Star Trek Science

Astronomer Linda Schweizer spent countless hours interviewing the explorers who revolutionized astronomy through observations made at California’s Palomar Observatory. She tells their fascinating stories and shares their science in her new book Cosmic Odyssey: How Intrepid Astronomers at Palomar Observatory Changed our View of the Universe. Attention space poets! You might win a Planetfest ’21 t-shirt as Mat and Bruce invite your best efforts in the new What’s Up contest. Hey, it could be verse! There’s more to discover, including a link to Planetfest ’21, at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0203-2021-linda-schweizer-cosmic-odysseySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 Feb 202151min

Could the first object shown to have originated outside our solar system be a light sail built by an alien civilization? That’s the very controversial hypothesis put forward by distinguished Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb in his new book Extraterrestrial. The book is about much more than ‘Oumuamua, and so is Avi’s conversation with Mat Kaplan. Bill Nye pays tribute to a fallen member of The Planetary Society’s space family, and the biggest coincidence in the history of Planetary Radio surfaces during What’s Up.There’s more to discover, including a link to Planetfest ’21, at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0127-2021-avi-loeb-extraterrestrialSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Jan 202155min

The 2020 Mars Rover will reach the Red Planet on February 18th after many months in the relative quiet of space. It will then undergo a true trial by fire as it descends to the surface. Jet Propulsion Lab systems engineer and his colleagues hope it will arrive as successfully as its sister Curiosity did in 2012. He tells host Mat Kaplan what to expect. Planetary Radio listeners prove once again that they are awesome as they go to amazing and unnecessary lengths (oops!) to answer the space trivia quiz. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0120-2021-gregory-villar-perseverance-edlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Jan 202145min

This is not your normal episode of the Space Policy Edition, but these are not normal times. The centuries-old U.S. tradition of the peaceful transfer of power ended on 6 January 2021, as a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building during the certification of the electoral college vote, leaving 5 dead. Hours later, more than one hundred members of Congress voted to object to the certified electoral results of Arizona and Pennsylvania. Jared Zambrano-Stout, former congressional staffer and chief of staff of the National Space Council, joins the show to help process these events. We’ll return to our usual space policy content in February. Discover more here: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0115-2021-spe-jared-zambrano-stoutSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Jan 20211h

Composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg has created The Moons Symphony. You’ll hear excerpts from each of its 7 movements. They are inspired by and evoke 7 of our solar system’s smaller, unique worlds. Joining Amanda are her advisors and friends, artist and International Space Station astronaut Nicole Stott and Cassini mission project scientist Linda Spilker. Bruce Betts arrives with a new space trivia question based on a visitor to one of these moons. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0113-2021-moons-symphony-falkenberg-spilker-stottSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Jan 20211h 11min

It is many times larger than any previous solar sail, and it will pave the way for even bigger spacecraft propelled by light. Solar Cruiser principal investigator Les Johnson tells us about his latest project and looks to humanity crossing the gulfs of interstellar space. Stellaris: People of the Stars is a collection of science fact and fiction co-edited by Les. Mat and Bruce offer a copy in the new What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/0106-2021-les-johnson-solar-cruiserSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Jan 202150min

Chief Scientist Bruce Betts, Editorial Director Jason Davis, Chief Advocate and Senior Space Policy Advisor Casey Dreier, and Communications Strategy and Canadian Space Policy Advisor Kate Howells join host Mat Kaplan for our annual look back at the closing year’s accomplishments in space exploration. They also predict 2021’s biggest events on the final frontier. A very cool prize awaits the winner of the new What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1230-2020-2020-review-betts-davis-dreier-howellsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Dec 20201h 11min

Engineer and astronaut Stephanie Wilson was a toddler when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin visited the Moon. She may someday almost literally walk in their footsteps. Stephanie is one of 18 astronauts--9 women and 9 men--chosen for the Artemis Team. We also welcome back Cassini-Huygens project scientist Linda Spilker for another update on the discoveries still being made thanks to that flagship mission. Linda also looks ahead toward more missions in the outer solar system. Did you catch the great conjunction? Mat and Bruce did, and they’ll talk about it in What’s Up. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/1223-2020-stephanie-wilson-artemis-linda-spilkerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Dec 202049min