Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition

Return to Launch — Cape Canaveral's unlikely history

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Stephen C. Smith, author of Return to Launch and Kennedy Space Center Vis...

Is there really a space race between the US and China?

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, speaks with former NASA strategic advisor on China, Patrick Besha, about China’s long-...

What a NASA Authorization bill actually does

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier and Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly break down what NASA authorization bills actually do and why these...

Change for the Sake of Disruption at NASA

02 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After DOGE cuts, mass staff departures, and a blink-and-you-missed-it pivot to Mars, how much did NASA actually change in 2025? Space Policy Online fo...

The Moral Case for Space Science

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we explore space? In this Space Policy Edition rerun, Casey Dreier speaks with philosopher Dr. J. S. Johnson-Schwartz about why space science i...

Should a (potential) biosignature revive Mars Sample Return?

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1996, a controversial claim of fossilized life in a Martian meteorite ignited a golden age of Mars exploration. Nearly 30 years later, a potential ...

China’s growing space science ambitions

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If the United States is indeed in a space race with China, why are we abandoning space science programs across the Solar System? This question, posed ...

Does the rise of Elon mean the fall of NASA?

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Atlantic writer Franklin Foer joins the show to discuss how NASA enabled the rise of Elon Musk, and, in doing so, sowed the seeds of its own decline.

Is this the moment for in-space nuclear power?

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Bhavya Lal argues that the 2020s are a decisive decade for in-space nuclear power. Without nuclear, humans may never be more than visitors on Mars...

Are Democrats falling behind on space policy?

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest, Mary Guenther, argues that the Democratic Party is ceding leadership in space policy, and how linking space to jobs, supply chains, and cli...

NASA’s 2026 budget

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alicia Brown from the Commercial Space Federation and Brittany Webster from the American Geophysical Union join the show to discuss NASA’s fiscal ye...

What does NASA need with an economist?

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Former NASA chief economist Akhil Rao explains why NASA needs economic expertise to navigate the complex — and often misunderstood — market forces...

How NASA remembers—and forgets

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

No one person knows how to build a spaceship. What happens to NASA’s collective knowledge when thousands of employees lose their jobs?

Lies, damned lies, and space data

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The space sector is data-rich but insight-poor. Jack Kuhr of Payload talks about how he turns raw numbers into real narratives.

Locke, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (in space)

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can classical liberalism provide fresh insights to guide humanity’s activities in space? Philosopher Rebecca Lowe explains how it can.

Mars Sample Return, but at what (fixed) price?

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck outlines a $4B fixed-price plan for Mars Sample Return — and reveals new Venus mission details — before VP Richard Frenc...

The Challenges of Change at NASA

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joins the show to discuss the motivations and risks of pursuing change at NASA - and how much change can...

The Myth of Presidential Leadership

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We revisit a classic book on the limits of presidential power in setting the nation’s space agenda and explore how the increasingly powerful executi...

NASA at a Crossroads

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Norm Augustine, the distinguished aerospace industry veteran behind numerous influential studies, joins the show to discuss NASA at a Crossroads, the ...

The space policies of a Harris Administration

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Space expert Lori Garver joins the show to explore Kamala Harris’ space policy priorities, the major issues facing NASA in the next four years, and ...

The Space Policy of a Second Trump Administration

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Do we need a philosophy of space exploration?

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Policy expert G. Ryan Faith argues for importance of communal engagement with our values and goals in space exploration. While easy answers may elude...

NASA and the American South

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Is Human Spaceflight a Religion?

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Holy texts and salvation ideology. Saints and martyrs. True believers and apostates. This isn’t a religion — this is human spaceflight, argues Rog...

The power of the lunar sublime

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Should policymakers spend more time looking - really looking - at the Moon? Chris Cokinos thinks so. He’s the author of a new book, Still As Bright,...

Real and Acceptable Reasons for Space Exploration

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin discusses his claim that there is a tension between the so-called Real reasons that motivate spaceflight and th...

The ahistorical era of commercial lunar exploration

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Science historian Dr. Matt Shindell joins the show to discuss the unique era of commercial lunar exploration, and how planetary exploration has evolve...

Space isn’t black — it’s grey

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Space policy expert Laura Delgado López joins the show to break down the new paper, “Clearing the Fog: The Grey Zones of Space Governance” by Jes...

India’s growing space ambitions

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

UK-based space writer Gurbir Singh, author of the book The Indian Space Programme: India’s Incredible Journey from the Third World towards the First...

Was the Space Shuttle a policy failure?

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Though the Space Shuttle program lasted 30 years and built the ISS, it fell short of NASA's goals for cost, reusability, and reliability. Can a p...

What went wrong with Mars Sample Return

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

NASA's Mars Sample Return mission is both a top priority and seriously troubled. Independent review board chair Orlando Figueroa joins us to talk...

Why lunar exploration must be of enduring national interest

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Pace, the prior executive secretary of the National Space Council, discusses why Artemis is of strategic value to U.S. national interests — an...

What’s Going on with: Congress, MSR, and FAA Reauthorization?

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We check in on the congressional budget process for NASA, Mars Sample Return’s spiraling cost growth, and the impending end of the regulatory holida...

The policy implications of active SETI

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Would meeting an extraterrestrial civilization be good or bad for humanity? Astronomer Dr. Jacob Haqq Misra argues that knowing the outcome in advance...

SpaceX's Starship vs. the environment, with Eric Roesch

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Eric Roesch, an environmental policy expert, joins Planetary Radio to discuss SpaceX's Starship, environmental regulations' role in commerci...

The motives behind NASA's billions — Jean Toal Eisen on how Congress funds the final frontier

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jean Toal Eisen, former senior staff on the Senate Appropriations Committee, joins the show to reveal the decision-making process, priorities, and mot...

The Tricky Ethics of Space Settlement

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Erika Nesvold, astrophysicist and author of the new book Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space explores the ethica...

The White House's Matt Daniels on the U.S.'s New Cislunar Strategy

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Matt Daniels of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy joins the show to discuss the White House’s new cislunar space st...

JPL Director wants "every brain" to have the chance to work in space exploration

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Laurie Leshin wants to give every brain in the country the opportunity to work in space exploration.

NASA's Economic Impact with Alex MacDonald and Joshua Drucker

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is NASA’s return on investment? NASA chief economist Alex MacDonald and University of Illinois Chicago professor Joshua Drucker provide reveali...

What the Congressional Midterms Mean for Space Science

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bethany Johns of the American Astronomical Society talks with Planetary Society Chief Advocate Casey Dreier about how changes in Washington after the ...

Space Policy Edition Bonus: Q&A with Casey Dreier and Bill Nye

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A special Space Policy Edition featuring a recent policy and advocacy webcast that gave Planetary Society members the opportunity to query Chief Advoc...

The Geopolitics of a Successful SETI Detection

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How will nations react if (when?) humanity detects the presence of an alien intelligence or civilization? That’s the topic Planetary Society Chief A...

Mike Gold on Crafting the Artemis Accords

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Former NASA Associate Administrator Mike Gold shepherded the Artemis Accords, a set of bilateral agreements for collaboration in human space explorati...

Lori Garver on Bringing Change to NASA

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Former NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver returns for a deep conversation with Casey Dreier about her fight to turn the agency toward commercial pa...

Pathfinder and the Birth of the Discovery Program

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Space exploration historian Michael Neufeld traces the fascinating history of one of NASA’s most successful programs of planetary exploration.

Inside the Planetary Science Decadal Survey Process with Bethany Ehlmann

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Bethany Ehlmann served on the steering committee for the new planetary science and astrobiology decadal survey that will steer future explo...

How Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Has Changed Space, with Mariel Borowitz

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

International space policy and sustainability expert Mariel Borowitz explores with Casey Dreier how the war in Ukraine reaches beyond Earth in ways th...

NASA's 2023 Budget Request

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A healthy $26 billion has been proposed for NASA next year, but there are at least a couple of troubling factors we’ll discuss as Congress begins it...

Why are outer planets missions so expensive?

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Casey talks with experts about the 50th anniversary of the Pioneer 10 launch toward Jupiter and beyond, and why most outer planets missions since then...

JWST and the politics of mega-science (with Robert Smith)

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Science historian Robert Smith describes how NASA's new flagship space observatory came to be.

What We're Watching in 2022

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Planetary Society chief of D.C. operations Brendan Curry returns for a look ahead at what to expect in 2022.

Astronomy goes big, with Heidi Hammel

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Veteran astronomer Heidi Hammel discusses how the new astrophysics decadal survey lays the groundwork for decades of exciting science.

We're entering a new era of planetary defense (with Lindley Johnson)

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The head of NASA’s planetary defense program discusses how the DART mission represents a new era for defending our planet from dangerous asteroids.

NASA's Congressional Logjam

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brendan Curry, The Planetary Society’s chief of Washington operations, helps us untangle the fast-changing and complex machinations underway in the ...

The cultural rituals of space advocacy, with Linda Billings

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Space outreach expert and social scientist Linda Billings talks with host Casey Dreier about the language space advocates use to share their message.

Mars via the Nuclear Option

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

NASA’s Bhavya Lal returns to explain the challenges and big advantages of nuclear propulsion in space.

The Pentagon's UFO Report, Featuring Sarah Scoles

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Pentagon has released its assessment of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. Casey Dreier and science journalist Sarah Scoles talk about what’s behind...

NASA's 2022 Budget Request Says "Yes"

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The White House’s proposed 2022 NASA budget is almost entirely great news, as is the announcement that two complementary orbiters will explore Venus...

How Starship at the Moon Brings NASA Closer to Mars

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

NASA chose SpaceX’s Starship as the sole winner of its human lunar lander development contract in a move that may also take us closer to Mars.

Biden Names His NASA Administrator

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It looks like former senator Bill Nelson will be NASA’s next administrator. Casey Dreier and Mat Kaplan talk about his nomination and other developm...

SpaceX's Early, Desperate Days (with Eric Berger)

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk’s SpaceX nearly failed 15 years ago as it struggled to launch its first rocket. Eric Berger has written about this challenging early era a...

The Big Picture on U.S. Science Funding

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Hourihan of the American Association for the Advancement of Science joins Casey Dreier for a deep dive into the U.S. government’s funding of sc...

A Mob at the U.S. Capitol

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Casey Dreier and our special guest, former National Space Council chief of staff Jared Zambrano-Stout, consider the troubling events at the U.S. Capit...

Operation Moonglow and the Global Impact of Apollo

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Space historian Teasel Muir-Harmony argues in her fascinating new book that the Apollo lunar program was promoted as a triumph of, not for, all mankin...

NASA's Post-Election Landscape

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With the United States election over, Casey Dreier and Mat Kaplan welcome back Planetary Society Chief of D.C. Operations Brendan Curry for a review o...

Divining Biden's Space Policy with Jeff Foust

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Where would a Biden Administration take US space policy and NASA? Casey Dreier and space journalist Jeff Foust synthesize a best guess based on the av...

The Moon-to-Mars Strategy, with Dr. Scott Pace

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The National Space Council’s Scott Pace talks with Casey Dreier about the current administration’s sweeping new strategy that integrates all eleme...

Why the SLS is a National Asset, and Why That Matters

07 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration’s Mary Lynne Dittmar talks with Casey Dreier about how and why spacefaring nations prioritize funding for s...

A Trillion-Dollar Space Economy?

03 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How big is the space economy, and how big might it grow? Space policy expert Dr. Bhavya Lal brings the numbers down to Earth in a great conversation w...

NASA’s Gamble Pays Off

05 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The safe arrival of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon at the International Space Station is a huge success for NASA and policymakers who gambled years ago on the...

Our Moral Obligation to Explore Space

01 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher James Schwartz shares his thoughts about the ethics of space exploration, commercialization, and settlement.

Our Equinox Space Policy Briefing

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Join The Planetary Society’s policy team, including Bill Nye, for highlights of a members-only live briefing that shared our analysis of how the cor...

NASA's 2021 Budget Request Brings Billions

06 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

NASA’s fiscal year 2021 budget request contains lots of good news along with a few disappointments. How will Congress weigh in?

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

07 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Casey and his guest discuss a bill working its way through the US House of Representatives that challenges the Artemis plan adopted by NASA for human ...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 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...

Why Apollo Happened (with Roger Launius)

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Space historian Dr. Roger Launius joins the show to explain why Apollo happened the way it did, how a moonshot briefly became a solution to a national...

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...

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...

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...

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 polic...

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. T...

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...

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...

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 t...

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...

Did NASA Ace its Midterms? With Special Guest Louise Prockter

07 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk with planetary scientist and Lunar and Planetary Institute Director Louise Prockter, who co-led creation of a new report evaluating the perfor...

Destination…Mars? Contradictions and Principles

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Senate just held a hearing on NASA's efforts to send humans to...Mars? A week later, the same committee advanced legislation to extend the li...

Space Force! With Special Guest Brian Weeden

06 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump recently ordered the creation of Space Force—but what does that mean? What are the implications for militarization of space? Nationa...

Space Policy Directive 2—This Time it's Commercial

01 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump just signed a new space policy directive targeting the regulations surrounding commercial spaceflight. Casey Dreier, Jason Callahan, a...

A Commercial Future for the Space Station?

04 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After announcing it intends to divest from the International Space Station in 2025, NASA quietly released a new report on its transition plans, laying...

Lori Garver on what a NASA Administrator (and Deputy) actually does

06 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lori Garver, former Deputy Administrator of NASA, talks with Casey about what the Deputy and Administrator jobs are like day-to-day, how decisions act...

Space Policy Edition #23 - Blitzing Congress: Planetary Society volunteers visit Capitol Hill

02 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Society members from 21 states descended on the U.S. capitol for a

Space Policy Edition Special: The 2019 President’s Budget Request Unveiled

17 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As promised, Casey Dreier and Jason Callahan are back with a special review of the just-released FY 2019 President’s Budget Request (PBR) for NASA. ...

Space Policy Edition #21: Bill Nye and the State of the Union

02 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye attended the State of the Union address on January 30th, he also spent the day meeting with sixteen different members o...