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.

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Space science under fire: Your questions answered

We tackle the biggest questions about NASA's value, space exploration, and why public investment matters. Join us for a Q&A with Casey Dreier and Ambre Trujillo, and a space policy update with Jack Kiraly.

TOI-270 d: Unveiling the secrets of a sub-Neptune

Explore the atmosphere of TOI-270 d with planetary geochemist Chris Glein as he unravels the secrets of this distant sub-Neptune using JWST data and geochemical modeling.

Space Policy Edition: How NASA remembers—and forgets

No one person knows how to build a spaceship. What happens to NASA’s collective knowledge when thousands of employees lose their jobs?

From backyard telescopes to global reach: AstroKobi and the power of short-form space videos

Astrokobi joins Sarah Al-Ahmed to explore the rise of a new generation of space communicators. Plus, updates on NASA’s science budget and the confirmation process for the next NASA administrator.

Passback budget breakdown: A 47% cut to NASA science

NASA's science programs face a proposed 47% budget cut. We break down what's at risk and how you can take action to help protect space exploration.

Space Policy Edition: Lies, damned lies, and space data

The space sector is data-rich but insight-poor. Jack Kuhr of Payload talks about how he turns raw numbers into real narratives.

Live from Washington, D.C.: The future of space politics

Join Sarah Al-Ahmed and Casey Dreier for a special live recording of Planetary Radio at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., immediately following The Planetary Society’s Day of Action.

An extinction-level event for NASA science

A reported 50% cut to NASA’s science budget threatens to shut down missions, halt new discoveries, and devastate scientific space exploration. This week, we break down the fight ahead with The Planetary Society’s space policy team and explore how grassroots advocacy can help protect the future of space science.

Space Policy Edition: The Challenges of Change at NASA

Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joins the show to discuss the motivations and risks of pursuing change at NASA - and how much change can ultimately happen with Congress holding the purse strings.

Space Policy Edition: NASA at a Crossroads

Norm Augustine, the distinguished aerospace industry veteran behind numerous influential studies, joins the show to discuss NASA at a Crossroads, the new report that raises alarm bells for NASA’s workforce, infrastructure, and technology capabilities.

Space Policy Edition: The space policies of a Harris Administration

Space expert Lori Garver joins the show to explore Kamala Harris’ space policy priorities, the major issues facing NASA in the next four years, and Garver’s thoughts on the evolution of Elon Musk and NASA’s increasing reliance on the commercial space industry.

Space Policy Edition: The Space Policy of a Second Trump Administration

Dr. Greg Autry, who served on Trump’s NASA transition team in 2016 and was nominated for the position of NASA CFO in 2020, joins the show to discuss the space policy issues facing a potential second Trump administration in 2025.

Victory for VERITAS

Darby Dyar, the deputy principal investigator for NASA’s VERITAS mission to Venus, returns triumphantly to Planetary Radio to share the story of how space advocates helped save this mission.

Day of Action 2024: The Planetary Society goes to Washington

This week on Planetary Radio, we'll share what happened during this year's Day of Action and why it matters.

Tales of totality: The adventures of an eclipse chaser

Jim Bell, a professor from the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University and former president of The Planetary Society's Board of Directors, shares captivating tales from his global eclipse-chasing journeys.

The Space Race: Honoring the first African-American space explorers

This week on Planetary Radio, we take a peek behind the scenes at National Geographic's new documentary, “The Space Race,” which celebrates the triumphs and struggles of the first African-American space pioneers and astronauts.

Space Policy Edition: What’s Going on with: Congress, MSR, and FAA Reauthorization?

We check in on the congressional budget process for NASA, Mars Sample Return’s spiraling cost growth, and the impending end of the regulatory holiday for human commercial space launch companies.

The case for saving VERITAS

Darby Dyar, Deputy Principal Investigator for NASA's VERITAS mission to Venus, joins Planetary Radio to share the human story behind the spacecraft and make a case for saving the mission.

Space Policy Edition: The motives behind NASA's billions — Jean Toal Eisen on how Congress funds the final frontier

Jean Toal Eisen, former senior staff on the Senate Appropriations Committee, joins the show to reveal the decision-making process, priorities, and motivations of those who control the U.S. space program's funding.

Planetary Society All-Stars Review the Year in Space

For his last episode as host, Mat Kaplan welcomes many of his Planetary Society colleagues for a review of a spectacular year of space exploration.

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