Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

The Planetary Society’s Planetfest ’21 celebrated Mars and the newest visitors to the Red Planet.  Mat Kaplan shares some of his Planetfest conversation with Andy Weir, author of The Martian. We also sit down with the leader of the United Arab Emirates’ Hope mission that entered Mars orbit a few days ago. Planetary Society contributing editor Andrew Jones provides an update on China’s Tianwen-1 spacecraft that arrived within hours of Hope.  We’ll also join preparations for the landing of NASA’s Mars 2020 rover Perseverance as we hear a media briefing from mission leaders. There’s more to discover at  https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/planetfest-andy-weir-omran-sharaf-andrew-jonesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mars has commanded our attention and stimulated our imaginations for millenia. Now, as 3 more spacecraft arrive, we talk with author Marc Hartzman about his new book that documents the fascination and fancy generated by the Red Planet. Planetary Society Chief Advocate Casey Dreier gives us a taste of the Society’s recommendations for the Biden administration regarding space exploration. Bruce Betts provides one more opportunity to win a Planetfest ’21 t-shirt! There’s more to discover, including a link to Planetfest ’21, at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/marc-hartzman-big-book-of-marsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Hourihan is perhaps the world's most knowledgeable expert in how the U.S. government funds basic science and development activities. He joins the show to talk about the big picture of where the money goes, how the focus has changed over time, and the consequences of budget cuts to critical science investments. Discover more here:  https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0205-2021-spe-matt-hourihanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astronomer Linda Schweizer spent countless hours interviewing the explorers who revolutionized astronomy through observations made at California’s Palomar Observatory. She tells their fascinating stories and shares their science in her new book Cosmic Odyssey: How Intrepid Astronomers at Palomar Observatory Changed our View of the Universe. Attention space poets! You might win a Planetfest ’21 t-shirt as Mat and Bruce invite your best efforts in the new What’s Up contest. Hey, it could be verse! There’s more to discover, including a link to Planetfest ’21, at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0203-2021-linda-schweizer-cosmic-odysseySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could the first object shown to have originated outside our solar system be a light sail built by an alien civilization? That’s the very controversial hypothesis put forward by distinguished Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb in his new book Extraterrestrial. The book is about much more than ‘Oumuamua, and so is Avi’s conversation with Mat Kaplan. Bill Nye pays tribute to a fallen member of The Planetary Society’s space family, and the biggest coincidence in the history of Planetary Radio surfaces during What’s Up.There’s more to discover, including a link to Planetfest ’21, at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0127-2021-avi-loeb-extraterrestrialSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2020 Mars Rover will reach the Red Planet on February 18th after many months in the relative quiet of space. It will then undergo a true trial by fire as it descends to the surface. Jet Propulsion Lab systems engineer and his colleagues hope it will arrive as successfully as its sister Curiosity did in 2012. He tells host Mat Kaplan what to expect. Planetary Radio listeners prove once again that they are awesome as they go to amazing and unnecessary lengths (oops!) to answer the space trivia quiz. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0120-2021-gregory-villar-perseverance-edlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is not your normal episode of the Space Policy Edition, but these are not normal times. The centuries-old U.S. tradition of the peaceful transfer of power ended on 6 January 2021, as a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building during the certification of the electoral college vote, leaving 5 dead. Hours later, more than one hundred members of Congress voted to object to the certified electoral results of Arizona and Pennsylvania. Jared Zambrano-Stout, former congressional staffer and chief of staff of the National Space Council, joins the show to help process these events. We’ll return to our usual space policy content in February. Discover more here:  https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0115-2021-spe-jared-zambrano-stoutSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg has created The Moons Symphony. You’ll hear excerpts from each of its 7 movements. They are inspired by and evoke 7 of our solar system’s smaller, unique worlds. Joining Amanda are her advisors and friends, artist and International Space Station astronaut Nicole Stott and Cassini mission project scientist Linda Spilker. Bruce Betts arrives with a new space trivia question based on a visitor to one of these moons. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0113-2021-moons-symphony-falkenberg-spilker-stottSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is many times larger than any previous solar sail, and it will pave the way for even bigger spacecraft propelled by light. Solar Cruiser principal investigator Les Johnson tells us about his latest project and looks to humanity crossing the gulfs of interstellar space. Stellaris: People of the Stars is a collection of science fact and fiction co-edited by Les. Mat and Bruce offer a copy in the new What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0106-2021-les-johnson-solar-cruiserSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chief Scientist Bruce Betts, Editorial Director Jason Davis, Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Advisor Casey Dreier, and Communications Strategy and Canadian Space Policy Advisor Kate Howells join host Mat Kaplan for our annual look back at the closing year’s accomplishments in space exploration. They also predict 2021’s biggest events on the final frontier. A very cool prize awaits the winner of the new What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1230-2020-2020-review-betts-davis-dreier-howellsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Engineer and astronaut Stephanie Wilson was a toddler when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin visited the Moon. She may someday almost literally walk in their footsteps. Stephanie is one of 18 astronauts--9 women and 9 men--chosen for the Artemis Team. We also welcome back Cassini-Huygens project scientist Linda Spilker for another update on the discoveries still being made thanks to that flagship mission. Linda also looks ahead toward more missions in the outer solar system. Did you catch the great conjunction? Mat and Bruce did, and they’ll talk about it in What’s Up. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1223-2020-stephanie-wilson-artemis-linda-spilkerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Hecht is in charge of the MOXIE experiment on NASA’s Perseverance rover, arriving on Mars in February. The tiny device will test our ability to turn the Red Planet’s plentiful carbon dioxide into oxygen. Someday a scaled-up version may make the oxidizer that will get astronauts back to Earth. Mike also helps lead the groundbreaking Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration that captured the first image of a black hole. Want to win a Planetary Society baseball cap? Your opportunity arrives with What’s Up. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1216-2020-mike-hecht-moxieSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carl Sagan was first in the job. Now it has been handed to Caltech planetary scientist Bethany Ehlmann. We’ll talk with the Planetary Society’s new president about her Moon mission and more. Society CEO Bill Nye and president emeritus Jim Bell also join in. Then we welcome back China space program expert Andrew Jones for an update on the nation’s lunar sample return effort and a survey of many other missions and developments. The new Planetary Society baseball cap will go with a great new book about the Apollo program to the winner of a new space trivia contest. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1209-2020-ehlmann-transition-nye-bell-andrew-jonesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apollo was seen as a triumph of, not for, all mankind, argues Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony, author of the new book Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Apollo. She joins the show to talk about how this was not an accident, but the outcome of a carefully managed public relations campaign by the United States to promote its interests abroad. Discover more here.  https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1202-2020-spe-teasel-muir-harmonySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 900-ton instrument platform suspended high above the giant Arecibo dish crashed downward in the early morning hours of December 1st. Host Mat Kaplan had recorded a conversation with the leader of the observatory just hours before the disaster. You’ll hear it here, along with a reflection on the magnificent radio telescope by Bill Nye, and further comments by Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts. We’ve also got space headlines and a brand-new prize for a brand-new space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1202-2020-francisco-cordova-loss-arecibo-observatorySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We celebrate 18 years of Planetary Radio with two great features and 10 personal questions for host Mat Kaplan from Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts. Astronomer Jane Greaves is back with an update on the phosphine gas detected above Venus. Then we find water right out under the Sun on our own Moon. Research leader Casey Honnibal tells us how her team found it using the SOFIA telescope on a 747. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1125-2020-greaves-phosphine-honnibal-lunar-waterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey Plaut and Richard Zurek are the project scientists for two of the most successful and long-lived Mars missions. Their orbiters, Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, are still delivering great science, even after 19 years above the Red Planet for Odyssey. We’ve also condensed the first 29 hours of the first operational Crew Dragon mission into 98 thrilling seconds. You’ll get a chance to win The Spacefarer’s Handbook in this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1118-2020-crew-dragon-odyssey-mroSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States' 2020 elections are over. What do the results mean for NASA in the years ahead? To help answer that question, we welcome back Brendan Curry, The Planetary Society's Chief of D.C. Operations. Join us as we review the changes in Congress and the White House that will impact the direction of the U.S. space program. Explore more here.  https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1002-2020-spe-brendan-curry-election-reviewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a jam-packed episode, we’ll talk to a discoverer of a distant, lonely planet that wanders the galaxy, and then turn to plans to send a radically-simple sample collection system to the Moon and Mars’ moon Phobos. Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye will add his congratulations for the PlanetVac team. We’ve also got a signed copy of Bill’s latest book for the winner of the new What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1111-2020-poleski-rogue-planet-zacny-planetvacSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At least two ambitious, smart asteroid mining companies have gone bust. Joel Sercel makes the case that his new effort comes at a much better time, and with a better approach. He’ll also share his audacious plan for mining water on the Moon, along with his concerns regarding humanity’s spread across the solar system. Can we avoid the mistakes made in past eras of exploration and expansion? You’ve got one more chance to win your own asteroid—a small, rubber one—in this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1104-2020-joel-sercelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are joined by the leader of the OSIRIS-REx mission that sampled an asteroid last week. Dante reveals just how brilliantly successful the encounter was, and describes preparations for the journey back to Earth. Space journalist Nancy Atkinson tells us about Orbilander, a mission that would orbit and then descend to Saturn’s moon Enceladus in a search for life. Space headlines from The Downlink and our weekly visit with Chief Scientist Bruce Betts round out this week’s show. Explore more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1028-2020-dante-lauretta-osiris-rexSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OSIRIS-REx has done it! We have special coverage of the spacecraft’s successful collection of a sample from asteroid Bennu. Then we talk with Jane Greaves, leader of the team that found evidence of phosphine gas in the atmosphere of Venus. Has this put us on the road to discovery of life above that hellish world? Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan offer a copy of Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight in the new space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1021-2020-jane-greaves-venus-phosphineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight is the new and outstanding collection of poems edited by Julie Swarstad Johnson and Christopher Cokinos. They’ll join us to hear poems in the collection read by Bill Nye, Robert Picardo, Sasha Sagan, astronauts, scientists and others. Bruce Betts looks away from the night sky long enough to pen his own poetic contribution. We’ve also got space headlines from The Downlink, and a new space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1014-2020-poetry-johnson-cokinosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protecting worlds like Earth and Mars from microscopic invaders carried by human and robot visitors was just one of the scores of topics covered at this year’s Humans to Mars summit. Mat Kaplan moderated a panel featuring planetary scientist and New Horizons mission principal investigator Alan Stern, NASA associate administrator Mike Gold, and NASA planetary protection officer Lisa Pratt. Planetary Society digital editor Jason Davis shares the fascinating 40-year timeline that can be found in the Society’s September equinox edition of The Planetary Report, and Mars shines bright in our What’s Up segment. Great links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1007-2020-h2m-planetary-protection-panelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A month before the U.S. election Joe Biden's campaign has yet to state its goals for space and NASA. We asked Jeff Foust, one of the best space reporters in the business, to help us piece together a working model of a potential Biden Administration space policy. We comb through the available evidence, combining insights from Biden's history in the Senate, his 8 years as vice president, and current activities in the Democratic House of Representatives and party platform to create a prediction of what might be the same, and what might differ from the Trump Administration's approach to NASA. Explore more here.  https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1002-2020-spe-jeff-foustSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AURA, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, is the organization that oversees operation of many of our world’s most powerful telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope.  Veteran astronomer and planetary scientist Heidi Hammel is its Vice President for Science. Listen to her passionate argument for exploration by ground and space-based instruments and what they may tell us about ourselves. Only one cat has gone to space! You might win a tribute to that feline in the new What’s Up space trivia contest. Links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0930-2020-heidi-hammel-auraSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily Lakdawalla was on the very first episode of Planetary Radio, and has been heard on hundreds since then. The planetary evangelist returns for a conversation like no other. Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye shares his thoughts after we hear from Emily. Got Mars? Bruce Betts tells us it’s brighter than Jupiter in the evening sky. He’ll tell you where to look during What’s Up. Much more of Emily can be heard at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0923-2020-emily-lakdawalla-farewell-nyeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An international team has detected phosphine gas in the clouds above Venus. Naturally-produced phosphine on Earth is created by anaerobic bacteria. We’ll listen to portions of the media briefing at which this result was announced. Then we’ll get perspective on the find from the Planetary Society’s Casey Dreier. Astrophysicist and Venus atmosphere expert Javier Peralta will share his reaction and a big find of his own on our nearest planetary neighbor. Links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0916-2020-venus-phosphine-discovery-casey-dreierSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How spacefaring nations prioritize funding can be just as important, if not more so, than the capabilities of the commercial sector, says Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar, President and CEO of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration. She joins the show to talk how these complement each other, and why the SLS and Orion programs deserve support along with work by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Mat and Casey also catch up on the dizzying amount of space news in July, including important progress on NASA’s budget from the U.S. House of Representatives. Explore more here.  https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0911-2020-spe-scott-paceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

JPL’s Marc Rayman, former Dawn mission director, reveals the secrets of those bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres. First though we celebrate Bill Nye’s 10th anniversary as CEO of The Planetary Society. Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Vaughn is followed by the Science Guy himself. And there’s a Nye invention at the heart of this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. Links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0909-2020-marc-rayman-ceres-bill-nye-jennifer-vaughn-10th-anniversarySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgetown University planetary scientist Sarah Stewart Johnson has written a beautiful book that chronicles our long quest for life on the Red Planet. That search may finally be reaching a climax with the new Perseverance rover and the beginnings of sample return. A copy of The Sirens of Mars will go to the winner of yet another What’s Up space trivia contest. In a nice coincidence, Bruce Betts will tell us where to find a brilliantly bright Mars in the night sky. Links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0902-2020-sarah-stewart-johnson-sirens-of-marsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Known as Astrokatie to her 370 thousand Twitter followers, astrophysicist and cosmologist Katie Mack has written a funny, fantastic guide to the end of the universe. The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) explores five major scenarios for the big finish of the cosmos that scientists currently consider to be possible. We’ll award a copy of Katie’s book to the winner of this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. Links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0826-2020-katie-mack-end-of-everythingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newly-published research led by Stephen Kane finds room for as many as 6 habitable zone planets around some stars. Why then is Earth on its own? The UC Riverside planetary scientist and astrobiologist will explain. Host Mat Kaplan is not prepared in the least for the latest space trivia contest question posed by Planetary Society chief scientist Bruce Betts. Do you read The Downlink? The Planetary Society’s great newsletter includes space headlines we review. Links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0819-2020-stephen-kane-habitable-zone-worldsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First there was ChemCam on Mars rover Curiosity. Now, SuperCam is on its way to the Red Planet aboard Perseverance. We’ll talk with principal investigator Roger Wiens about the new and improved, laser-firing instrument that delivers rock spectra and other science from a distance. SuperCam’s microphone will finally let us listen to the Martian wind and more. Mastcam-Z is right next to SuperCam on the Perseverance mast. You’ve turned it into great acronyms that we’ll share in What’s Up. Links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0812-2020-roger-wiens-supercam-mars-microphoneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How spacefaring nations prioritize funding can be just as important, if not more so, than the capabilities of the commercial sector, says Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar, President and CEO of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration. She joins the show to talk how these complement each other, and why the SLS and Orion programs deserve support along with work by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Mat and Casey also catch up on the dizzying amount of space news in July, including important progress on NASA’s budget from the U.S. House of Representatives. Learn more here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astronaut and former SpaceX director of space operations Garrett Reisman returns to help us celebrate and appreciate the just-completed first crewed mission by a Crew Dragon capsule. Then we settle in with Planetary Society Emeritus Executive Director Lou Friedman for great stories from his new memoir, Planetary Adventures: From Moscow to Mars. Chase Chief Scientist Bruce Betts down the rotating black hole and get ready for the Perseid meteor shower in this week’s What’s Up. Great links and more are at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0805-2020-reisman-crew-dragon-friedman-planetary-adventuresSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An exclusive conversation with science lead Sarah Al Amiri and project director Omran Sharaf of the Emirates Mars Mission. Their Hope orbiter is now on its way to the red planet. NASA Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen has praise for the Emirates mission and looks forward to the beginning of the Perseverance rover’s own journey. Are you as good as NASA at creating acronyms? Take your best shot in the new What’s Up contest, as Bruce Betts waves farewell to comet NEOWISE. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0729-2020-amiri-sharaf-emm-hopeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United Arab Emirates Hope spacecraft has begun its journey to Mars. We’ll join a virtual launch party attended by mission leaders, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, National Air and Space Museum director Ellen Stofan and others. Comet NEOWISE is still putting on a show! Learn more about it from NEOWISE principal investigator Amy Mainzer, NASA planetary defense officer Lindley Johnson and JPL scientist Emily Kramer. Our own Casey Dreier provides an overview of three far-sighted white papers submitted as part of the new planetary science decadal survey. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0722-2020-hope-mission-comet-neowise-white-papers.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perseverance, NASA’s 2020 rover, leaves for the Red Planet in just days. Deputy project scientist Ken Williford tells us how it will look for signs of past life where there was once a Martian lake. He’ll also take us through his Jet Propulsion Lab facility where scientists are learning how to recognize the evidence of long ago biology here on Earth. Comet NEOWISE is still lighting up the northern hemisphere sky. Bruce Betts knows where to find it. We’ve also got great new prizes for the space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0715-2020-ken-williford-perseverance.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been 5 years since the New Horizons probe revealed beautiful, surprising Pluto, and 18 months since it showed us the odd little body now known as Arrokoth. Principal Investigator Alan Stern shares the latest science, and tells us what the spacecraft is up to now as it races toward the edge of our solar system. Have you seen the new comet? Bruce Betts tells you where and how to look in this week’s What’s Up. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0708-2020-alan-stern-new-horizons.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Bhavya Lal joins the show to discuss the size of the space economy, where it's going, and how the term itself can mean many different things to many different people. In a world filled with breathless claims about trillion-dollar economies, we dive down into the fundamental assumptions about space commerce, its potential for growth, and the pitfalls of motivated thinking in the hyper-optimistic space community. Learn more about this month’s topics through links on the show page.  https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/space-policy-edition-51.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mastcam-Z is the main camera system that will soon leave for Mars as part of the Perseverance rover. Mastcam-Z Principal Investigator Jim Bell is back to tell us about what the most powerful set of eyes to reach the surface of the Red Planet may show us. Planetary Society Solar System Specialist Emily Lakdawalla explores four sample return missions headed out across our solar system. The Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient Greek computing device, anchors this week’s What’s Up segment with Bruce Betts. And someone will win one of Jim Bell’s books in the new space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0701-2020-jim-bell-mastcam-z.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Low Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, even Neptune and the edge of the solar system--China’s ambitious plans for space exploration and development are laid out by Planetary Society contributing editor and Chinese space program expert Andrew Jones. Jason Davis provides a brief overview of what’s in the June Solstice edition of The Planetary Report, now available for free. And it’s time to give away ice cream on What’s Up! Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0624-2020-andrew-jones-china-space-program.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The LightSail 2 team and 50,000 supporters around the world will celebrate the little spacecraft’s first anniversary on orbit in a few days. Planetary Society Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Vaughn remembers the long road to this accomplishment. LightSail Program Manager Bruce Betts and LightSail Project Manager Dave Spencer tell us what we’ve learned over the last year and look to the future of solar sailing. Dave also reveals his exciting new job at the Jet Propulsion Lab. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0617-2020-light-sail-2-betts-spencer-vaughn.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keeping humans alive and well in space is hard enough. How will this be accomplished on a 3-year journey to Mars and back? Paragon President and CEO Grant Anderson shares the great progress we’ve made and the remaining challenges. Astronauts headed for the Red Planet may not need ice cream to stay alive, but will life be worth living without it? You may win a pint of Ben & Jerry’s moooony new flavor and a Netflix Space Force spoon to eat it with in this week’s space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0610-2020-grant-anderson-life-support.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon safely carried 2 astronauts to the ISS, nearly a decade after NASA made a huge bet on commercial partnerships to solve a problem of access to the space station. Casey and Mat explore how NASA gained the political will to fundamentally re-imagine its relationship with the private sector. Will it spur a new market for sending humans into space? Chief of D.C. Operations Brendan Curry offers an update on Congress and the outlook for NASA's major programs in a period of unrest and uncertainty. Learn more about this month’s topics through links at  https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/space-policy-edition-50.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode opens with a special message about The Planetary Society’s response to recent news, followed by a period of silence that marks the unjust loss of George Floyd and other black men and women. In our regular coverage, we celebrate the successful launch and arrival of the Crew Dragon spacecraft at the International Space Station. Then it’s off to Mars with planetary scientist Edgard Rivera-Valentin. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0603-2020-edgard-rivera-valentin-mars-brines-crew-dragon.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former astronaut and NASA Associate Administrator John Grunsfeld is often called the Hubble Repairman. He made three space shuttle trips to the space telescope to repair and upgrade it. Now he looks back over three decades of science, beautiful images, and inspiration delivered by the HST. Rubber asteroids are back, and you might win one in the new What’s Up space trivia contest. Great links, including to Mat Kaplan’s live interview with John Grunsfeld, are at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0527-2020-john-grunsfeld-hubble-30th.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Engineer and former astronaut Garrett Reisman spent four months on the International Space Station before moving to SpaceX. Ten years of work at the company are about to climax when a Crew Dragon capsule carries astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the ISS. Garrett shares his excitement and inside knowledge about the mission and the groundbreaking spacecraft. We’ve also got headlines from The Downlink, and a night sky update as part of this week’s What’s Up. Great links, including the Crew Dragon ISS manual approach simulation app, are at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0513-2020-garrett-reisman-crew-dragon.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jet Propulsion Lab astrobiologist Kevin Hand has just written Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space. Kevin and Mat explore these seas and whether they may have nurtured organisms with no connection to life on Earth. You may win a copy of Kevin’s excellent book in this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest with Bruce Betts. Take an even deeper dive at  https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0513-2020-kevin-hand-alien-oceans.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.