Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Latest Episodes:

The High Frontier: A New Documentary About Gerard K. O’Neill Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Physicist and space pioneer Gerard K. O’Neil gathered a community of followers as he led planning for vast, magnificent human settlements in space. Guests Dylan Taylor, Will Henry and Ryan Stuit have produced an inspiring, feature-length tribute to O’Neill that stars space luminaries including Jeff Bezos, Frank White, Lori Garver, Rick Tumlinson, and many others. Then Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan are joined by a special listener guest on What’s Up. Hear and discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/high-frontier-film-dylan-taylor

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The First Space Shuttle Pilot: Bob Crippen on the 40th Anniversary of STS-1 Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

Pilot Bob Crippen and Commander John Young became the first astronauts to fly a Space Shuttle into orbit on April 12, 1981. Crippen tells host Mat Kaplan about that mission and shares many more stories from his adventurous life. Mat was standing on the dry lake bed in the California desert when STS-1 returned to Earth. Planetary Society senior space policy advisor Casey Dreier brings additional perspective to this anniversary, and it’s a space poetry festival when Bruce Betts arrives with this week’s What’s Up segment. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/bob-crippen-40th-shuttle-anniversary

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Space Policy Edition: Biden Names His NASA Administrator Apr 02, 2021

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Bill Nelson, former Senator from Florida, congressional astronaut, and father of the Space Launch System, will likely be NASA's next administrator. Casey Dreier and Mat Kaplan also discuss The Planetary Society's global Day of Action, which saw hundreds of Society members meet with elected officials in Washington D.C., along with the news that the National Space Council will continue, and the 40th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle launch, with new budget data. Discover more here: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0402-2021-spe-day-of-action-bill-nelson-nomination

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NASA’s TESS Exoplanet Mission Finds Over 2,000 Possible New Worlds Mar 31, 2021

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The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) team has just announced more than 2,200 new exoplanet candidates. Natalia Guerrero of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology manages these discoveries and still finds time to write plays, collaborate on musical performances and host radio shows that dig into the deeper meaning of our expanding universe. The Venusian phosphine debate continues! Space journalist Nancy Atkinson provides an update. Bruce Betts returns to expand our knowledge of the night sky and present a new space trivia contest in What’s Up. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/natalia-guerrero-tess-2200-exoplanet-candidates

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The Perseverance Rover and a Great First Month on Mars Mar 24, 2021

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Deputy project scientists Katie Stack Morgan and Ken Williford are living on Mars time and living for Mars. We get an update from them on the work of the Mars 2020 rover. Perseverance is already accomplishing terrific science after just 5 weeks on the Red Planet. Katie and Ken also tell us what’s ahead, including launch of Mars helicopter Ingenuity. Then it’s checkmate as Bruce Betts makes his next move across the night sky in What’s Up. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/katie-morgan-ken-williford-perseverance-first-month

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Return From Ryugu: The Hayabusa2 Leader on His Mission’s Success Mar 17, 2021

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Hayabusa2 project manager Yuichi Tsuda and his team learned a lot from Hayabusa1, Japan’s troubled-though-successful mission that returned a sample from asteroid Itokawa. Now they are celebrating the recovery of a much larger sample from a different world: asteroid Ryugu. Dr. Tsuda joins Mat Kaplan for a fascinating, exclusive conversation about the mission’s 5-billion-kilometer journey and the great science to come. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/yuichi-tsuda-hayabusa2

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InSight’s Mole: A Martian Science Odyssey Mar 10, 2021

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Troy Hudson and a brilliant international team created a device that would hammer its way below the surface of Mars. Mars had other ideas. The Jet Propulsion Lab engineer and scientist returns to tell us the heroic tale of the InSight lander’s Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, also known as the mole. Stay with us for a tour of the current night sky and a new space trivia contest from Bruce Betts. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/troy-hudson-insight-mole

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Space Policy Edition: SpaceX's Early, Desperate Days (with Eric Berger) Mar 05, 2021

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The SpaceX of today reuses rockets and launches people into space. But 15 years ago, the future of the company was in doubt as its Falcon 1 rocket repeatedly failed to reach orbit. Eric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica, joins the show to discuss his new book, Liftoff, which chronicles these early, formative years of the company in which it nearly collapsed. Discover more here: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0305-2021-spe-eric-berger

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Spinoffs: How NASA Technologies Benefit Life on Earth Mar 03, 2021

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Cleaning up water pollution, inventing inexpensive ventilators for hospitals, turning waste plastic into sidewalks, and making baby formula more nutritious—these and thousands of other innovations have come directly from research and development for space exploration. NASA technology transfer program executive Daniel Lockney takes us on a tour of Spinoff 21, the agency’s fascinating new report. Bruce Betts reminds us that a spin past Venus is sometimes the best way to head to far more distant worlds. That’s the inspiration for this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s much more to hear and discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/dan-lockney-nasa-spinoff-21

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Touchdown! The Sights and Sounds of Perseverance on Mars Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

The Mars 2020 rover is on Mars. We have collected the most thrilling moments from the landing and the revelations that followed, including the first sounds recorded on the Red Planet. Bill Nye congratulates the entire Perseverance team and explains why this audacious mission is so important. Then Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan welcome special guests as they read the winners of the What’s Up Mars poetry contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/perseverance-landing-highlights

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