Show overview
Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition has been publishing since 2016, and across the 10 years since has built a catalogue of 121 episodes. That works out to roughly 140 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 1h 1m and 1h 18m — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Science show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 weeks ago, with 5 episodes already out so far this year. Published by The Planetary Society.
From the publisher
The politics, policy, and history behind space exploration.
Latest Episodes
View all 121 episodesWhy humans matter — The philosophy of Artemis II
Return to Launch — Cape Canaveral's unlikely history
Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Stephen C. Smith, author of Return to Launch and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex communicator, to explore how a remote Florida peninsula became the heart of U.S. spaceflight.
Is there really a space race between the US and China?
Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, speaks with former NASA strategic advisor on China, Patrick Besha, about China’s long-term space strategy and what real competition in space may look like in the decades ahead.
What a NASA Authorization bill actually does
Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier and Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly break down what NASA authorization bills actually do and why these laws matter for long-term U.S. space policy, from science missions to human spaceflight and planetary defense.
Change for the Sake of Disruption at NASA
After DOGE cuts, mass staff departures, and a blink-and-you-missed-it pivot to Mars, how much did NASA actually change in 2025? Space Policy Online founder Marcia Smith returns to assess a turbulent year.
The Moral Case for Space Science
Why do we explore space? In this Space Policy Edition rerun, Casey Dreier speaks with philosopher Dr. J. S. Johnson-Schwartz about why space science is a moral obligation, beyond economics or prestige.
Should a (potential) biosignature revive Mars Sample Return?
In 1996, a controversial claim of fossilized life in a Martian meteorite ignited a golden age of Mars exploration. Nearly 30 years later, a potential biosignature detected by the Perseverance rover at Jezero Crater has sparked… no major policy changes. Why? Lou Friedman joins the show to present his view.
China’s growing space science ambitions
If the United States is indeed in a space race with China, why are we abandoning space science programs across the Solar System? This question, posed by guest Maxwell Zhu in a recent op-ed co-authored by The Planetary Society’s chief of space policy, reveals the current myopia around human spaceflight and the missing focus on a growing and ambitious new entrant into space science in the 21st century.
Does the rise of Elon mean the fall of NASA?
Atlantic writer Franklin Foer joins the show to discuss how NASA enabled the rise of Elon Musk, and, in doing so, sowed the seeds of its own decline.
Is this the moment for in-space nuclear power?
Dr. Bhavya Lal argues that the 2020s are a decisive decade for in-space nuclear power. Without nuclear, humans may never be more than visitors on Mars or the Moon.
Are Democrats falling behind on space policy?
Our guest, Mary Guenther, argues that the Democratic Party is ceding leadership in space policy, and how linking space to jobs, supply chains, and climate could help refocus the party’s relationship with the Cosmos.
NASA’s 2026 budget
Alicia Brown from the Commercial Space Federation and Brittany Webster from the American Geophysical Union join the show to discuss NASA’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.
What does NASA need with an economist?
Former NASA chief economist Akhil Rao explains why NASA needs economic expertise to navigate the complex — and often misunderstood — market forces that will determine the success or failure of its private partnerships.
How NASA remembers—and forgets
No one person knows how to build a spaceship. What happens to NASA’s collective knowledge when thousands of employees lose their jobs?
Lies, damned lies, and space data
The space sector is data-rich but insight-poor. Jack Kuhr of Payload talks about how he turns raw numbers into real narratives.
Locke, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (in space)
Can classical liberalism provide fresh insights to guide humanity’s activities in space? Philosopher Rebecca Lowe explains how it can.
Mars Sample Return, but at what (fixed) price?
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck outlines a $4B fixed-price plan for Mars Sample Return — and reveals new Venus mission details — before VP Richard French explains how a single, integrated team cuts costs and ensures success.
The Challenges of Change at NASA
Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joins the show to discuss the motivations and risks of pursuing change at NASA - and how much change can ultimately happen with Congress holding the purse strings.
The Myth of Presidential Leadership
We revisit a classic book on the limits of presidential power in setting the nation’s space agenda and explore how the increasingly powerful executive branch might be rewriting those expectations.
NASA at a Crossroads
Norm Augustine, the distinguished aerospace industry veteran behind numerous influential studies, joins the show to discuss NASA at a Crossroads, the new report that raises alarm bells for NASA’s workforce, infrastructure, and technology capabilities.