Program Archives

THE DEPTHS OF SPACE: A NEW BOOK ABOUT THE PIONEER PLANETARY PROBES
November 29, 2004
Guests: Mark Wolverton
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All were simple yet amazingly successful trailblazers, and two are carrying a controversial message to the stars. Author Mark Wolverton talks about his new book tracing the history of the Pioneer...  more »

EUROPE'S SMART-1 REACHES THE MOON!
November 22, 2004
Guests: Bernard Foing
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Pushed along by its ion engine, the European Space Agency's SMART-1 probe has just gone into lunar orbit. We talk with ESA Chief Scientist--and SMART-1 Project Scientist--Bernard Foing. Emily holds a...  more »

SOLAR SAIL READY FOR LIFTOFF
November 15, 2004
Guests: Louis Friedman, Ann Druyan, Buzz Aldrin
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After four years of planning, building and testing, Cosmos 1, the first solar sail spacecraft, is ready for Earth orbit. We cover the Nov. 9 press conference with Planetary Society Executive Director...  more »

ON THE EDGE OF SCIENCE: THE NASA INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED CONCEPTS
November 8, 2004
Guests: Robert Cassanova
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The NIAC is charged with identifying and encouraging concepts in space science and engineering that no other agency will touch. We talk with its Director, Robert Cassanova. Emily Lakdawalla...  more »

BLACK CATS AND OTHER MYSTERIES--CASSINI-HUYGENS AT SATURN'S MOON TITAN
November 1, 2004
Guests: Toby Owen
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Special coverage of the first Cassini-Huygens flyby of smog-shrouded Titan, including an interview with planetary scientist Toby Owen. Emily Lakdawalla sheds new light on the strange moon in this...  more »

GETTING READY FOR TITAN WITH CHRIS MCKAY
October 25, 2004
Guests: Chris McKay
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Famed planetary scientist Chris McKay returns to Planetary Radio, this time to talk about both a close encounter between Cassini and Saturn's moon Titan, and the January descent of the Huygens probe...  more »

A CONVERSATION WITH JET PROPULSION LAB DIRECTOR CHARLES ELACHI
October 18, 2004
Guests: Charles Elachi
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Charles Elachi has been part of many missions in his thirty years at JPL, but his greatest mission may have began three years ago when he became director. Hear him talk about the famous lab, the...  more »

A SPECIAL PLANETARY RADIO: SPACESHIPONE WINS THE X PRIZE!
October 11, 2004
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Join host Mat Kaplan in California's Mojave desert for a special documentary about the October 4th return of Burt Rutan's rocket plane to the edge of space. You'll hear exclusive material not...  more »

FORMER SOVIET SPACE PROGRAM DIRECTOR ROALD SAGDEEV ON THE SPUTNIK 1 ANNIVERSARY
October 4, 2004
Guests: Roald Sagdeev
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It was the mission that began the Space Age. Sputnik 1 shocked the world when it went into orbit on October 4, 1957. We talk with Dr. Roald Sagdeev, former Director of the Soviet Space Research...  more »

AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS WORK TO SAVE THE PLANET
September 27, 2004
Guests: Roy Tucker, Matt Dawson
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Shoemaker Near Earth Object (NEO) grants have been helping amateur astronomers and professionals at smaller observatories since 1997. We talk to two of the recipients about their efforts to find and...  more »