Planetary Radio
Planetary Radio
Each week, Planetary Radio visits with a scientist, engineer, project manager, astronaut, advocate or writer who provides a unique and exciting perspective on the exploration of our solar system and beyond. We also showcase regular features that raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Host Mat Kaplan is joined by Planetary Society colleagues Bill Nye the Science Guy, Bruce Betts, and Emily Lakdawalla. We hit the road now and then to produce a Planetary Radio Live show in front of an audience. Drop us a line or enter the weekly space trivia contest at planetaryradio@planetary.org.
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Recent Shows
Live at the Planetary Defense Conference!
04/22/2013 | 28:50
Guests
- Brent Barbee, Flight Dynamics Engineer, Goddard space Flight Center
- Amy Mainzer, NEOWISE Principal Investigator, Jet Propulsion Lab
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
- Cathy Plesko, Applied Physics Research Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory
- David Trilling, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Northern Arizona University
Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan joined Bill Nye and four passionate planetary explorers on stage at the Planetary Defense Conference in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Yuri's Night 2013 Under Space Shuttle Endeavour
04/15/2013 | 30:30
Guests
- Bobak Ferdowsi, Curiosity Flight Director, NASA/JPL
- George Whitesides, President and CEO, Virgin Galactic
- Loretta Whitesides, Flight Director/Yuri's Night Founder, Zero Gravity Corporation/Yuri's Night
Planetary Radio Live was on stage at the World Space Party with guests George and Loretta Whitesides and Bobak "Mohawk Guy" Ferdowsi.
Listening Once Again to Amateur Astronomy Pioneer John Dobson
01/07/2013 | 28:50
Guests
- John Dobson, Astronomer and designer of telescopes, The Sidewalk Astronomers
A reprise of our very popular conversation with the delightful 97-year old John Dobson, inventor of the Dobsonian telescope that brings the universe within everyone’s reach.
PLANETARY RADIO LIVE: Special Curiosity Report Continues
12/24/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Richard Cook, Curiosity Project Manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- John Grotzinger, Curiosity Project Scientist, California Institute of Technology
- Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist, The Planetary Society
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
Our fascinating, live conversation with Curiosity Project Manager Richard Cook and Project Scientist John Grotzinger continues. Richard and John are joined on stage by Bill Nye the Science Guy, Emily Lakdawalla and Mat Kaplan.
PLANETARY RADIO LIVE: Celebrating Rover Curiosity
12/17/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- John Grotzinger, Curiosity Project Scientist, California Institute of Technology
- Richard Cook, Curiosity Project Manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist, The Planetary Society
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
The leaders of the Curiosity mission join Bill Nye, Emily Lakdawalla and host Mat Kaplan for a live conversation about the thrilling mission on Mars.
Celebrating Carl Sagan With Lou Friedman, Lynda Obst, Kip Thorne and More
11/12/2012 | 30:39
Guests
- Chas Beichman, Executive Director, NExScI
- Louis D. Friedman, Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of Directors, The Planetary Society
- Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist, The Planetary Society
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
- Lynda Obst, Film and television producer, Lynda Obst Productions
- Kip Thorne, Richard Feynman Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics, CalTech
- Melissa Rice, MSL Science Team Collaborator, Caltech
November 9 was Planetary Society founder Carl Sagan's birthday, so we gathered a few of his close friends and several young scientists he inspired in front of a live audience. They also helped us celebrate Planetary Radio's 10th anniversary!
Curiosity Finds a Martian Stream Bed and Endeavour Flies Home
10/01/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist, The Planetary Society
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
Emily Lakdawalla reports on Curiosity's discovery of an ancient stream bed, and Endeavour flies over the California plant where it was built.
09/24/2012 | 37:42
Guests
- Bruce Betts, Director of Projects, The Planetary Society
- Steve Chesley, Astrodynamicist, JPL
We're live at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, with JPL astrodynamicist Steve Chesley and Planetary Society Director of Projects Bruce Betts. Steve and Bruce reveal the exciting OSIRIS REx mission to an asteroid and then back to Earth with a precious soil sample. Enter the contest to name the asteroid! Bill Nye and Emily Lakdawalla check in, and one listener will win a Celestron FirstScope telescope.
Author David Brin Considers and Writes "Existence"
09/03/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- David Brin, Science Fiction Author
Award-winning science fiction author, physicist and futurist David Brin returns to talk about his monumental new novel, Existence. Emily Lakdawalla previews a very busy month of great planetary science, while Bill Nye invites listeners to learn about a campaign to restore funding for the exploration of our solar system. Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan give away another space pen in this week’s What’s Up look at the night sky, and a look back at this week in space history.
06/11/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Ray Bradbury, Author, poet, and visionary
- Chris McKay, Famed planetary scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
- David Brin, Science Fiction Author
- Kim Stanley Robinson, Science Fiction Author
We look back to the Planetary Society's 2003 birthday party for Ray Bradbury, with tributes from distinguished fans and eloquent words from the master himself.
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