Voyager and the heliopause: Exploring where the Sun gives way to the stars

Voyager and the heliopause: Exploring where the Sun gives way to the stars

What does it really mean to enter interstellar space, and what have we learned since humanity first crossed the invisible boundary between our Sun and the stars?

In this episode of Planetary Radio, we explore the science of the heliosphere and the realm beyond with Linda Spilker, project scientist for the Voyager mission at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Drawing on decades of experience with the twin spacecraft, Spilker shares how Voyager reshaped our view of the Solar System’s outer frontier, from the nature of the heliopause to the unexpectedly rich structure of the local interstellar medium.

We unpack what Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have taught us about charged particles, magnetic fields, and cosmic rays beyond the Sun’s protective bubble, and why those measurements have upended earlier ideas about where the Solar System truly ends. Spilker also reflects on the mission’s extraordinary longevity, the ingenuity required to keep the spacecraft communicating across the vastness of space, and what Voyager’s legacy means for future journeys between the stars.

Then, in What’s Up, Bruce Betts, chief scientist at The Planetary Society, places Voyager in context, showing how long-lived missions shape the bigger picture of space science and why observing longer can lead to some of our most profound discoveries.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-voyagers-and-the-heliopause

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaksot(1327)

Artemis update: NASA reshapes the road back to the Moon

Artemis update: NASA reshapes the road back to the Moon

NASA has announced a major restructuring of the Artemis program, reshaping the roadmap for returning humans to the Moon. At a February 27 press conference, agency leadership addressed the rollback of ...

4 Maalis 58min

Did an impact trigger cryovolcanism on Umbriel?

Did an impact trigger cryovolcanism on Umbriel?

Could a single ancient impact have briefly transformed one of the Solar System’s darkest moons into a cryovolcanic world? When Voyager 2 flew past Uranus in 1986, it captured the only close-up images ...

25 Helmi 59min

Book Club Edition: Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts’ latest for kids

Book Club Edition: Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts’ latest for kids

They informed and entertained together throughout the first 20 years of Planetary Radio. Listen in as the Society’s chief scientist and book club edition host Mat Kaplan share the mic once again for a...

20 Helmi 56min

A new chapter at The Planetary Society: Jennifer Vaughn becomes CEO

A new chapter at The Planetary Society: Jennifer Vaughn becomes CEO

This week on Planetary Radio, we mark a major leadership transition at The Planetary Society. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed sits down with Bill Nye, outgoing chief executive officer and newly appointed chief am...

18 Helmi 59min

Where did Earth’s water come from? Clues hidden in Apollo Moon dust

Where did Earth’s water come from? Clues hidden in Apollo Moon dust

Where did Earth’s water come from? In this episode of Planetary Radio, we explore how scientists are answering that question by studying a remarkably well-preserved record of the early Solar System: l...

11 Helmi 1h 2min

Space Policy Edition: What a NASA Authorization bill actually does

Space Policy Edition: What a NASA Authorization bill actually does

What does a NASA authorization bill actually do, and why does it matter? In this episode of Space Policy Edition, we dig into one of the most misunderstood but powerful tools Congress uses to shape th...

6 Helmi 1h

Europa’s quiet seafloor

Europa’s quiet seafloor

What if Europa’s seafloor isn’t alive with activity after all? This week on Planetary Radio, host and producer Sarah Al-Ahmed explores new research that reframes how scientists think about one of the ...

4 Helmi 1h 2min

Artemis II and III: The science that brings us back to the Moon

Artemis II and III: The science that brings us back to the Moon

Humans are preparing to return to the Moon. On this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Kelsey Young and Noah Petro, two of the scientists helping turn humanity’s return to th...

28 Tammi 1h 4min

Suosittua kategoriassa Tiede

rss-mita-tulisi-tietaa
tiedekulma-podcast
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-kasvikutsut
rss-poliisin-mieli
mielipaivakirja
rss-kasvatuspsykologiaa-kaikille
utelias-mieli
docemilia
vinkista-vihia
filocast-filosofian-perusteet
rss-ranskaa-raakana
rss-ammamafia
rss-astetta-parempi-elama-podcast
rss-tiedetta-vai-tarinaa