Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition cover image

Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition

Latest episodes

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Jul 4, 2025 • 60min

Are Democrats falling behind on space policy?

Our guest, Mary Guenther, argues that the Democratic Party is ceding leadership in space policy, and how linking space to jobs, supply chains, and climate could help refocus the party’s relationship with the Cosmos.
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Jun 27, 2025 • 1h 8min

NASA’s 2026 budget

Alicia Brown from the Commercial Space Federation and Brittany Webster from the American Geophysical Union join the show to discuss NASA’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.
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Jun 6, 2025 • 1h 16min

What does NASA need with an economist?

Former NASA chief economist Akhil Rao explains why NASA needs economic expertise to navigate the complex — and often misunderstood — market forces that will determine the success or failure of its private partnerships.
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May 2, 2025 • 1h 19min

How NASA remembers—and forgets

No one person knows how to build a spaceship. What happens to NASA’s collective knowledge when thousands of employees lose their jobs?
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Apr 4, 2025 • 1h 10min

Lies, damned lies, and space data

The space sector is data-rich but insight-poor. Jack Kuhr of Payload talks about how he turns raw numbers into real narratives.
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Mar 7, 2025 • 1h 18min

Locke, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (in space)

Can classical liberalism provide fresh insights to guide humanity’s activities in space? Philosopher Rebecca Lowe explains how it can.
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27 snips
Feb 7, 2025 • 1h 20min

Mars Sample Return, but at what (fixed) price?

Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, is passionate about interplanetary missions and unveils a $4B fixed-price plan for Mars Sample Return, revealing exciting new details about a Venus mission too. Richard French, Director of Business Development, discusses how an integrated team can slash costs while enhancing mission success. They dive into innovative retrieval systems and the intricate balance between commercial ventures and government projects, emphasizing the need for collaboration and efficient management to navigate the future of interplanetary exploration.
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Jan 3, 2025 • 1h 8min

The Challenges of Change at NASA

Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joins the show to discuss the motivations and risks of pursuing change at NASA - and how much change can ultimately happen with Congress holding the purse strings.
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Dec 13, 2024 • 47min

The Myth of Presidential Leadership

We revisit a classic book on the limits of presidential power in setting the nation’s space agenda and explore how the increasingly powerful executive branch might be rewriting those expectations.
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Nov 1, 2024 • 56min

NASA at a Crossroads

Norm Augustine, the distinguished aerospace industry veteran behind numerous influential studies, joins the show to discuss NASA at a Crossroads, the new report that raises alarm bells for NASA’s workforce, infrastructure, and technology capabilities.

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