Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

A decades-old lunar mystery gets an update in this week's Planetary Radio. Matt Siegler from the Planetary Science Institute shares his team's surprising findings about the granite formation that might lie beneath Compton-Belkovich, a thorium-rich hot spot on the far side of the Moon. Ambre Trujillo, Planetary Society Digital Community Manager, gives an update on the new member community app Space...

Phosphorus, a key ingredient for life on Earth, has been detected in the ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus. This discovery marks the first time phosphorus has been found in an ocean off of Earth. Chris Glein, a lead scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, joins Planetary Radio to talk about the discovery and its implications for the search for life. Then Bruce Betts shares what's up in the n...

The gullies of Mars may appear similar to water-carved channels on Earth, but their formation is more complex than meets the eye. Caltech's Jay Dickson joins Planetary Radio to discuss the planet’s changing axial tilt and the consequences of Martian climate change. Then Bruce Betts shares the beautiful dance of planets in the upcoming night sky and the reflections of the oldest person to ever trav...

Get ready for a journey across the rivers of our Solar System in this week's Planetary Radio. Sam Birch, an assistant professor at Brown University, explores what we know about the alluvial rivers of Earth, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Titan. Stay tuned for the What's Up segment with Bruce Betts and the last question in our on-air space trivia contest. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planet...

We check in on the congressional budget process for NASA, Mars Sample Return’s spiraling cost growth, and the impending end of the regulatory holiday for human commercial space launch companies. Jack Kiraly, director of government relations for The Planetary Society, joins host Casey Dreier to provide the latest insight and analysis on these issues. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/plan...

It's going to take a lot of collaboration to get humans to Mars, but we're up for the challenge. This week on Planetary Radio, Mat Kaplan, senior communications adviser at The Planetary Society, takes us to the 2023 Humans to Mars Summit in Washington, D.C. We'll share his conversation with three NASA Associate Administrators, Nicola Fox, James Free, and James Reuter about the international, comme...

Some solar mysteries, like the origin of the fast solar wind, can only be solved by getting up close and personal with the Sun. James Drake from the University of Maryland joins Planetary Radio this week to talk about the latest results from NASA's Parker Solar Probe as it soars closer to our star than any spacecraft in history. We share what to look forward to in the night sky and a Parker Solar...

Saturn's rings are so young that they may have formed when dinosaurs walked the Earth. Richard Durisen, a Professor Emeritus of Astronomy from Indiana University Bloomington, and Paul Estrada, a Research Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, join Planetary Radio to discuss their research on the surprisingly recent formation of Saturn's rings and why they are disappearing over time. Then Bruce Be...

Justin Spilker and his colleagues at Texas A&M University have detected the oldest and most distant organic molecules in the known Universe using the James Webb Space Telescope. Justin joins Planetary Radio to talk about the discovery and what it means for our understanding of star formation in the early Universe. We also share what to spot in the night sky this week and pay homage to the firs...

Sarafina El-Badry Nance joins Planetary Radio to discuss her new book, Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark. We share a beautiful poem about exploration that will soon be on its way to Europa and let you know how you can put your name on the upcoming Europa Clipper mission. Then we check in with Bruce Betts for What's Up and an update on this week's night sky. Discove...

Would meeting an extraterrestrial civilization be good or bad for humanity? Astronomer Dr. Jacob Haqq Misra argues that knowing the outcome in advance is fundamentally impossible, which results in a range of policy implications. Should we camouflage Earth's technosignatures or pour money into perhaps the most transformative event in human history? Should we fear the dark or embrace the unknown?  D...

The Planetary Society has just announced the latest awards in its Science and Technology Enabled by the Public (STEP) Grant program. With regular host Sarah Al-Ahmed on vacation, Mat Kaplan returns to introduce the principal investigator for a project that will prepare us to grow food on the Moon and Mars. Another PI and his team plan to analyze extreme life in super salty lakes. Planetary Society...

This week on Planetary Radio, Shubham Kanodia, the lead on a paper about a so-called“forbidden planet,” TOI 5202 b, joins us to talk about this strange world and why it's upending our understanding of planetary formation. Then Bruce Betts and Sarah Al-Ahmed will team up for What's Up, a look back at this week in space history, and a preview of the upcoming night sky. Discover more at: https://www....

In this week's episode of Planetary Radio, we're honoring the educators who inspire young, curious minds to explore the marvels of the Cosmos. We’ll speak with guests from The Planetary Academy, the Griffith Observatory School Program, and Mt. Wilson's STEM Education program, all of whom are paving the way for the next generation of space enthusiasts and explorers. Then we'll check in Bruce Betts...

NASA's VERITAS mission to Venus is currently on an indefinite hold. Darby Dyar, Deputy Principal Investigator for the mission, joins Planetary Radio to share the human story behind the spacecraft. She provides an insightful overview of the mission's background, its intended scientific contributions, and how listeners can help advocate for the mission. Then Bruce Betts guides us through upcoming ni...

Prior to Starship's inaugural launch, environmental policy expert Eric Roesch was outspoken about the possibility of catastrophe. As the rocket launched, it kicked up massive clouds of dust and decimated its launchpad, scattering large chunks of concrete into delicate marine and coastal sanctuaries nearby. Eric blames both SpaceX and its regulatory body, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),...

Planetary Radio creator Mat Kaplan shares a look behind the scenes at the 2023 Planetary Defense Conference in Vienna, Austria. You’ll hear exclusive interviews with planetary defense specialists from around the planet as they gather to push the boundaries of asteroid and comet deflection technologies. Stick around for What’s Up with Bruce Betts, an update on the night sky, and a look forward to t...

Join us as we celebrate the successful launch of the European Space Agency's Juice mission! Our special guest, project scientist Olivier Witasse, shares the thrilling details about the launch and the next steps for this groundbreaking mission to explore Jupiter’s icy moons. We'll also recap the inspiring events of last week's Planetary Society Digital Day of Action, where space enthusiasts and adv...

Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer, joins Planetary Radio to discuss his new book, “Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer’s Guide to the Galaxy.” The book takes the reader on an imaginary journey to 10 spectacular locations in space and shares the strange and beautiful experience visitors would have if they could witness it for themselves. Stick around after the break for What’s Up with Bruce Betts and a cha...

Join us as we delve into the heart of LA's 2023 Yuri's Night party, a celebration commemorating Yuri Gagarin's pioneering 1961 voyage into space. We'll bring you exclusive interviews and insights from a stellar lineup, including Star Trek cast members, NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs Director Laurie Leshin, and astronaut Jessica Watkins. Together, they'll celebrate the future of space exploration and w...

For over a decade, Jean Toal Eisen drafted legislation directing billions of dollars to NASA as senior staff on the Senate Appropriations Committee. She joins the show to unveil the crucial roles played by committee staff like herself, how decisions and priorities are made behind closed doors, and the motivations and drivers of the people who control the fates of billions of dollars of taxpayer fu...

Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of a truly inspiring space mission - the United Arab Emirates' Hope probe, which has spent two amazing years orbiting Mars! Our guest, Mohsen Al Awadhi, Director of the Space Missions Department at the UAE Space Agency, shares insights into the mission's journey and teases the next exciting chapter: observing Mars' mysterious moon, Deimos. We're also cou...

Is Venus hiding volcanic secrets beneath its shroud of clouds? Robbie Herrick and Scott Hensley, the minds behind a new paper on recent potential volcanic activity on Venus, join Planetary Radio to discuss their discovery and what it means for the future of Venusian exploration. Then we turn to the night sky with our resident stargazer, Bruce Betts, for What's Up and our space trivia contest. Disc...

NASA’s Psyche mission to explore a metallic asteroid will launch later this year. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the principal investigator for Psyche, joins Planetary Radio to share the mission’s status and look forward to the wonders that await when the spacecraft reaches its heavy metal target. We also keep you updated on exciting news from Venus, and let you know what to catch in the upcoming night sky...

Kim Arcand from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory joins Planetary Radio to share her team’s new album “Universal Harmonies.” It’s a beautiful collection of sonified observations taken by the space telescope that aims to make space images more accessible to people with low or no vision. The Planetary Society team celebrates the release of their new member community app and shares an update on the Bo...