Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Latest Episodes:

Emily Lakdawalla’s Pluto Preview Jul 07, 2015

Show notes

Two visits with the Planetary Society Senior Editor this week, as Emily first provides an update on the Rosetta comet mission and then returns with an extended look ahead at the New Horizons Pluto encounter next week.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Saving the Planet: Voices From the Planetary Defense Conference Jun 30, 2015

Show notes

We’ve already brought you Planetary Radio Live from the 2015 PDC near Rome, Italy. Now you’ll hear a small sampling of the scientists, engineers, policymakers and media experts who spent five days considering how humanity will respond to a potentially disastrous threat. Bruce Betts celebrates the great Jupiter-Venus conjunction in What’s Up. Bill Nye and Emily Lakdawalla return next week.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Exploring the Seas of Earth and Other Worlds Jun 23, 2015

Show notes

We return to the beautiful Aquarium of the Pacific in southern California for a fascinating conversation about ocean science. What we learn down here is furthering our research around the solar system. William Patzert, Jerry Schubel and Steven Vance join Mat Kaplan on stage. Emily Lakdawalla tells us what Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory rover, has been doing lately. Bruce Betts is keeping his eye on converging Jupiter and Venus.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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LightSail Triumphant! A Mission Press Conference Jun 16, 2015

Show notes

After a roller coaster ride that included a maddening eight-day silence, the LightSail test mission finally achieved all of its major goals. Leaders of the mission team gathered on June 10th to take questions from the media, and share their thoughts and emotions with the general public. Today’s show presents highlights of that briefing. Emily Lakdawalla is seeing things on Pluto, and she’s not alone. Bruce Betts takes Mat Kaplan on a walk in space during this week’s What’s Up segment.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Cassini Update AND LightSail Spreads its Wings! Jun 09, 2015

Show notes

Cassini Project Scientist Linda Spilker, returns with another update on the magnificent mission at Saturn. You’ll also hear Bill Nye and the moment when LightSail began to deploy its solar sail.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Chris Carberry and Getting Humans to Mars Jun 02, 2015

Show notes

Explore Mars revealed the 2015 Humans to Mars Report at a recent conference in Washington. CEO Chris Carberry gives us a quick tour of this inspiring assessment of what it will take to get more than robots to the Red Planet.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Launch of LightSail May 26, 2015

Show notes

This special edition takes you behind the scenes on May 20, 2015 as LightSail is lifted into orbit. You’ll hear the thrilling launch, meet key team members as they prepare for the big moment, and hear a special status report from Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Spiraling Closer to Ceres With the Dawn Mission’s Marc Rayman May 19, 2015

Show notes

It’s the biggest dwarf planet between here and Pluto, and it has a new permanent resident. The Dawn spacecraft is orbiting Ceres in the asteroid belt, revealing it as never before. What are those bright spots anyway? We spend time with Dawn’s Chief Engineer and Director, Marc Rayman.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Alan Stern and the Rise of Pluto May 12, 2015

Show notes

Humankind’s arrival at Pluto is barely two months away. The science and images have already started to flow from New Horizons, according to the mission’s Principal Investigator, Alan Stern. Alan returns to Planetary Radio this week.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Sean Solomon on the Climactic End of the MESSENGER Mission to Mercury May 05, 2015

Show notes

We open with the countdown to destruction—the MESSENGER spacecraft’s impact on Mercury ended its spectacularly successful mission. Principal Investigator Sean Solomon joins us immediately after this big finish.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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