Planetary Radio Episodes

Since 2002, Planetary Radio has visited with a scientist, engineer, project manager, advocate, or writer who provides a unique perspective on the quest for knowledge about our Solar System and beyond. The full show archive is available for free.

Discovering life elsewhere: How can we be sure?

NASA’s Jim Green and Mary Voytek want the science community to develop tools that will help us evaluate potential evidence of life beyond Earth.

The DART asteroid impact mission begins, with Nancy Chabot

The DART mission begins its journey that will end when it smashes into an asteroid, demonstrating how we might save Earth from a devastating impact.

Sarah Al Amiri and the new UAE mission to the asteroid belt

The head of the United Arab Emirates space agency announces a new mission to explore seven asteroids.

Sally Ride: Revisiting our 2005 conversation

A first-ever encore of our wonderful conversation with the first American woman in space.

Amazing technology at the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts symposium

Here’s our sampling of the leading edge research presented by NIAC Fellows at NASA’s 2021 virtual gathering.

Leaders of the Lucy asteroid mission

Principal investigator Hal Levison and colleagues prepare us for the launch of NASA’s Lucy spacecraft in an exclusive interview.

Why didn’t Dawn land on dwarf planet Ceres?

The ion engine-powered Dawn spacecraft will orbit Ceres for many years. Could it have touched down on the surface of the dwarf planet?

Mars Beckons: The 2021 Humans to Mars Summit

Highlights of the annual gathering of leaders and experts who are building toward humans walking on the Red Planet.

The Case for a Return to Enceladus

Flying a spacecraft through geysers spewing from Saturn’s moon Enceladus might reveal the building blocks of life or even life itself.

An ESCAPADE to Mars, on the cheap

Can NASA send robotic explorers to Mars for a tiny fraction of what most missions cost?

Liquid water under the Martian polar ice? Maybe not

New research indicates that what appeared to be liquid water hiding under Mars’ polar ice may actually be a form of clay.

Europa Clipper sails toward launch

Mission system manager Al Cangahuala says the robotic explorer of Jupiter’s ocean moon is making steady progress toward a 2024 launch.

Cassini, Voyager and beyond with Linda Spilker

Cassini mission project scientist Linda Spilker returns with new science from ocean moon Enceladus and anniversaries to celebrate with the Voyager mission.

How Perseverance drives itself around Mars

The Perseverance rover’s chief robotics engineer takes us for a spin across Mars.

Alan Stern says it's time for suborbital science

Planetary scientist and New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern says great science will ride on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo and Blue Origin’s New Shepard.

Andy Chaikin on Apollo 15 and the lessons of Apollo

Space historian and author of A Man on the Moon Andy Chaikin returns as we celebrate Apollo 15’s 50th anniversary.

Finding Life by Looking for Complexity

University of Glasgow chemist Lee Cronin believes he and his collaborators have found a way to recognize life as we know it and as we don’t know it.

The Pearly Clouds of Mars

Atmospheric scientist Mark Lemmon discusses the beautiful clouds on Mars imaged by NASA's Curiosity rover.

Space Policy Edition: NASA's 2022 Budget Request Says "Yes"

The White House’s proposed 2022 NASA budget is almost entirely great news, as is the announcement that two complementary orbiters will explore Venus.

Mighty Jupiter Revealed

The Juno mission will continue its exploration of Jupiter till 2025, thanks to a four-year extension granted by NASA. Principal investigator Scott Bolton brings us up to date.

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