Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Was the Space Shuttle a successful program? In many ways, yes: it endured for 30 years, launched hundreds of astronauts into space, and built the International Space Station. But, according to the goals of lower costs, rapid reusability, and reliability NASA stated at its conception, the Space Shuttle program was a failure. In this new recurring feature on SPE, Jack and Casey read through a classic paper in space policy and discuss its arguments, its conclusions, and whether the paper stands up to this day. Read along with us and suggest future episodes in our Planetary Society online member community. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/space-shuttle-policy-failure See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Nov. 1, 2023, NASA's Lucy spacecraft, which is on a mission to investigate Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, made its first flyby of asteroid Dinkinesh. Hal Levison and Simone Marchi, the mission's principal and deputy principal investigators, join Planetary Radio to discuss the asteroid rendezvous and the surprising discovery of Dinkinesh's moon. Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, as he digests the discovery. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-lucys-first-asteroid-flyby See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deep Sky, a newly released IMAX documentary, tells the emotional and hopeful story of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Nathaniel Kahn, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker and the director of Deep Sky, joins Planetary Radio this week to discuss the film's decade-long creation process and the magic of JWST images on the big screen. Then Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, joins for What's Up and a new random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-deep-sky See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Smith, an Education Specialist from NASA's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (or STEM) Program, joins Planetary Radio to share some of the unique opportunities available for students in the lead-up to humanity's return to the Moon. Then Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, pops in for What's Up and a new random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-nasa-stem See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can we build permanent human settlements in space? It might be more complex than you think. Kelly and Zach Weinersmith join Planetary Radio this week to discuss their new book, "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" Then Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, and host Sarah Al-Ahmed chat about some of the most significant challenges humanity might face as we build habitats beyond Earth. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-a-city-on-mars See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission was supposed to be lean, fast, and focused — no extra science instruments, no dedicated communications systems, and launching in 2026. But the effort has foundered under its own complexity and mismanagement. MSR’s total cost is likely to double to $10 billion or more and not launch until 2030 at the earliest. This month’s guest, Orlando Figueroa, chaired an independent review board which recently evaluated this project and identified management failures, unexpected design complexities, and external events such as the war in Ukraine as contributing to MSR’s difficulties. We review the board’s conclusions and recommendations for how NASA can fix MSR’s problems and ensure a successful return of the samples already selected by the Perseverance rover. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-what-went-wrong-with-msr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 13, 2023, NASA's Psyche mission's principal investigator, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, watched her team's spacecraft blast off on its voyage to explore a metallic asteroid. She joins Planetary Radio this week for an emotional retelling of that day. Then Jesse Tomlinson and Stephen Watkins from the Eclipse Company tell us about their partnership with The Planetary Society and the launch of their new eclipse map for the upcoming 2024 total solar eclipse in North America. Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, as we muse about the space moments that spark wonder. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-psyche-and-eclipse-company See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA's Psyche mission launched on Oct. 13, 2023 on a journey to explore its namesake, the metallic asteroid Psyche. Simone Marchi, co-investigator for the Psyche mission, joins Planetary Radio to share the creative ways their mission team is working to understand cratering on metallic worlds, including everything from computer modeling to blasting metallic meteorites with projectiles. The Planetary Society's Public Education Specialist Kate Howells will discuss the Japanese Space Agency's newest moon mission, SLIM. Then, Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, will share his experiences with crater modeling and a fresh random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-craters-on-psyche See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Data from the now-retired NASA InSight mission suggests that Mars' rotation is speeding up. The InSight RISE instrument's principal investigator, Sebastien Le Maistre, from the Royal Observatory of Belgium, joins Planetary Radio to get into the details. The Planetary Society's Digital Community Manager, Ambre Trujillo, shares her experience observing the October 14 annular solar eclipse and her adventure to the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule opening at Johnson Space Center. Then, our Director of Government Relations, Jack Kiraly, shares the triumphs of The Planetary Society's in-person Day of Action. Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, as he shares an asteroid mission-themed random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-insight-mars-rotation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 24th, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft triumphantly delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu to Earth. Rae Paoletta, the Director of Content and Engagement at The Planetary Society, joins Planetary Radio to recount her firsthand experience of the sample's return in Utah. She introduces us to Mike Puzio, the young man who named asteroid Bennu, and his father, Larry Puzio. Then Danny Glavin, the co-investigator for OSIRIS-REx, shares the next steps for the asteroid samples and the spacecraft. Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, as we digest this huge moment in space history. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-osiris-rex-sample-return See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed for part two of her trip to the 2023 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium in Houston, Texas. You'll hear from Mike LaPointe and John Nelson, the NIAC Program Executive and Deputy Program Executive along with Theresa Benyo (NASA Glenn Research Center), Lynn Rothschild (NASA Ames Research Center), and Javid Bayandor (State University of New York). Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, to learn more about his favorite science conferences. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-niac-part-2 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed on a trip to the 2023 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium in Houston, Texas. In this jam-packed two-part series, you'll hear Sarah's interviews with the inspiring NIAC fellows who are thinking up the technologies that could change the future of space exploration. In this episode, you’ll hear from Congrui Grace Jin (University of Nebraska, Lincoln), Quinn Morley (Planet Enterprises), Ronald Polidan (Lunar Resources, Inc.), and Edward Balaban (NASA Ames Research Center). Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, for a discussion about the advances in space exploration during our lifetimes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Louis Friedman, one of the three co-founders of The Planetary Society, joins Planetary Radio to discuss his new book, "Alone but Not Lonely: Exploring for Extraterrestrial Life." The book takes us on a realistic but hopeful reflection on the search for life, from habitable worlds to the technologies that might allow us to explore exoplanets without leaving our stellar backyard. Then stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, as we get his hot take on life in the universe. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-alone-but-not-lonely See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Planetary Radio, we're traveling back in time to uncover the luminous infancy of Jupiter and its impact on its enigmatic moon, Io. Carver Bierson, a postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State University, tells the tale of how Jupiter's radiant beginnings might have turned Io from a water-rich moon into a world with lakes of lava. You'll also hear from two legendary figures of space exploration, Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd and Voyager project scientist Linda Spilker, as they delve into the endeavor to reestablish contact with the iconic Voyager 2 spacecraft with our senior communications advisor, Mat Kaplan. And don't miss "What's Up" with our chief scientist, Bruce Betts, as he answers a question from our Planetary Society member community. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-lost-oceans-and-found-signals See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lujendra Ojha, assistant professor at Rutgers University, joins Planetary Radio to discuss how subsurface liquid water on exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars could increase the likelihood of finding habitable worlds beyond our Solar System. Then we check in with Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, for What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-subsurface-oceans See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A next-generation asteroid discovery algorithm, HelioLinc3D, has successfully identified its first potentially hazardous asteroid. Mario Jurić and Ari Heinze from the University of Washington join Planetary Radio to discuss the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory and how their team's new asteroid detection algorithm can help defend our world. The Planetary Society editorial director, Rae Paoletta, marks the successful landing of the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO's) Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Moon. Then Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, pops in for What's Up and a conversation about space dreams. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-algorithm-potentially-hazardous-asteroid See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jupiter's moon Europa is one of the most exciting locations in our Solar System in the search for life, but a crust of ice guards the secrets of its potential subsurface ocean. This week, Kevin Trinh from Arizona State University joins Planetary Radio to discuss his research into Europa's formation history and the consequences for the moon's habitability. The Planetary Society's senior editor, Jason Davis, looks forward to the upcoming total solar eclipse in 2024. Then Bruce Betts joins in for What's Up and a cometary random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-europa-slow-evolution See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A team of researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope (or JWST) has made the first detection of water vapor in the inner region of the protoplanetary disc that is already forming worlds. Giulia Perotti and Thomas Henning from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany join Planetary Radio to discuss their team's research on PDS 70 and what it can tell us about the formation of planets like Earth. The Planetary Society's most recent intern, Ariel Barreiro, reflects on her summer working with The Planetary Society, and Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, pops in for What's Up and a conversation about terminator zones. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-water-vapor-in-a-planet-forming-disk See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many missions are working to understand Mars' past habitability, but could there still be microbial life on the red planet today? This week on Planetary Radio, we discuss the proposed Mars Life Explorer mission with Amy Williams, assistant professor of geology at the University of Florida. Then Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, pops in for What's Up and a celebratory conversation about reestablishing contact with the beloved Voyager 2 spacecraft. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-mars-life-explorer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Pace, the prior executive secretary of the National Space Council, discusses why Artemis is of strategic value to U.S. national interests — and why the Moon is unique as a destination to drive global space exploration. Casey also discusses the latest congressional budgets news and what it means for NASA’s Mars Sample Return program. Note: the Space Policy Edition will go on hiatus for two months and return in November 2023. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/lunar-exploration-enduring-national-interest See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.