Observatory Director Francisco Córdova on the Devastating Loss of Arecibo
The 900-ton instrument platform suspended high above the giant Arecibo dish crashed downward in the early morning hours of December 1st. Host Mat Kaplan had recorded a conversation with the leader of the observatory just hours before the disaster. You’ll hear it here, along with a reflection on the magnificent radio telescope by Bill Nye, and further comments by Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts. We’ve also got space headlines and a brand-new prize for a brand-new space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1202-2020-francisco-cordova-loss-arecibo-observatorySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2 Dec 202045min
More Moon Water and an Update from Venus on Our 18th Anniversary!
We celebrate 18 years of Planetary Radio with two great features and 10 personal questions for host Mat Kaplan from Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts. Astronomer Jane Greaves is back with an update on the phosphine gas detected above Venus. Then we find water right out under the Sun on our own Moon. Research leader Casey Honnibal tells us how her team found it using the SOFIA telescope on a 747. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1125-2020-greaves-phosphine-honnibal-lunar-waterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
25 Nov 202053min
Revealing Mars From Above, and Crew Dragon is Go!
Jeffrey Plaut and Richard Zurek are the project scientists for two of the most successful and long-lived Mars missions. Their orbiters, Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, are still delivering great science, even after 19 years above the Red Planet for Odyssey. We’ve also condensed the first 29 hours of the first operational Crew Dragon mission into 98 thrilling seconds. You’ll get a chance to win The Spacefarer’s Handbook in this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1118-2020-crew-dragon-odyssey-mroSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
18 Nov 20201h 1min
Space Policy Edition: NASA's Post-Election Landscape
The United States' 2020 elections are over. What do the results mean for NASA in the years ahead? To help answer that question, we welcome back Brendan Curry, The Planetary Society's Chief of D.C. Operations. Join us as we review the changes in Congress and the White House that will impact the direction of the U.S. space program. Explore more here. https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1002-2020-spe-brendan-curry-election-reviewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
13 Nov 202056min
A Rogue World Wanders as PlanetVac Heads for the Moon and Mars
In a jam-packed episode, we’ll talk to a discoverer of a distant, lonely planet that wanders the galaxy, and then turn to plans to send a radically-simple sample collection system to the Moon and Mars’ moon Phobos. Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye will add his congratulations for the PlanetVac team. We’ve also got a signed copy of Bill’s latest book for the winner of the new What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1111-2020-poleski-rogue-planet-zacny-planetvacSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11 Nov 202055min
A Return to Asteroid Mining, and Digging Into Space Ethics with Joel Sercel
At least two ambitious, smart asteroid mining companies have gone bust. Joel Sercel makes the case that his new effort comes at a much better time, and with a better approach. He’ll also share his audacious plan for mining water on the Moon, along with his concerns regarding humanity’s spread across the solar system. Can we avoid the mistakes made in past eras of exploration and expansion? You’ve got one more chance to win your own asteroid—a small, rubber one—in this week’s What’s Up space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1104-2020-joel-sercelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4 Nov 20201h 7min
A Deep Dive into Asteroid Bennu With Dante Lauretta
We are joined by the leader of the OSIRIS-REx mission that sampled an asteroid last week. Dante reveals just how brilliantly successful the encounter was, and describes preparations for the journey back to Earth. Space journalist Nancy Atkinson tells us about Orbilander, a mission that would orbit and then descend to Saturn’s moon Enceladus in a search for life. Space headlines from The Downlink and our weekly visit with Chief Scientist Bruce Betts round out this week’s show. Explore more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1028-2020-dante-lauretta-osiris-rexSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
28 Okt 202044min
We Have Sampled an Asteroid! And the Search for Life Above Venus
OSIRIS-REx has done it! We have special coverage of the spacecraft’s successful collection of a sample from asteroid Bennu. Then we talk with Jane Greaves, leader of the team that found evidence of phosphine gas in the atmosphere of Venus. Has this put us on the road to discovery of life above that hellish world? Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan offer a copy of Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight in the new space trivia contest. Learn more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1021-2020-jane-greaves-venus-phosphineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
21 Okt 202050min
