Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

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Are we alone? The search for alien technosignatures Feb 15, 2023

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A new volunteer science project to search for alien technosignatures has launched! Jean-Luc Margot and Megan Li from UCLA join us to share the exciting debut of their Planetary Society STEP Grant-funded SETI project on Zooniverse. Our public education specialist Kate Howells reflects on the tenth anniversary of the Chelyabinsk Meteor Event, and don’t miss your chance to win a comfy Planetary Society beanie in this week’s Space Trivia Contest. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-are-we-alone-seti

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More on Mars’ Watery History Feb 08, 2023

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Mars expert Tanya Harrison shares the details on some of the newest discoveries about Mars’ history, including the discovery of an impact crater thought to be linked to a megatsunami in Mars’ ancient ocean and the discovery of opals, a water-rich gem, in Gale Crater. Stick around for What’s Up as we let you know what to look for this week in the night sky. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-more-on-mars-watery-history

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Space Policy Edition: The White House's Matt Daniels on the U.S.'s New Cislunar Strategy Feb 03, 2023

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For the first time in history, the White House laid out a national policy for science and technology in the vast expanse of cislunar space. This policy is not just for NASA — it's an all-of-government approach to establish the infrastructure and capabilities to enable a multitude of national and private actors to reach for the Moon and its environs. Dr. Matt Daniels of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy chaired the group that defined this new strategy; he joins the show to discuss the strategy, its ambitions, and implications for the future of lunar exploration and development.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/us-new-cislunar-strategy

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JWST confirms its first exoplanet Feb 01, 2023

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The James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed the discovery of its first exoplanet. Jacob Lustig-Yaeger, one of the leads on the team that made the detection, joins us to discuss the details. We share info on the Juno mission to Jupiter's next flybys of Io, let you know how to spot the "green comet" visiting our part of the Solar System, and provide insights on the night sky in What's Up. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-JWST-confirms-its-first-exoplanet

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Juno Journeys to Jupiter’s Moons Jan 25, 2023

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Dive into the latest discoveries about Jupiter’s moons Ganymede, Europa, and Io with Scott Bolton, the principal investigator for NASA’s Juno mission. We share analysis of the data collected by the spacecraft and look forward to upcoming exploratory missions to Jupiter’s moons from ESA and NASA. Stick around for this week’s What’s Up and our space trivia contest. Discover more: at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-juno-journeys-to-jupiters-moons

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Martian Mic Drop Jan 18, 2023

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Jason Achilles, a musician who partnered with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to help put one of the first microphones on Mars, shares his journey and the joy of listening to the sounds of Mars. We also highlight an upcoming opportunity to view comet 2022 E3 (ZTF). Stick around for more on the night sky and our space trivia contest with What’s Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-Martian-mic-drop

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Celebrating NASA’s Artemis I mission to the Moon Jan 11, 2023

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Jeremy Graeber, the assistant launch director at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, joins us to recount his experience on the night of Artemis I’s historic launch. We celebrate the success of the mission and share a short segment about The Planetary Society’s new Space Life Goals list. Bruce Betts pops in to share more about this week in space history and what to keep an eye out for in the night sky in this week’s What’s Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-celebrating-artemis-1

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Space Policy Edition: JPL Director wants "every brain" to have the chance to work in space exploration Jan 06, 2023

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After the delay of the Psyche mission, an independent review board faulted management and workforce problems at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as one of the causes. This month we feature the JPL Director, Dr. Laurie Leshin, to discuss what the lab is doing in response to these critiques, how NASA can compete with the private sector for top talent, and why our society needs to improve the diversity of its workforce to ensure every brain possible can work in space exploration.

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Planetary Radio stories with Mat Kaplan Jan 04, 2023

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New host Sarah Al-Ahmed bids a fond farewell to Mat Kaplan, Planetary Radio’s former host, with a heartwarming compilation of messages from fans, followed by a special interview with Mat about his two decades as creator and producer of the show. Be sure to catch Sarah and Bruce Betts in this week’s What’s Up as they share a special gaming-themed trivia question. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-stories-with-mat-kaplan

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Planetary Society All-Stars Review the Year in Space Dec 28, 2022

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It’s Mat Kaplan’s last episode as host of Planetary Radio. He has gathered several of his colleagues to celebrate an outstanding year across the Solar System and beyond. New host Sarah Al-Ahmed sticks around to join Bruce Betts and Mat for her first What’s Up appearance, including listeners’ suggestions for what Mat should take on next! Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-year-in-space-review

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