, groundbreaking television series helmed by the late Carl Sagan’s widow and partner, An...

Space Policy Edition: NASA's 2021 Budget Request Brings Billions

06 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's officially budget season! NASA's fiscal year 2021 budget request is out, and it proposes billions of dollars of new funding for Project Artemis. ...

African Eyes Look to the Cosmos

04 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One people, one sky. That motto belongs to Astronomers Without Borders. Its founder and retired leader, Mike Simmons, recently brought a guest to...

The Search for 100 Earths

26 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Yale astronomer Debra Fischer has spent decades hunting for exoplanets. Now she leads the 100 Earths project that includes the Lowell Observatory and ...

Life=Matter+Information: Paul Davies and the Demon in the Machine

19 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist and author Paul Davies’ new book explores what he believes to be the defining quality of life on Earth and pe...

Another Goldilocks World and the Space Telescope That Discovered It

12 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The planet has the less than romantic name TOI 700 d, but its discovery has generated passion among those searching for another Earth, including Emily...

Space Policy Edition: Is the Moon a Stepping-Stone or a Cornerstone for Mars? (with Laura Seward Forczyk)

07 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A new bill from the House of Representatives threatens to upend NASA's Artemis program and refocus the space agency on sending humans to Mars by 2033....

A Great Space Observatory Goes Dark: The Legacy of Spitzer

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Spitzer Space Telescope, one of NASA’s four great space observatories, was decommissioned on January 30. Mat Kaplan celebrates its discoveries a...

Mighty Jupiter Revealed

29 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s more massive than all the other planets combined. In nearly four years at Jupiter the Juno spacecraft has returned science that is revolutioniz...

The Coming Descent to Asteroid Bennu

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a year of circling close to near-Earth asteroid Bennu, the OSIRIS REx spacecraft is almost ready to dip down and collect a surface sample for re...

The MILO Institute: Opening the Solar System for Exploration by All

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Planetary scientist and bestselling author Jim Bell is joined by space entrepreneur Lon Levin to tell us about the MILO Institute, a new collaboration...

Space Policy Edition: Houston, We Have a Space Force (with Brian Weeden)

10 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Legislation signed by President Trump in December formally established the 6th branch of the U.S. armed services, the first such expansion in 72 years...

In the Clean Room With the Mars 2020 Rover

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Put on your bunny suit! You’re invited to join Mat Kaplan and Emily Lakdawalla in the Jet Propulsion Lab clean room with the Mars 2020 rover. You’...

Planetary Society All-Stars Look Back at 2019 and Ahead to 2020

01 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Happy new year in space! Editorial Director Jason Davis, Chief Advocate Casey Dreier and Solar System Specialist Emily Lakdawalla join Mat Kaplan for ...

What’s Next for Mars Exploration?

25 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Red Planet is slowly revealing its deepest secrets, but there’s much more to learn. The biggest mystery is whether it has ever been home to life...

Meet the Planetary Society’s Newest Asteroid Hunters

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Six amateur astronomers and small observatories around the world have just been named as the recipients of the 2019 Eugene Shoemaker Near Earth Object...

The Creators of The Expanse

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Season 4 of The Expanse is about to begin on Amazon Prime. Host Mat Kaplan visits with the authors of the eight novels (so far) that are the basis of ...

Space Policy Edition: The Biggest Policy Moments of the Decade (with Marcia Smith)

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the 2010s come to a close, Marcia Smith, the founder of Space Policy Online, rejoins the show to explore the most significant and impactful space p...

A Toast to Alcohol in Space

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

They are not for everyone, but there’s no doubt that alcoholic beverages have been part of human culture for as long as there has been human culture...

Seeking the Killer Space App with Space Tango

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Organizations are using the microgravity environment of the International Space Station to develop unique new products. One of them is Kentucky-based ...

Space Books and Gifts for Space Kids of all Ages

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our own Emily Lakdawalla, Planetary Society senior editor and book lover, shares her 2019 list of space books for everyone, from infant to adult. She ...

A Passionate Conversation with Carolyn Porco

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The outspoken planetary scientist who led the Cassini imaging team finally sits down with Mat Kaplan for a revealing, fun conversation. We also talk w...

Our Mysterious Sister: Venus

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Astrophysicist Javier Peralta takes us deep into the thick, fast-moving clouds of the world that is still called Earth's sister by some. Venus is slow...

Space Policy Edition: How a Report Can Move Mountains

01 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How can a simple report—just words on a page—lead to creation of a spacecraft? We explore how a 2019 report on the need for a dedicated, space-bas...

Finding Wonder and Meaning in a Book by Carl Sagan’s Daughter

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bill Nye says of Sasha Sagan’s new book, “Sagan finds the meaning of life everywhere—with her family, around the world, and especially among the...

How Long Was Mars Wet?

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Planetary scientist Briony Horgan and her team want to know how long liquid water flowed on the surface of the Red Planet before that world froze. Lon...

NASA’s Home for the Bleeding Edge: The 2019 NIAC Symposium

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program gathers its “fellows” each year to share what they’ve learned about some of the most fascinating s...

Space Policy Edition: Happy Fiscal New Year!

11 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

October 1st kicked off federal fiscal year 2020—a day that should also have kicked off a new budget for NASA. But Congress has not funded the space ...

Nobel Prize Winner Michel Mayor…and More

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Astronomer and astrophysicist Michel Mayor has just been awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for physics. Listen to Mat’s 2016 conversation with this rever...

How to Defend Your Planet

02 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Planetary scientist Vishnu Reddy studies space objects ranging from satellite debris to planet-killing asteroids. He shares the status of our eff...

Ad Astra: The Movie!

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brad Pitt sets out across the solar system to save Earth in the new space epic. Host Mat Kaplan enjoys a far-reaching conversation with the co-screenw...

How to Build a Starship: The 2019 Starship Congress

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The biannual Starship Congress attracts starry-eyed believers in humankind’s destiny among the stars. We talk with several of them about their ideas...

The Unexpected Space Center: Los Alamos National Laboratory

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This US research center has been part of more than 200 space missions, but it’s not a NASA facility! The Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexic...

Space Policy Edition: Why Apollo Ended (with John Logsdon)

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As NASA struggles to return humans to the Moon by 2024, it's worth asking: why did it stop in the first place? Space historian John Logsdon joins the ...

A Comet’s Legacy, and a Helicopter is Ready for Mars

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

First we return to JPL for an update on the Mars Helicopter that has just been attached to the belly of the 2020 Mars Rover. Then it’s across the po...

What Will You Send to the Moon?

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Astrobotic is one of several companies that are building small, robotic landers to take commercial payloads to the surface of the Moon. With a new con...

NASA’s Red Planet Rick and Putting Humans on Mars

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Rick Davis is the perfect person to co-lead NASA’s Mars Human Landing Sites Study. No one is more devoted to putting human bootprints on the Red Pla...

Reflections of Humanity in a Spacesuit for Moonwalkers

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Host Mat Kaplan in a long and fascinating conversation with Nicholas de Monchaux, author of Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo. This great book is about muc...

Planetary Radio Live with Bill Nye at Science Museum Oklahoma

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye and host Mat Kaplan as they visit Oklahoma City’s outstanding public science museum.  You’ll meet University ...

Planetary Radio Live at Science Museum Oklahoma

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye and host Mat Kaplan as they visit Oklahoma City’s outstanding public science museum. You’ll meet Universi...

Space Policy Edition: The Home Front During Apollo (with Emily Margolis)

02 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Did the public support Project Apollo? Dr. Emily Margolis joins the show to explore the domestic politics and cultural impact of the space age through...

A Helicopter for Mars and a Major LightSail Announcement

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It will be the first flying machine on another world. Mars Helicopter Project Manager MiMi Aung shares her plans. There’s big news about The Planeta...

Ready to Sail! LightSail 2 Deploys its Silvery Wings

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join us as the little cubesat successfully unfurls its solar sail. You’ll hear from members of the LightSail 2 mission team on the morning of July 2...

Apollo 11 and the Woman Who Helped Get It Home

17 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Poppy Northcutt was a pioneer—the first woman to work as an engineer in Apollo Mission Control. The program she helped to create got the astronauts ...

We’re Sending a Flying Machine to Titan

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

NASA has given the go-ahead for Dragonfly, a flying rotorcraft that will explore Saturn’s mysterious moon Titan. Mission Principal Investigator Eliz...

Space Policy Edition: Why Apollo Happened (with Roger Launius)

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Half a century has passed since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin imprinted humanity's first footsteps upon another world. Apollo 11 was the culmination ...

LightSail Takes Flight!

03 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A giant SpaceX Falcon Heavy lifted off in the early hours of June 25th. One week later, the LightSail 2 solar sail was released to begin its epic miss...

The News From Saturn-With Linda Spilker

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It has been many months since the great Cassini spacecraft plunged into Saturn’s atmosphere and fiery death.  Yet the mission lives on as the reams...

Flight by Light: A LightSail 2 Mission Preview

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The day is almost here. With the launch of a Falcon Heavy rocket, The Planetary Society will begin its mission to prove that a tiny, orbiting spacecra...

Quasars and Quanta: Exploring Einstein’s Quantum Riddle

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Even though his own work led to it, Albert Einstein never cared for quantum mechanics concepts like entanglement, which he called “spooky action at ...

Space Policy Edition: The Soviet Moonshot (with Asif Siddiqi)

07 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. won the space race in July of 1969 with the success of Apollo 11. But was the Soviet Union even racing? How close were they to beating the Un...

Starchaser: Extraordinary Astronomer Jay Pasachoff

05 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Pasachoff visits Planetary Society headquarters for a conversation about the latest edition of his and Alex Filippenko’s monumental textbook The...

Sharing a Passion for Mars at the Humans to Mars Summit

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This year’s Humans to Mars Summit in Washington DC once again ended with a panel of Martian all-stars talking about their hopes for a future that in...

Talking with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine

22 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The former Oklahoma congressman and Navy aviator stepped into the leadership role barely a year ago. Now he wants to see humans back on the Moon by 20...

BONUS: Introducing Science Rules! with Bill Nye

17 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Host Mat Kaplan has a special announcement to share about Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye.  The Science Guy is on a mission to change the world— one...

A Last Visit With LightSail 2 at the Cubesat Developers Workshop

15 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mat Kaplan visits Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for a last, clean room visit with LightSail 2, the Planetary Society’s solar sailing cubesat.  While the...

Planetary Radio Live Defends Planet Earth!

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Leaders of the global effort to avoid a catastrophic Near Earth Object impact gathered at the 2019 Planetary Defense Conference. On the evening of May...

Space Policy Edition: Lessons From the Moonshot That Never Was-With Mark Albrecht

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Thirty years ago, Dr. Mark Albrecht led the National Space Council when President George H.W. Bush announced the Space Exploration Initiative, an ambi...

The Skies of Super-Earths and Mini-Neptunes

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There appear to be more mini-Neptunes (also known as Super Earths) across our galaxy than any other type of planet.  Hannah Wakeford wants to learn i...

Lucy in the Sky With Asteroids

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A rare alignment of planets and other objects will enable the solar-powered Lucy spacecraft to examine seven asteroids, six of which are among the tho...

The Triumph of a Failed Moon Landing

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Beresheet lunar lander failed in the last few kilometers of its descent to the Moon. Two days later we learned that its team would try again. Depu...

Celebrating Yuri’s Night with Legendary Astronaut Story Musgrave

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Los Angeles celebration of Yuri’s Night came six days early this year. It attracted hundreds of space party animals, along with celebrities like...

Space Policy Edition: T-minus Five Years and Counting

05 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Can NASA return astronauts to the Moon by 2024? Vice President Mike Pence shocked the space community by announcing this ambitious new goal just weeks...

Ice Worlds, Landing on the Moon and Blasting an Asteroid

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When will we return to Uranus and Neptune? Planetary scientist Amy Simon explains why a mission to the so-called ice giants is a high priority as she ...

Dunes, Walnut Shells, Alien Impostors and Other Worlds: A Visit with Sarah Hörst

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A very special, extended conversation with Johns Hopkins University planetary scientist Sarah Hörst is capped by a tour of her fascinating lab. That’...

Bill Nye and Planetary Radio Live at Extreme STEAM

20 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Planetary Radio Live goes on stage at the first ever Fairplex Extreme STEAM Festival in Pomona, California. Host Mat Kaplan and Planetary Society CEO ...

Boosters, Breakthroughs and Budgets: Canada and the US Look Toward Space

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The last few days have seen developments that will shape the space exploration plans of Canada and the USA. The Planetary Society’s Kate Howells is ...

China on the Final Frontier

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With missions like Chang’e 4 on the far side of the Moon, China has firmly established itself as a leader in space exploration. Space journalist And...

Space Policy Edition: When a (Space) Cowboy Came to Washington

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Historian John Logsdon discusses his new book, Ronald Reagan and the Space Frontier. It explores the legacy of the 40th president’s major space poli...

An Israeli Lander Launches Toward the Moon

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Non-profit SpaceIL’s Beresheet is on its way to the Moon. Only China, the Soviet Union and the United States have safely landed there before.  Host...

A Fond Farewell to Spirit and Opportunity

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Mars Exploration Rover mission was declared complete on February 13, 2019.  On the very next day, MER Project Manager John Callas and Deputy Proj...

Watching the Births of Solar Systems

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Radio telescopes are delivering stunning images that, in some cases, current optical telescopes can’t equal. Witness the 20 beautiful protoplanetary...

The DART Mission: Learning How to Swat Dangerous Asteroids

06 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Why did the dinosaurs die? Because they didn’t have a space program! The upcoming DART mission will test our best thinking about how we may someday ...

Space Policy Edition: Should the U.S. be in a space race with China?

01 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

China's space program notched an impressive "first" last month when its Chang'e 4 spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon. The U.S. space progra...

Where Do We Come From? The Origin of Life

30 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Astrobiology is the discipline that explores the origin of life in the universe, and whether life exists anywhere other than Earth. It’s an increasi...

Asteroid Bennu’s Visitor From Earth

23 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spacecraft OSIRIS REx is now orbiting a 260-meter asteroid named Bennu.  Principal investigator Dante Lauretta returns to tell us what has already be...

Space Policy Edition: Shutdown

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In a government shutdown seemingly without end, we bring you two stories from individuals directly impacted by the crisis. NASA scientist and union re...

Flying the Skies of Saturn’s Moon Titan

16 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine soaring over what may be the solar system’s most Earth-like world, if you ignore the chill. If funded, the nuclear electric-powered Dragonfl...

New Horizons Flyby: Join the Celebration!

09 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join us at the Applied Physics Lab in Maryland for the New Horizons encounter with the most distant object ever visited. You’ll meet mission leaders...

A Mission to Earth: OSIRIS-REx

02 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Why do so many spacecraft that are headed across our solar system turn their instruments back to Earth during flybys?  OSIRIS-REx was no exception. T...

Countdown to Ultima: Alan Stern and New Horizons

26 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The New Horizons spacecraft will reach faraway Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69 in the first minutes of 2019.  Will the body informally known as Ultima T...

Earthrise! The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 8

19 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is the 50th anniversary of the most audacious space mission in history. Apollo 8 blazed a path for the first moon landing seven months later, and...

At the Space Settlement Summit With Former NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

He led NASA for eight years, but not till he had flown on four Space Shuttle missions and enjoyed a long military career. Charlie Bolden talks with Ma...

Space Policy Edition: Canada's Uncertain Future in Space (with Kate Howells)

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Canada was the third country in history to launch a satellite into space, but now lags in its space ambitions, capability, and spending. What happened...

Last Week, Mars. This week, An Asteroid Called Bennu.

05 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The InSight lander has only just arrived on Mars. Now, OSIRIS REx has reached asteroid Bennu after traveling through deep space for a year and a half....

A Great Day for Space Explorers: The Landing of InSight

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Join 1,000 anxious yet thrilled space fans at Caltech for our live InSight landing party.  You’ll meet Mat Kaplan’s onstage experts and check in ...

We Know Where the 2020 Rover Will Look for Martian Life

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

NASA announced on November 19th that the multi-billion dollar 2020 Mars rover will land in Jezero crater, where it will begin the search for the signa...

Space Policy Edition: After the Midterms—Looking Ahead with Marcia Smith

16 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The counting continues as we publish this month’s special episode, with a handful of seats in the US Senate and House still up for grabs.  But with...

Moon Mission 3D from Queen Guitarist Brian May and David Eicher

14 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You haven’t seen the best pictures from the Apollo era and other great space achievements till you’ve seen them in 3D.  Queen guitarist and astro...

Where Do We Come From? – Exploring the Origins of Life Lab

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

They may be the most important questions in all of science: Where do we come from?  Are we alone? Researchers Ralph Pudritz and Maikel Rheinstadter a...

Celebrating Kepler

31 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Kepler mission has ended.  Listen to highlights of the October 30th media briefing that included the father of the fantastically successful plane...

Sailing to an Asteroid on the Light of the Sun

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

LightSail 2 is not the only solar sail in the universe. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Lab are preparing to send NEA Sco...

Back to Saturn for Brand New Cassini Science

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our most frequent guest returns with exciting, just-published research enabled by the 20-year mission’s enormous success. Linda Spilker has served a...

Celebrating Astronomy Day with the Giant Magellan Telescope

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Astronomy Day, October 13, 2018!  We salute humankind’s long history of stargazing by checking in on what will be our planet’s largest tele...

Space Policy Edition: How NASA Came to Be

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Happy 60th, NASA. In celebration of the space agency’s birthday, we do the audio equivalent of pulling out NASA’s baby book and explore its origin...

John Logsdon on the Dawn of the Space Age

03 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Dean of space policy, John Logsdon, returns with stories and a new book of original documents that shaped the US space program from the birth of N...