Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Latest Episodes:

Celebrating the OSIRIS-REx sample return Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

On September 24th, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft triumphantly delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu to Earth. Rae Paoletta, the Director of Content and Engagement at The Planetary Society, joins Planetary Radio to recount her firsthand experience of the sample's return in Utah. She introduces us to Mike Puzio, the young man who named asteroid Bennu, and his father, Larry Puzio. Then Danny Glavin, the co-investigator for OSIRIS-REx, shares the next steps for the asteroid samples and the spacecraft. Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, as we digest this huge moment in space history.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-osiris-rex-sample-return

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2023 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium: Part 2 Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Join Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed for part two of her trip to the 2023 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium in Houston, Texas. You'll hear from Mike LaPointe and John Nelson, the NIAC Program Executive and Deputy Program Executive along with Theresa Benyo (NASA Glenn Research Center), Lynn Rothschild (NASA Ames Research Center), and Javid Bayandor (State University of New York). Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, to learn more about his favorite science conferences.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-niac-part-2

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2023 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium: Part 1 Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

Join Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed on a trip to the 2023 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium in Houston, Texas. In this jam-packed two-part series, you'll hear Sarah's interviews with the inspiring NIAC fellows who are thinking up the technologies that could change the future of space exploration. In this episode, you’ll hear from Congrui Grace Jin (University of Nebraska, Lincoln), Quinn Morley (Planet Enterprises), Ronald Polidan (Lunar Resources, Inc.), and Edward Balaban (NASA Ames Research Center). Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, for a discussion about the advances in space exploration during our lifetimes.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alone but not lonely with Louis Friedman Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Louis Friedman, one of the three co-founders of The Planetary Society, joins Planetary Radio to discuss his new book, "Alone but Not Lonely: Exploring for Extraterrestrial Life." The book takes us on a realistic but hopeful reflection on the search for life, from habitable worlds to the technologies that might allow us to explore exoplanets without leaving our stellar backyard. Then stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, as we get his hot take on life in the universe.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-alone-but-not-lonely

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Io and Voyager 2: Lost oceans and found signals Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

This week on Planetary Radio, we're traveling back in time to uncover the luminous infancy of Jupiter and its impact on its enigmatic moon, Io. Carver Bierson, a postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State University, tells the tale of how Jupiter's radiant beginnings might have turned Io from a water-rich moon into a world with lakes of lava. You'll also hear from two legendary figures of space exploration, Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd and Voyager project scientist Linda Spilker, as they delve into the endeavor to reestablish contact with the iconic Voyager 2 spacecraft with our senior communications advisor, Mat Kaplan. And don't miss "What's Up" with our chief scientist, Bruce Betts, as he answers a question from our Planetary Society member community.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-lost-oceans-and-found-signals

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subsurface oceans: The hidden potential of Earth-like exoplanets Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

Lujendra Ojha, assistant professor at Rutgers University, joins Planetary Radio to discuss how subsurface liquid water on exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars could increase the likelihood of finding habitable worlds beyond our Solar System. Then we check in with Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, for What's Up.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-subsurface-oceans

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new algorithm finds its first potentially hazardous asteroid Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

A next-generation asteroid discovery algorithm, HelioLinc3D, has successfully identified its first potentially hazardous asteroid. Mario Jurić and Ari Heinze from the University of Washington join Planetary Radio to discuss the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory and how their team's new asteroid detection algorithm can help defend our world. The Planetary Society editorial director, Rae Paoletta, marks the successful landing of the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO's) Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Moon. Then Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, pops in for What's Up and a conversation about space dreams.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-algorithm-potentially-hazardous-asteroid

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The slow evolution of Europa Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

Jupiter's moon Europa is one of the most exciting locations in our Solar System in the search for life, but a crust of ice guards the secrets of its potential subsurface ocean. This week, Kevin Trinh from Arizona State University joins Planetary Radio to discuss his research into Europa's formation history and the consequences for the moon's habitability. The Planetary Society's senior editor, Jason Davis, looks forward to the upcoming total solar eclipse in 2024. Then Bruce Betts joins in for What's Up and a cometary random space fact.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-europa-slow-evolution

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JWST detects water vapor in a planet-forming disk Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

A team of researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope (or JWST) has made the first detection of water vapor in the inner region of the protoplanetary disc that is already forming worlds. Giulia Perotti and Thomas Henning from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany join Planetary Radio to discuss their team's research on PDS 70 and what it can tell us about the formation of planets like Earth. The Planetary Society's most recent intern, Ariel Barreiro, reflects on her summer working with The Planetary Society, and Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, pops in for What's Up and a conversation about terminator zones.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-water-vapor-in-a-planet-forming-disk

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mars Life Explorer: The search for extant life on the red planet Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

Many missions are working to understand Mars' past habitability, but could there still be microbial life on the red planet today? This week on Planetary Radio, we discuss the proposed Mars Life Explorer mission with Amy Williams, assistant professor of geology at the University of Florida. Then Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, pops in for What's Up and a celebratory conversation about reestablishing contact with the beloved Voyager 2 spacecraft.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-mars-life-explorer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.