Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science Igniting Discovery: A showcase of NASA-funded research
May 13, 2026
A showcase of NASA-funded research on Capitol Hill, from Dragonfly VR and Titan flight physics to lunar geology and Psyche's metal-world mysteries. Labs demonstrate icy-world experiments and 3D-printed medical tools for long missions. Outreach efforts include portable planetariums linking ocean vents to icy moon astrobiology. Lawmakers, advocates, and scientists highlight mission relevance and advocacy impact.
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First-Time Advocate Carries Family Legacy To Capitol
- Juliana Charlene Kolchinsky attended as a first-time advocate inspired by her naval engineer grandfather and carried a copy of the Constitution.
- Her photo with Bill Nye holding Constitutions went viral and amplified their message on social media.
Showcase Links Big Missions To Local Research And Workforce
- The showcase connected NASA missions like Artemis II and future goals to distributed academic and industry partners.
- Megan McKeown noted exhibitor projects span all five NASA Science Mission Directorate divisions and train the next STEM workforce.
Full-Scale Dragonfly VR Lets You Walk Inside The Spacecraft
- Blake Schurz demonstrated a one-to-one VR model of the Dragonfly octocopter built from actual CAD files at JHU-APL.
- Visitors could enter the model to inspect batteries, wiring, instruments and see how Dragonfly will operate on Titan.
