Mat Kaplan

Mat Kaplan

Senior Communications Adviser and former Host of Planetary Radio, The Planetary Society

[email protected]

+1-626-793-5100

Mat Kaplan loves hosting and producing Planetary Radio. He was just 17 when he got his first job in broadcasting, yet it wasn't until the 2002 premiere of The Society's popular weekly broadcast and podcast series that he combined his twin loves of space and radio. A Planetary Society staff member for more than 15 years, Mat also plans and manages technical support for our Planetfest celebrations and other major events and webcasts.

Outside of The Planetary Society, he hosts a series of live events for Southern California Public Radio called NEXT: People|Science|Tomorrow, and frequently serves as moderator or speaker at space and science gatherings. His extensive background in journalism has ranged from public radio reporter covering the political conventions to movie reviewer for an international magazine. Some may remember him as a correspondent for a pioneering national TV series about personal computers. Mat also enjoyed a 30-year career in higher education that included major television awards and recognition for service to the community. The longtime Long Beach, California resident has two adult daughters raised to be citizens of the solar system.

Mat is available as a moderator or host for conversations about space and science topics. He’s also a passionate speaker about the mission of The Planetary Society, the importance of space exploration and development, and the history of human fascination with Mars, including robotic exploration of the Red Planet.

Follow Mat on Twitter at @planrad

Latest Articles

The 2025 Cosmos Award winner: Dava Sobel

The Planetary Society is proud to announce the newest recipient of the Cosmos Award for Outstanding Public Presentation of Science, author Dava Sobel.

The Planetary Society’s Space Book Club

Announcing a new space book club, where Planetary Society members can discuss great books and connect directly with authors and other experts.

A Personal Message to Planetary Radio Listeners

Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan has an announcement for listeners.

Latest Planetary Radio Appearances

Space science and the Artemis Accords: Highlights from the 2025 H2M2 Summit

Highlights from the 2025 Humans to the Moon and Mars Summit explore why space science is a vital national interest for the United States and how the Artemis Accords are shaping international collaboration in deep space.

The human stories behind the science: Dava Sobel receives the Cosmos Award

Dava Sobel receives The Planetary Society’s Cosmos Award for her extraordinary storytelling about science and discovery. We celebrate her work, hear from Bill Nye, and share updates on space policy and science communication.

The Mars Innovation Workshop

We explore bold ideas from the Mars Innovation Workshop and uncover why NASA’s decision to dissolve key advisory offices is raising concerns across the space community.