Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

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Space Policy Edition: Why lunar exploration must be of enduring national interest Aug 04, 2023

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Scott Pace, the prior executive secretary of the National Space Council, discusses why Artemis is of strategic value to U.S. national interests — and why the Moon is unique as a destination to drive global space exploration. Casey also discusses the latest congressional budgets news and what it means for NASA’s Mars Sample Return program. Note: the Space Policy Edition will go on hiatus for two months and return in November 2023.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/lunar-exploration-enduring-national-interest

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Subsurface granite on the Moon? The anatomy of a lunar hot spot Aug 02, 2023

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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 Trivia Contest, and Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, shares What's Up in the night sky.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-subsurface-granite-on-the-moon

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An essential ingredient for life in the oceans of Enceladus Jul 26, 2023

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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 night sky this week.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-phosphorus-in-enceladus

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Mars' Axial Tilt: A Key to Gully Formation Jul 19, 2023

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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 travel to space.

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

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Comparing the rivers of Earth, Mars, and Titan Jul 12, 2023

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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/planetary-radio/2023-rivers-of-earth-mars-and-titan

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Space Policy Edition: What’s Going on with: Congress, MSR, and ? Jul 07, 2023

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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/planetary-radio/summer-2023-congressional-status

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Humans to Mars by the 2030s? NASA Associate Administrators weigh in Jul 05, 2023

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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, commercial, and robotic collaboration it will take to put the first humans on the Red Planet. Then Bruce Betts and Sarah Al-Ahmed share What's Up in the night sky and a chance to win a grab bag of prizes in one of our last space trivia contests.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-humans-to-mars

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2Fast 2Curious: Finding the source of the fast solar wind Jun 28, 2023

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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 Probe-themed question in our space trivia contest.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-fast-solar-wind

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The disappearing act of Saturn's young rings Jun 21, 2023

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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 Betts and host Sarah Al-Ahmed share what's in the upcoming night sky and chat about creepy-crawly constellations. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-saturn-young-rings

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The oldest organic molecules in the known Universe Jun 14, 2023

Show notes

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 first women in space in this week’s What’s Up.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-oldest-organic-molecules

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