Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

It’s more massive than all the other planets combined. In nearly four years at Jupiter the Juno spacecraft has returned science that is revolutionizing our understanding of this gigantic world. Principal investigator Scott Bolton shows us the mysterious cyclones at its poles and that famously persistent red spot. Casey Dreier says the United States House of Representatives has proposed legislation that is at odds with NASA’s current Moon and Mars plans. John Flamsteed almost discovered Uranus! Bruce Betts will tell us where he went wrong in this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more and enter the contest at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0115-2020-scott-bolton-juno.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a year of circling close to near-Earth asteroid Bennu, the OSIRIS REx spacecraft is almost ready to dip down and collect a surface sample for return to labs on our home planet. Principal Investigator Dante Lauretta prepares us for this exciting event and shares the great science already accomplished. Editorial Director Jason Davis stops by with a report on the successful test by SpaceX of its Crew Dragon escape system. Are we finally about to see astronauts using it to reach the International Space Station? Learn more and enter the weekly What’s Up space trivia contest at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0122-2020-dante-lauretta-osiris-rex.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Planetary scientist and bestselling author Jim Bell is joined by space entrepreneur Lon Levin to tell us about the MILO Institute, a new collaboration by Arizona State University, Lockheed Martin and other organizations that hopes to make robotic exploration of our solar system much more accessible. Solar System Specialist Emily Lakdawalla takes us to the newly-discovered habitable zone world that’s a mere 100 light years from Earth. What’s Up becomes the new home for space jokes! Learn more and enter the contest at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0115-2020-jim-bell-lon-levin-milo.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legislation signed by President Trump in December formally established the 6th branch of the U.S. armed services, the first such expansion in 72 years. What exactly will the new Space Force do? How big of a deal is this? What does this mean for the militarization of space? Dr. Brian Weeden from the Secure World Foundation joins the show to help us answer those questions. Learn more about this month’s topics through links on the episode page.  https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2019/space-policy-edition-45.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Put on your bunny suit! You’re invited to join Mat Kaplan and Emily Lakdawalla in the Jet Propulsion Lab clean room with the Mars 2020 rover. You’ll hear JPL Director Michael Watkins and some of the engineers who have built the robotic explorer that will collect samples for eventual return to Earth. The What’s Up space trivia contest asks you to look for rhymes among our solar system’s many moons. Learn more and enter the contest at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0108-2020-Mars-2020-rover-clean-room.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy new year in space! Editorial Director Jason Davis, Chief Advocate Casey Dreier and Solar System Specialist Emily Lakdawalla join Mat Kaplan for a review of 2019’s biggest news from the final frontier. Our experts then turn to the promise of 2020 for Mars exploration, humans in space and much more. The theme continues as Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts adds his highlights in a special What’s Up segment. Got a great joke that combines space and the new year? You might win this week’s contest! Learn more and enter the contest at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2020/0101-2020-looking-back-looking-forward.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Red Planet is slowly revealing its deepest secrets, but there’s much more to learn. The biggest mystery is whether it has ever been home to life. Caltech and JPL planetary scientist Bethany Ehlmann lays out the path ahead in a fascinating conversation. The holiday night sky is alive with stars, planets and even a meteor shower. Bruce Betts will tell all in What’s Up. Our last episode of the year opens with space exploration headlines from the Planetary Society’s news digest, The Downlink. Learn more and enter the space trivia contest at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2019/1225-2019-bethany-ehlmann-mars.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six amateur astronomers and small observatories around the world have just been named as the recipients of the 2019 Eugene Shoemaker Near Earth Object grants. You’ll meet an Italian who watches the skies in Sicily and a Minnesota high school teacher who remotely operates a telescope in Texas. Chief scientist Bruce Betts will tell us why the Society has proudly awarded this funding for 22 years. He’ll return for this week’s What’s Up. We’ve also got space exploration headlines from The Downlink. Learn more and enter the space trivia contest at https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2019/1218-2019-shoemaker-neo-winners.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 4 of The Expanse is about to begin on Amazon Prime. Host Mat Kaplan visits with the authors of the eight novels (so far) that are the basis of this outstanding hard science fiction series that begins with humankind having become a spacefaring species that spans the solar system. We’ve also got space headlines from The Downlink. Bruce Betts celebrates more recognition for the Planetary Society’s LightSail project in this week’s What’s Up. https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2019/1211-2019-the-expanse-authors.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the 2010s come to a close, Marcia Smith, the founder of Space Policy Online, rejoins the show to explore the most significant and impactful space policy decisions of the 2010s. Mat and Casey also discuss the recently-approved European Space Agency budget, and what it means for planetary defense and Mars sample return efforts. Learn more about this month’s topics through links on the episode page.  https://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2019/space-policy-edition-44.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.