Near-Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4 and NASA under a new administration
The internet is buzzing about Asteroid 2024 YR4, currently ranked as the highest-threat asteroid in our skies. But is it really cause for concern? Our Public Education Specialist, Kate Howells, breaks down the facts. Then, we shift from potential impacts to stunning space imagery as Finn Burridge from the Royal Observatory Greenwich shares how astrophotographers worldwide can participate in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Finally, our space policy experts, Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly, discuss how the new Trump administration has impacted NASA in its first weeks. Stick around for What’s Up with Bruce Betts, as he explains how we assess asteroid threats using the Torino Impact Hazard Scale. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-2024-YR4-and-a-new-administrationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12 Feb 1h 2min
Space Policy Edition: Mars Sample Return, but at what (fixed) price?
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck joins the show to unpack his company’s bold, $4-billion fixed-price plan to bring Martian samples home, why he believes commercial partnerships can unlock new frontiers in planetary science, and his “soft spot” for interplanetary exploration. Then, Richard French — former JPL engineer and now VP of Business & Strategy at Rocket Lab — provides deeper insight into their proposed Mars Sample Return architecture, explaining how a single, vertically integrated team could cut costs and secure mission success. And yes, we get an update on the status of their Venus mission, too. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/can-rocketlab-save-msrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7 Feb 1h 20min
Kiss-and-capture: The dance of Pluto and Charon
How did Pluto meet its largest moon, Charon? Many have speculated that Charon formed in an impact, but traditional models of planetary formation have struggled to explain many of the quirks of this system. This week, Adeene Denton, a research scientist at the University of Arizona, shares her team's new paper that suggests a "kiss-and-capture" may solve this mystery. Then Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society's chief scientist, discusses contact binaries in our Solar System and shares a new Random Space Fact in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-pluto-kiss-and-captureSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5 Feb 59min
The Edward Stone Voyager Exploration Trail
This week on Planetary Radio, we celebrate the enduring legacy of Ed Stone, the longtime project scientist for NASA’s Voyager mission and former director of JPL. Mat Kaplan, senior communications advisor at The Planetary Society, takes us to the unveiling of the Dr. Edward Stone Voyager Exploration Trail at JPL, where we hear from past and present JPL leaders, Voyager mission team members, and Ed Stone’s family. Plus, we kick off the episode with the much-anticipated launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket and wrap up with What’s Up, as Bruce Betts explores the rare planetary configuration that made Voyager’s Grand Tour possible. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-ed-stone-trailSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
29 Jan 57min
Does It Fly? Putting science in entertainment to the test
This week, we discuss how to examine the science behind our favorite TV shows and movies with the co-hosts of the "Does It Fly?" podcast, Hakeem Oluseyi and Tamara Krinsky. Produced by Roddenberry Entertainment, "Does It Fly?" takes an expert approach to breaking down the science of popular media, from lightsabers to Dune's stillsuits. Hakeem brings his astrophysics expertise, while Tamara provides her media industry insights as they join Planetary Radio to explore where science and fiction intersect. Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts and this week's Random Space Fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-does-it-fly See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
22 Jan 56min
Revisiting K2-18 b: JWST finds a lead in the search for life on a mysterious exoplanet
This week we revisit one of the most remarkable exoplanet discoveries of 2024 with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST detected signs of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of K2-18 b. Knicole Colón, the deputy project scientist for exoplanet science for JWST, explains how this discovery could reshape our search for life beyond Earth and teach us more about the enigmatic class of exoplanets known as sub-Neptunes. Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-jwst-new-lead-in-search-for-life See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
15 Jan 51min
Emily Calandrelli becomes the hundredth woman in space
This week, we celebrate a remarkable milestone as Emily Calandrelli, also known as “the Space Gal,” becomes the 100th woman to venture into space. Emily shares her experiences on the Blue Origin voyage, what she took to space, and how motherhood influenced her reaction to seeing Earth from space. Then Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins for What's Up and a list of fun things to do in zero-g. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-100th-woman-in-space See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8 Jan 55min
Space Policy Edition: The Challenges of Change at NASA
How does change happen within NASA, and what prevents it? Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joins the show to discuss the opportunities and pitfalls faced by incoming presidential administrations and how NASA has—and hasn’t—changed over the decades. Will Artemis be reimagined? Will public-private partnerships introduce more risk than reward? And is change even the right default attitude to take? Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/change-and-continuity-at-nasa-with-marcia-smith See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3 Jan 1h 8min
