The Planetary Society Live

Q&A with "Life on Other Planets" author Aomawa Shields Mat Kaplan and astronomer/astrobiologist/classically trained actress Aomawa Shields discuss her newest book "Life on Other Planets" in this Book Club Q&A.

Q&A with "Alone but not Lonely" author Louis Friedman Mat Kaplan and The Planetary Society's Co-Founder and Executive Director Emeritus, Louis Friedman, chat about Lou's newest book "Alone But Not Lonely."

LightSail Legacy and its Next Chapter Join Mat Kaplan in a discussion about LightSail and its legacy going forward. Mat is joined by very special guests Jennifer Vaughn, COO of The Planetary Society, and Dr. Bruce Betts , The Planetary Society's Chief Scientist and the Program Manager for the LightSail Mission.

2023 Day of Action Recap Senior Communications Adviser Mat Kaplan, Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly, and several special guests review the success of the recent Day of Action on Capitol Hill.

Live Q&A with "Packing for Mars" author Mary Roach Join Mat Kaplan and America's funniest science writer Mary Roach for a chat about Mary's New York Times bestseller Packing for Mars.

Q&A with "For the Love of Mars" author Matthew Shindell Mat Kaplan and National Air and Space Museum curator Matthew Shindell chat about Matthew's book For the Love of Mars in our Book Club Q&A.

Ann Druyan on Carl Sagan's novel "Contact" Mat Kaplan and Ann Druyan chat about “Contact” by Carl Sagan in June 2023's Book Club Live Q&A in The Planetary Society’s member community.

What's going on with Mars Sample Return? Join Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy, at The Planetary Society, for a rapid-fire overview of what's going on with the Mars Sample Return mission as the secrets concealed within the precious samples await discovery on Mars.

Planetary Defense LIVE stream for Asteroid Day A special Asteroid Day 2023 event with Mat Kaplan and Bruce Betts.

Q&A with "Under Alien Skies" author Phil Plait Mat Kaplan and Phil Plait discuss "Under Alien Skies" in May 2023's Book Club Q&A.

Live Q&A with "Project Hail Mary" author Andy Weir Mat Kaplan interviews Andy Weir about "Project Hail Mary" for The Planetary Society's first Book Club LIVE virtual event.

Space Policy and Advocacy Biannual Update 2023 Mat Kaplan hosts this special members-only briefing on the latest space policy and advocacy updates, including the Digital Day of Action results. Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy, and Jack Kiraly, Director of Government Relations, took questions from our member community.

JWST's first year of science and a citizen science SETI project In this recording of a live virtual event, planetary scientist Heidi Hammel talks about JWST’s first year in action and what we've learned from the space telescope, and SETI experts Jean-Luc Margot and Megan Li talk about the search for ET and how volunteers can help train AI to hunt for signals from intelligent aliens.

What's in NASA's 2024 budget? The President's budget request for 2024 is good for NASA overall, but it's missing funding for some key projects including the VERITAS mission to Venus. In this live event recording, Planetary Society Chief Advocate Casey Dreier unpacks the 2024 NASA budget and answers questions about what it means for the future of space science and exploration.

The Planetary Society 2022 Impact Report Webinar Join The Planetary Society's CEO Bill Nye for a year-in-review webinar highlighting our shared accomplishments. Hear from our experts on all the advocacy, education and outreach, scientific innovation, and global collaboration you've supported over the last year. 2022 was a great year for space — and that’s all thanks to your continued support.

October 2022 Space Policy and Advocacy Update The Planetary Society's semi-annual space policy and advocacy webcast returned on October 28, 2022 with live reports from Society CEO Bill Nye and our chief advocate Casey Dreier. Moderator Mat Kaplan of Planetary Radio shared the penetrating questions of members and donors throughout the show. You'll get the latest on the challenges and opportunities ahead for the exploration of our Solar System and beyond. You'll also hear how we continue to make your voice heard in Washington D.C.

Three Years in Space! LightSail 2's Sail Deployment Anniversary Celebration Your LightSail has exceeded our most optimistic hopes. We marked the anniversary of the sail's successful deployment with this live webinar.

Defending Earth! A Planetary Society Planetary Defense Update Protecting our world from the threat of asteroids and comets is a core enterprise at the Society, one that our members and supporters care deeply about. Chief scientist Bruce Betts will review our recent efforts and successes. Bruce and Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan will also welcome Nancy Chabot, planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. Nancy is the coordination lead for NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART. The DART spacecraft will slam into small asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, 2022. It will be humanity's first test of asteroid deflection.

Spring 2022 Space Policy Update The Planetary Society's space policy and advocacy experts are back with our semi-annual update for you, our members and supporters. The recently released Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey gets special attention.

The Planetary Society 2021 Impact Report Webinar Here's our Dec. 9, 2021 year-in-review webinar highlighting our shared accomplishments. This year's exciting advances in space exploration are the bright spots of 2021. Because of you, The Planetary Society has had a very positive and constructive impact on key missions.

Fall 2021 Space Policy and Politics Briefing The Planetary Society's space policy and advocacy experts return with another of our semi-annual updates. We'll provide an up-to-the-minute review of the complex and fast-changing situation in Washington D.C. What does it mean for space science and exploration? You'll also get our report on the Society's successes and opportunities in these unprecedented times.

Defending Earth: A Live Planetary Society Member and Donor Update As Bill Nye says, we're just trying to save the world. The Planetary Society is a world leader in support of planetary defense, and we have you to thank for our success. Here's our June 26 update for members and donors. You'll hear our great panelists share the latest advances of this core Society enterprise.

Earthlings vs Asteroids: What's the Score? A special virtual event held on April 29, 2021, taking a look at the state of humanity’s planetary defense efforts.

Spring 2021 Space Policy and Politics Briefing A new year has brought a new administration, power shifts in Congress and new priorities across the U.S. The Planetary Society's advocacy for planetary science and exploration has never been more important. Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan is once again joined by Senior Space Policy Advisor and Chief Advocate Casey Dreier, Chief of Washington Operations Brendan Curry and Society CEO Bill Nye. New to this edition of our semi-annual update is Georgia Institute of Technology planetary scientist Britney Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt is vice chair of the Society Board of Directors' Space Policy Committee.

2020 Impact Report Webinar Members and supporters of The Planetary Society have much to be proud of as we end a challenging year. New Society President Bethany Ehlmann, Chief Executive Officer Bill Nye, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Vaughn, Chief Scientist Bruce Betts and Chief Advocate Casey Dreier share our greatest accomplishments and their gratitude. Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan moderates.

Fall 2020 Space Policy and Politics Briefing A new year is about to bring many changes in Washington and around the world. The Planetary Society's advocacy and policy team answers your questions about where we are and where we're going in another semi-annual webinar. You'll hear from Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Advisor Casey Dreier, Director of D.C. Operations Brendan Curry, and CEO Bill Nye. Planetary Radio's Mat Kaplan moderates.

Planetary Adventures From Moscow to Mars Planetary Society co-founder and emeritus executive director Louis Friedman joins Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan to discuss Friedman's new book, Planetary Adventures From Moscow to Mars. You can buy a signed our unsigned copy of Planetary Adventures in the Planetary Society store: https://planetary.org/store

Defending Earth! A Planetary Society Live Event Saving our planet from an asteroid strike is the only preventable major disaster.The Planetary Society reviews its work to help humankind prepare for and avoid this otherwise inevitable calamity. Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan welcomes Chief Scientist Bruce Betts, Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Adviser Casey Dreier, and special guest, Professor Amy Mainzer of the University of Arizona, Principal Investigator for the NEOWISE mission.This event was presented live on September 3, 2020.

Space Folk Music by Peter Mayer For 20 years, Peter Mayer has been writing songs for a small planet, songs about interconnectedness and the human journey, songs about life on earth and the mysterious and wondrous fact of our existence.Join Planetary Radio host, Mat Kaplan, for a splendid conversation as well as some live music about our favorite topic.

LightSail 2: Celebrating One Year in Space - June 25, 2020 Join Bill Nye and members of the LightSail 2 mission team as they mark the end of the primary mission and the beginning of extended operations after one year in orbit.

Space Policy Edition Live! With Casey Dreier and host Mat Kaplan - May 14, 2020 Get your space politics and policy questions answered by Casey Dreier, The Planetary Society’s Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Advisor. If you listen to Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition, read Casey’s newsletter, The Space Advocate, or enjoy his blog posts, you know that Casey’s vast knowledge of space policy and advocacy are matched by his passion. Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan will share your questions with Casey throughout this live webinar.

Your Space Questions Answered! With Solar System Specialist Emily Lakdawalla and host Kate Howells - May 7, 2020 Emily Lakdawalla, Solar System Specialist at The Planetary Society, and host Kate Howells, answer your space questions.

What's Up? with Dr. Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan - April 30, 2020 Dr. Bruce Betts, Chief Scientist at The Planetary Society, and Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan answer your space questions, toss a few toward you, and entertain with a choice selection of Random Space Facts.