Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

NASA’s science programs are facing the largest proposed budget cut in more than 40 years. This staggering 47%reduction could cancel missions, waste billions in U.S. taxpayer investments, and unravel decades of discovery. In this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Casey Dreier, The Planetary Society’s Chief of Space Policy, and Jack Kiraly, Director of Government Relations. Together, they break ...

For decades, scientists hypothesized that Mars’ reddish color came from hematite, an iron oxide thought to have formed through dry oxidation after Mars lost its water. But new research suggests the story is more complex—and more watery—than we once imagined.

In this episode, planetary scientist Adomas (Adam) Valantinas from Brown University joins host Sarah Al-Ahmed to discuss his team’s discovery that Mars&...

The space sector is data-rich but insight-poor. Jack Kuhr, head of research at Payload Space, joins the show to unpack how business, budgeting, and performance data—not spacecraft science—can shape investments, drive growth, and influence policy. Is there a data crisis in the space industry? What gets measured, what gets missed, and how does that shape the decisions we make about space? Kuhr shares his approach to surfa...

Join Sarah Al-Ahmed and Casey Dreier for a special live recording of Planetary Radio at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., immediately following The Planetary Society’s Day of Action. In this episode, we explore the complex geopolitical landscape NASA faces as it works toward returning humans to the Moon and exploring other worlds. With growing influence from commercial space companies, potenti...

The Apollo program put humans on the Moon, but behind that historic achievement were engineers whose stories have gone largely untold. In this episode, “LA Made: The Other Moonshot” host Joanne Higgins joins Planetary Radio to share the powerful history of Charlie Cheatham, Nate LeVert, and Shelby Jacobs, three Black engineers in Los Angeles who helped make Apollo possible while navigating racism and exclusion. We discu...

We take you inside the Mars Innovation Workshop, hosted at the SETI Institute’s headquarters and produced by Explore Mars. Planetary Society Senior Communications Advisor Mat Kaplan shares highlights from the event, exploring how cross-disciplinary collaboration is shaping the future of Mars exploration and creating solutions for challenges here on Earth.

Meanwhile, major changes are happening at NASA. In a move that has rais...

NASA's science missions have transformed our understanding of the Universe, from breathtaking images of deep space to robotic explorers on Mars. But now, a reported 50% cut to NASA's science budget threatens to shut down missions, halt discoveries, and devastate the future of space exploration. This week, Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly from The Planetary Society's space policy team break down the fight ahead, explain why these cuts w...

Philosopher Rebecca Lowe joins us to explore how the ideas of classical liberalism can provide fresh insight into humanity’s activities in space. Our conversation explores the philosophical tensions between individual freedom and societal good, the instrumental and intrinsic value of space activities, and the uniquely accessible nature of space science and exploration. From a novel approach to lunar property rights and the op...

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has returned pristine samples from asteroid Bennu to Earth, and the early results are remarkable. Sample analysts have confirmed the presence of abundant organic compounds, nitrogen-rich material, and evidence of past liquid water, all key ingredients that could help us understand the role asteroids played in delivering the building blocks of life to Earth. This week, we’re joined by Scott Sand...

Twenty years ago, NASA’s Genesis spacecraft returned to Earth carrying precious samples of the solar wind, only to crash-land in the Utah desert. But that wasn’t the end of the mission. Amy Jurewicz, Assistant Research Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University and former project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Genesis team, takes us inside the mission’s highs and lows, from its Apo...

From IV drips to rocket ships, Hayley Arceneaux has been on a journey. She joins Planetary Radio to discuss her memoir “Wild Ride” and her newly released kid's book “Astronaut Hayley's Brave Adventure,” which tell the story of how her experiences with childhood cancer at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital set the stage for her journey to space aboard SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission. Then, Planetary Society ...

The internet is buzzing about Asteroid 2024 YR4, currently ranked as the highest-threat asteroid in our skies. But is it really cause for concern? Our Public Education Specialist, Kate Howells, breaks down the facts. Then, we shift from potential impacts to stunning space imagery as Finn Burridge from the Royal Observatory Greenwich shares how astrophotographers worldwide can participate in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year co...

Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck joins the show to unpack his company’s bold, $4-billion fixed-price plan to bring Martian samples home, why he believes commercial partnerships can unlock new frontiers in planetary science, and his “soft spot” for interplanetary exploration. Then, Richard French — former JPL engineer and now VP of Business & Strategy at Rocket Lab — provides deeper insight into their prop...

How did Pluto meet its largest moon, Charon? Many have speculated that Charon formed in an impact, but traditional models of planetary formation have struggled to explain many of the quirks of this system. This week, Adeene Denton, a research scientist at the University of Arizona, shares her team's new paper that suggests a "kiss-and-capture" may solve this mystery. Then Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society's chief scientist, discus...

This week on Planetary Radio, we celebrate the enduring legacy of Ed Stone, the longtime project scientist for NASA’s Voyager mission and former director of JPL. Mat Kaplan, senior communications advisor at The Planetary Society, takes us to the unveiling of the Dr. Edward Stone Voyager Exploration Trail at JPL, where we hear from past and present JPL leaders, Voyager mission team members, and Ed Stone’s family. Plus, w...

This week, we discuss how to examine the science behind our favorite TV shows and movies with the co-hosts of the "Does It Fly?" podcast, Hakeem Oluseyi and Tamara Krinsky. Produced by Roddenberry Entertainment, "Does It Fly?" takes an expert approach to breaking down the science of popular media, from lightsabers to Dune's stillsuits. Hakeem brings his astrophysics expertise, while Tamara provides her media industry insights as th...

This week we revisit one of the most remarkable exoplanet discoveries of 2024 with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST detected signs of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of K2-18 b. Knicole Colón, the deputy project scientist for exoplanet science for JWST, explains how this discovery could reshape our search for life beyond Earth and teach us more about the enigmatic class of exo...

This week, we celebrate a remarkable milestone as Emily Calandrelli, also known as “the Space Gal,” becomes the 100th woman to venture into space. Emily shares her experiences on the Blue Origin voyage, what she took to space, and how motherhood influenced her reaction to seeing Earth from space. Then Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins for What's Up and a list of fun things to do in zero-g.

How does change happen within NASA, and what prevents it? Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joins the show to discuss the opportunities and pitfalls faced by incoming presidential administrations and how NASA has—and hasn’t—changed over the decades. Will Artemis be reimagined? Will public-private partnerships introduce more risk than reward? And is change even the right default attitude to...