Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

The Planetary Society heads to TwitchCon 2025 to explore how scientists and educators use livestreaming to share the excitement of discovery. We begin with Moohoodles, one of Twitch’s pioneering space science streamers and co-host of the live panel “The Planetary Society: Space, Time, and You.” She explains how she built a thriving community around astrobiology and space exploration long before Twitch even had a Science & Technology category. Then we share moments from the panel, featuring a special video message from Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, and highlights of how livestreaming helps inspire new audiences to look up. At the Science & Technology Meet and Greet, Sharkg33k and Paleontologizing explain how their streams connect life on Earth to exploration beyond our planet. Later, Jack Kiraly, The Planetary Society’s Director of Government Relations, joins the show for a Space Policy Update on Jared Isaacman’s renomination as NASA Administrator, examining what it could mean for the agency’s leadership and direction. The episode wraps up with What’s Up with Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society’s chief scientist, celebrating the third anniversary of the end of the LightSail 2 mission and sharing a new random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-twitchconSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1996, a controversial claim of fossilized life in a Martian meteorite ignited a golden age of Mars exploration. Nearly 30 years later, a potential biosignature detected by the Perseverance rover at Jezero Crater has sparked…nothing, not even a formal effort to revive the beleaguered robotic Mars Sample Return project. Why did the claims surrounding the Allan Hills meteorite (which were ultimately rejected) kick off 25 years of unprecedented robotic exploration of the Red Planet? And why did the discovery at Cheyava Falls fail to ignite the same level of interest? Lou Friedman, former Executive Director of The Planetary Society and longtime proponent of Mars Sample Return, joins the show to contrast these to tipping points of Mars exploration, and argues why space scientists should seize this discovery to push for a scientific future at the Red Planet. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-lou-friedman-on-msr-and-tipping-point-eventsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If we ever meet intelligent extraterrestrials, will we even be able to talk about physics? Physicist Daniel Whiteson of UC Irvine and cartoonist Andy Warner join Sarah Al-Ahmed to explore one of science’s strangest and most profound questions: if alien civilizations exist, would their understanding of the Universe look anything like ours? Their new book, “Do Aliens Speak Physics?”, discusses the nature of knowledge itself, asking whether math and physics are truly universal, or if even our most “objective” truths are shaped by our human perspective. Together, they consider what it would take to communicate with alien intelligence and how humor and illustration can make those big cosmic ideas feel surprisingly down-to-Earth. Then, stick around for What’s Up with Bruce Betts, as we discuss how difficult it is to explain physics to humans, let alone extraterrestrial life. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-do-aliens-speak-physicsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens in space doesn’t stay in space. Historian Dagomar Degroot joins Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed to explore how shifting solar cycles, volcanic eruptions on Venus, Martian dust storms, and even mistaken sightings of lunar forests have influenced life, science, and society on Earth. His new book, “Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Our Place in the Solar System,” reframes the Solar System as part of our cosmic environment, one that has shaped humanity’s past and will define our future. Then, Planetary Society Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly updates us on the latest developments in space policy, including the ongoing search for NASA’s next administrator and proposed changes to the Artemis program’s launch vehicles. And stick around for Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society’s chief scientist, in What’s Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-ripples-on-the-cosmic-oceanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this second installment of Planetary Radio’s coverage from the 2025 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, host Sarah Al-Ahmed highlights more of the technologies presented by the NIAC fellows. Mary Knapp of MIT Haystack Observatory shares her team’s Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths project, a space-based radio array designed to detect magnetic fields around distant exoplanets. Michael Hecht, also from MIT Haystack Observatory and principal investigator for the MOXIE experiment on NASA’s Perseverance rover, discusses Exploring Venus with Electrolysis, a concept that could turn Venus’s dense atmosphere into fuel for long-duration flight and exploration. Benjamin Hockman from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory introduces two projects: Gravity Poppers, tiny hopping probes that could map the interiors of asteroids and comets, and his team’s concept for a Venus balloon observatory. Finally, Justin Yim from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign presents LEAP, a legged robot designed to hop through the icy plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus in search of clues to its hidden ocean. Then stay tuned for What’s Up with Dr. Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-niac-symposium-part-2See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American fascination with spaceflight and what we might find out there began long before any human left Earth. It’s Dr. Margaret Weitekamp’s job to collect, document, and preserve the cultural artifacts that display our deep attraction to all things spacey. Her book, Space Craze, explores how these objects, ranging from 1930s Flash Gordon ray guns to Mercury space capsule cookie jars, have represented our Earthbound fears and hopes. She joined the Society’s space-crazed Mat Kaplan for a live and lively conversation. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-margaret-weitekampSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each year, NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program (NIAC) funds visionary ideas that could shape the future of space exploration. In this first of two episodes from the 2025 NIAC Symposium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed introduces some of the concepts presented at this year’s event. You’ll hear from Martin Bermudez and Josh Simpson from Skyeports LLC. Bermudez is the company’s CEO and principal investigator for the LUNGS Project, and Simpson is a glass artist and co-investigator. Together, their team is exploring how to build glass-blown lunar habitats from melted Moon dust. You’ll also meet Christine Gregg, research engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center, who’s developing architected metamaterials to stabilize giant space structures. And finally, John Mather, Nobel laureate and senior astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, shares his team’s work on an inflatable starshade that could help us see Earth-like worlds around distant stars. Then stick around for What’s Up with Dr. Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-niac-symposium-part-1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 6, 2025, hundreds of space advocates from across the United States joined The Planetary Society and 20 partner organizations on Capitol Hill to deliver one clear message: protect NASA’s science budget. We begin with Ari Koeppel, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow and Space Policy Intern at The Planetary Society, who shares why this moment matters for scientists facing uncertainty about their future. Then Britney Schmidt, planetary scientist at Cornell University and member of The Planetary Society’s Board of Directors, calls in from Washington, D.C., to share what it’s like on the ground as hundreds of advocates come together to defend the future of space science. Next, we take you to the press conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, featuring Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, Representative Glenn Ivey of Maryland’s 4th District, Marcel Agüeros, president-elect of the American Astronomical Society, and Brandon Jones, President of the American Geophysical Union. Together, they urge Congress to restore NASA’s science funding and maintain the United States' leadership in discovery. We close with Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, reflecting on the power of grassroots advocacy and what comes next for the Save NASA Science campaign. Finally, in What’s Up, Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society’s chief scientist, joins host Sarah Al-Ahmed to look ahead, exploring the great mysteries we could solve in the coming years if we continue to invest in space science. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-day-of-action-for-nasa-scienceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the United States is indeed in a space race with China, then we cannot abandon space science. That’s the claim made by Maxwell Zhu and The Planetary Society’s chief of space policy, Casey Dreier, in a recent op-ed in Payload Space. Their piece contrasted the growing ambitions of China’s coming space science program against the draconian cuts proposed by the White House in 2026. The results are stark: where China is pursuing new missions, the United States is abandoning them. Casey and Maxwell explore why this is the case, whether China sees this investment as part of a competition at all, and the structural challenges of integrating space science into a geopolitical context. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/maxwell-zhu-on-chinas-space-science-ambitionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has made one of its most intriguing discoveries yet in Jezero Crater. A rock sample called Sapphire Canyon, drilled from the Bright Angel formation, contains unusual chemical and mineral patterns that may be potential biosignatures. We begin with remarks from Morgan Cable, research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co–deputy principal investigator of the PIXL instrument on Perseverance, in a video released alongside NASA’s September 10, 2025 announcement.  Then, host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with Joel Hurowitz, associate professor of geosciences at Stony Brook University and deputy principal investigator of the PIXL instrument on Perseverance, who is also the lead author of the new Nature paper detailing the findings. Hurowitz explains how textures nicknamed "poppy seeds" and "leopard spots" connect organic carbon with minerals like vivianite and greigite, and why these could represent some of the most compelling evidence yet for ancient microbial life on Mars. Finally, in this week’s What’s Up, Bruce Betts, The Planetary Society’s chief scientist, joins Sarah to explore earlier moments in the history of Mars exploration when tantalizing hints of life sparked scientific and public excitement. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-perseverence-biosignaturesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, has officially joined the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this episode, we speak with Bill about what this rare honor means to him and to science communication. Then, we take you inside the star ceremony in Los Angeles, where friends and fans, including Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, paid tribute to his legacy. From there, we shift to Washington, D.C., where NASA faces the threat of deep budget cuts. Planetary Society Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier and Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly share the latest updates as we prepare for the upcoming Day of Action. We close with Bruce Betts and What’s Up, reflecting on the unexpected adventures that come with working in space science. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-bill-nye-starSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Only six people have received The Planetary Society’s Cosmos Award for Outstanding Public Presentation of Science. We were honored to present it to author and historian Dava Sobel in May of 2025. She has created a brilliant library of books that illuminate the lives and work of great scientists, many of whom have been under-appreciated. Each of Dava’s works is also overflowing with the wonder of science and discovery. It’s no wonder we decided to feature Dava and her books in the Society book club. That month-long celebration was capped by a live, online interview conducted by Dava’s friend and fan Mat Kaplan.  Here’s that conversation.  Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-dava-sobelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pack your cosmic suitcase. This week on Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Mark McCaughrean, astronomer, science communicator, and former Senior Advisor for Science & Exploration at the European Space Agency, to talk about his new book, “111 Places in Space That You Must Not Miss.” Part of the popular “111 Places” travel series, the book transforms the guidebook format into a tour across the Solar System and beyond, from Apollo landing sites on the Moon to Europa’s hidden oceans, and even the afterglow of the Big Bang. Mark shares highlights from the book, stories from his career on missions like Hubble, Rosetta, and the James Webb Space Telescope, and reflections on how science and imagination come together to inspire exploration. And in this week’s What’s Up, Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins Sarah to talk about his brand-new children’s books, “The Size of Space” and “Are We Alone?,” part of our growing series with Lerner Publishing Group. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-111-places-in-spaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Planetary Radio, we look forward to International Observe the Moon Night on October 4, 2025. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with Staci Horvath, outreach coordinator for NASA’s Solar System Exploration Division at Goddard Space Flight Center and director of International Observe the Moon Night, and Theresa Summer, astronomy educator at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, about the history of the event, how it connects people around the world, and the many ways you can participate. We also hear from Kate Howells, public education specialist at The Planetary Society, about her new book, “Moons: The Mysteries and Marvels of Our Solar System,” which combines striking space images and original illustrations to showcase the surprising diversity of moons in our Solar System. And Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins Sarah for What’s Up with tips for observing the Moon and other wonders in the night sky. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-international-observe-the-moon-nightSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA, the crown jewel of 20th-century technocratic liberalism, was the first to land humans on the Moon but now depends on SpaceX for its access to space. Atlantic writer Franklin Foer believes this reflects a diminishment of national capability and that NASA was inadvertently responsible for its own decline. He traces this transformation from a collective pursuit of higher values to a more individualistic — and idiosyncratic — motivation based on utility and extraction, and ties it to a larger trend in American politics over the past 50 years. Along the way, Frank and host Casey Dreier discuss if Elon Musk is the antithesis of Carl Sagan, the tensions between individualism and collectivism in American politics, and the role of the romantic ideal in the symbolism of space exploration. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/franklin-foer-on-nasas-declineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, Uranus has puzzled scientists. Unlike the other giant planets, Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby suggested the ice giant emitted no excess heat. Now, thanks to new analyses of Voyager data, decades of ground-based and space-based observations, and refined models, scientists have confirmed that Uranus does radiate more heat than it receives from the Sun. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with atmospheric scientist Michael Roman (Assistant Professor at the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile) about his team’s new study showing Uranus emits around 12.5% more energy than it absorbs. Together, they explore what this means for our understanding of Uranus’s atmosphere, its bizarre seasonal cycles, the planet’s violent past, and why these findings strengthen the case for a future flagship mission to the Solar System’s overlooked ice giants.Stick around for What’s Up with Bruce Betts, Planetary Society chief scientist, for a look at Uranus’ newly discovered moon and a new random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-uranus-energy-balanceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BASILISK, the first esports organization dedicated to promoting science, has teamed up with The Planetary Society and Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter to bring the banner of “Science Victory” to gamers around the world. Their roster includes world champions in StarCraft II, chess, Magic: The Gathering, and fighting games, all united by a shared mission to inspire the next generation of scientists. Joining us to talk about this unique collaboration is Kyle Hill, award-winning science communicator and BASILISK’s head of science education and outreach. Kyle shares how his career in science communication led him from YouTube into the world of professional gaming, where science and play are coming together in powerful new ways. Then, stick around for What’s Up with Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, as we share our favorite space-themed video games and a new random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-basiliskSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2020, the YSES-1 system became the first directly imaged multiplanetary system around a Sun-like star. It features two giant exoplanets orbiting a star just 16 million years old. Now, the James Webb Space Telescope is revealing new insights into these distant worlds. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with Kielan Hoch, Giacconi Fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute and principal investigator of the JWST program that captured these observations, and Emily Rickman, ESA science operations scientist at STScI and member of the JWST Telescope Scientist Team for coronagraphy. They explore what makes this system so unusual, including a dusty circumplanetary disk around YSES-1b and high-altitude silicate clouds in the atmosphere of YSES-1c. Later in the show, Bruce Betts joins for What’s Up to talk about how future telescopes like the Habitable Worlds Observatory could help us image smaller, colder, and older planets. Discover more at:  https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-yses-1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Frank White has interviewed well over 100 astronauts. Almost all of them report the sense of awe they experienced as they looked down or back at Earth, and how deeply this has affected their understanding and appreciation of our planet and the Cosmos. It’s what author Frank White calls The Overview Effect. Frank joined Planetary Society Senior Communications Adviser Mat Kaplan for a deep conversation about the ideas he shares in his book of the same name, now in its fourth edition. Here’s a great introduction to the Universe-spanning yet very personal ideas Frank has shared.   Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-frank-whiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do “Star Trek,” space advocacy, and the fight to save NASA science have in common? In this episode of Planetary Radio, we share a special panel recorded live at STLV: Trek to Vegas 2025, featuring Robert Picardo, actor and Planetary Society board member who played the Emergency Medical Hologram on ”Star Trek: Voyager,” and Tim Russ, actor, telescope enthusiast, and Voyager’s Lt. Tuvok. They’re joined by Andrew Pauly, director of marketing at The Planetary Society, and Ambre Trujillo, the Society’s digital community manager, for a conversation about how science fiction inspires real-world space exploration — and how fans can take action to protect it. Later in the episode, Jack Kiraly, director of government relations at The Planetary Society, discusses the recent wave of NASA employee departures and what it could mean for the future of space science. Then, in What’s Up, our Chief Scientist Bruce Betts reflects on the end of NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-a-star-trek-futureSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.