3 Billion Years Ago: Was Mars Alive?

As we look to build a more sustainable human presence in space, we will need to find new and innovative ways to feed our travelers. This week, we hear from Team Insecta, a group of Canadian students exploring crickets as a viable source of space food. Newton Campell Jr., a member of The Planetary Society's board of directors and co-founder of Heritage Space Food, discusses gastrodiplomacy and the importance of representation in space food. Then we close out with What's Up with Bruce Betts and a look at one of The Planetary Society's STEP grant-winning projects studying the complexities of growing plants in space.  Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-crickets-and-gastrodiplomacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Elo 20241h

Planetary Radio takes a melodic adventure to the Ravinia Festival in Illinois, USA, for the public premiere of the "Moons Symphony." Mat Kaplan, senior communications advisor at The Planetary Society, speaks with a panel of amazing guests, including members of the Europa Clipper, Dragonfly, and Cassini teams, about the discoveries that inspired the music. Then, Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, marks the end of the 2024 Summer Olympics with a random space fact in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-moons-symphony See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Elo 202453min

A ninth planet may be lurking in our Solar System out beyond Neptune. Caltech's Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin join us to discuss their new paper, the latest evidence for Planet 9, and why they believe their hunt may soon be over. Then, Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, joins us for What's Up and an Olympic-themed random space fact.  Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-hide-and-seek-planet-9See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Elo 202452min

Why do we explore space? This is not an easy question to answer. Yet policy expert G. Ryan Faith believes there is value to be had in communal engagement with this question. While easy answers may elude us, the act of defining our values and goals in space can help avoid common pitfalls and dead ends in our exploration efforts, ensuring a continued commitment to space for generations to come. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-philosophy-of-space-exploration-ryan-faithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 Elo 20241h 8min

NASA's Perseverance rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars: a sample that may hold evidence of ancient microbial life. This week, we visit the Tenth International Conference on Mars, where you'll hear from several Mars scientists, including Caltech's Ken Farley, Perseverance project scientist, Meenakshi Wadhwa and Brandi Carrier, the principal scientist and lead sample integrity scientist for Mars Sample Return at NASA JPL. We'll also discuss the recent cancellation of NASA's VIPER lunar mission with our director of government relations, Jack Kiraly. Before we go, we'll turn to Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society for What's Up, as he shares a new cometary random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-tenth-marsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31 Heinä 202459min

Fans of Venus were saddened in late 2022 to learn that one of NASA's upcoming Venus missions, VERITAS, was defunded, but with the help of space advocates, the mission is now back on. Darby Dyar, the deputy principal investigator for VERITAS, returns triumphantly to Planetary Radio to share the story. We also take a look at the new U.S. House of Representatives budget request for NASA and how it will impact programs like Artemis and Mars Sample Return with Casey Dreier, our chief of space policy. We'll close out our show with Olympic cheer as Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, shares a new random space fact in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-victory-for-veritasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Heinä 202457min

We celebrate the second anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) science operations with Christine Chen, associate astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute. She describes the observatory's newest beautiful image, a close-up of two interacting galaxies called the Penguin and the Egg. Then, she tells us more about her team's recent findings in the Beta Pictoris system, where clearing dust indicates a recent and powerful asteroid collision. We also go back to the early solar system with Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, discussing the massive collisions that shaped our place in space in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-penguin-egg-and-asteroidSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17 Heinä 20241h 2min

The Planetary Society introduces the newest member of its board of directors this week on Planetary Radio. Newton Campbell Jr., the director of the Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE) Consortium, discusses his career journey, AI in space, and Australia's first lunar rover, the Roo-ver. But first, we go to Washington D.C., U.S.A., where our director of government relations, Jack Kiraly, recently held a briefing for Congressional staffers. Jack discusses the event and the efforts to boost funding for NASA in the coming fiscal year. Then, Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, shares a new galactic space fact in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-meet-roo-ver See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Heinä 20241h 6min