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
Saving Science Education With Pamela Gay AND Creating the Blackest Black
06/10/2013 | 35:12
Guests
- David Carnahan, President and Co-Founder, NanoLab
- Pamela Gay, Astronomer, Astronomy Cast Co-host and CosmoQuest Principal, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
A Planetary Radio double header includes a visit with CosmoQuest’s Pamela Gay. She and colleagues are working to replace vital federal funds for science education and citizen science programs. We also go to the dark side with David Carnahan of NanoLab, developer of carbon nanotubes that may help us discover Earth-like planets.
Tasting the Air of Distant Worlds
06/03/2013 | 31:50
Guests
- Ben R. Oppenheimer, Associate Curator/Astrophysics Department Chair, American Museum of Natural History, Division of Physical Sciences
There will soon be one thousand confirmed exoplanets, but how do we learn more about such distant worlds? We talk to the leader of a team that has recently developed technology capable of revealing the spectra of these planets, which allows us to tease apart their composition. Emily Lakdawalla invites you to find the next “face” on Mars, while Bill Nye says another asteroid flyby is good news. Our special What’s Up space trivia contest prize will put your picture in orbit!
Live at the Space Tech Expo with Bill Nye, Xcor and Zero-G
05/27/2013 | 34:38
Guests
- Andrew Nelson, COO and Vice President of Business Development, Xcor Aerospace
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
- Michelle Peters, Director of Research and Education, Zero Gravity Corporation
PlanRad Live takes to the road again, this time visiting the Space Tech Expo in Long Beach, California for a conversation with enthusiastic team members at Xcor Aerospace, where they are building the Lynx spaceplane, and the Zero Gravity Corporation, whose “G-Force One” plane has allowed thousands of men and women to experience weightlessness. Bill Nye joined the fun on stage, and Bruce Betts arrived with t-shirts for the winners of the live What’s Up space trivia contest.
Advocating for Planetary Science/Star Trek Meets Spacefarers
05/20/2013 | 30:45
Guests
- Casey Dreier, Advocacy and Outreach Strategist, The Planetary Society
The director and cast of Star Trek: Into Darkness meet up with real space travelers. Also: Planetary science funding from NASA is in trouble, so a delegation led by Bill Nye the Science Guy descended on Washington DC last week to sound the alarm. Planetary Society Advocacy chief Casey Dreier provides a report, and comments on the Society’s support for NASA’s Asteroid Retrieval Mission.
Sun Rings: Music of the Spheres From the Kronos Quartet
05/13/2013 | 28:50
Guests
- Kronos Quartet, Kronos Quartet
The internationally renown string quartet talk about creating and performing Terry Riley's Sun Rings, that incorporates Don Gurnett's space sounds.
Saving Earth: Asteroid Emergency Tabletop Exercise at the 2013 PDC
05/06/2013 | 41:37
Guests
- Bill Ailor, Director of the Aerospace Corporation's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies
- Lindley Johnson, NASA
- Debbie Lewis, Director, Axiom
- Edward Lu, Chairman and CEO, B612 Foundation
- Cathy Plesko, Applied Physics Research Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Rusty Schweickart, B612 Foundation Chairman and Apollo 9 Astronaut
- Don Yeomans, Manager of NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office
The last installment of our Planetary Defense Conference coverage makes a deep impact as hundreds of attendees participate in an asteroid mitigation exercise. You’ll hear from astronauts Ed Lu and Rusty Schweikart, Near Earth Object expert Don Yeomans, Cathy Plesko of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and many more.
Kindred Spirits: Alison Gibbings and Carolyn Shoemaker at the Planetary Defense Conference
04/29/2013 | 28:50
Guests
- Alison Gibbings, Laser Bees Researcher, University of Glasgow
- Carolyn Shoemaker, Astronomer
Our special coverage of the PDC continues with two planetary scientists separated by almost 60 years in age, but with similar dedication and enthusiasm for saving the planet.
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.
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