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.
Basics of Interplanetary Flight With Dave Doody
04/08/2013 | 28:50
Guests
- Dave Doody, Operations Lead, JPL Cassini Mission Support and Services Office
JPL’s Dave Doody doesn’t just fly around the solar system, he teaches others how it's done. We talk about what students learn in his non-technical class, the Basics of Interplanetary Flight.
03/11/2013 | 28:50
Guests
- Luther Beegle, Curiosity Sampling System Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
With the first use of its drill and delivery of samples to its internal instruments, Curiosity is now a fully-functioning science station on Mars. JPL Sampling System Scientist Luther Beegle provides an update.
Alan Stern's Golden Spike Sets Sights on the Moon
03/04/2013 | 28:50
Guests
- Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Alan Stern is back to tell us about Golden Spike, his new company that plans to put human clients on the surface of the moon by the end of this decade.
02/25/2013 | 37:45
Guests
- Andrew Siemion, Project Scientist, UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley SETI researcher Andrew Siemion and his colleagues have put an upper limit on the number of civilizations in our galaxy that are capable of giving us a call. He’ll explain their reasoning and provide other search updates.
Looking Back, Looking Forward: Beginning a New Year In Space
12/31/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Bruce Betts, Director of Projects, The Planetary Society
- Casey Dreier, Advocacy and Outreach Strategist, The Planetary Society
- Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist, The Planetary Society
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
Planetary Society experts review the challenges and triumphs of 2012 and look forward to a new and exciting year. You’ll hear Bill Nye the Science Guy, Emily Lakdawalla on new missions, Casey Dreier on “Saving our Science,” and Bruce Betts’ review of great projects, as well as a musical rendition of “Random Space Fact.”
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.
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!
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