Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

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.

Just three interstellar objects have ever been detected in our Solar System, each arriving from the depths of interstellar space. In this episode, we explore the latest: 3I/ATLAS, a newly discovered interstellar comet first spotted on July 1, 2025. Bryce Bolin, research scientist at Eureka Scientific, joins host Sarah Al-Ahmed to share what makes this object special. As one of the few astronomers who has studied all three known interstellar objects—1I/ʻOumuamua, 2I/Borisov, and now 3I/ATLAS—he offers unique insight into how these rare visitors expand our understanding of planetary systems beyond our own. We also check in with Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, for a look at the upcoming ESA and JAXA’s Comet Interceptor mission, which may one day chase down a future interstellar comet. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-3i-atlasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2020s will be a decisive decade for in-space nuclear power. So argues Dr. Bhavya Lal, whose new report reframes the conversation around a simple idea: power, not propulsion, is nuclear's most immediate and disruptive capability. Power is what enables humans to stay and build on distant locales; without an abundance of it, she warns, we will never be more than visitors. But in an era of super heavy-lift capability, does this vision still require a nuclear solution, or can we simply brute-force our future in space with cheaper alternatives? Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/bhavya-lal-space-nuclear-powerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do astronauts get quality sleep in space? Erin Flynn-Evans, director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, joins Planetary Radio to explore how her team studies sleep, fatigue, and circadian rhythms to keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready. She shares how her team translates sleep science into actionable strategies for NASA crews, and how a chance job as a sleep technician led her on a path to spaceflight research. Later in the show, Casey Dreier, The Planetary Society’s chief of space policy, and Jack Kiraly, our director of government relations, provide a quick update on NASA’s budget and what it means for the agency’s future. Then, Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, joins us for What’s Up to explore how and why our robotic spacecraft sometimes need to power down and rest. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-sleep-in-spaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 14, 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made its historic flyby of Pluto, transforming our understanding of this distant world. Ten years later, we’re celebrating that iconic moment and the mission that made it possible. We begin with Alan Stern, principal investigator of the New Horizons mission, who reflects on the mission’s origins, its most surprising discoveries, and what comes next as New Horizons continues its journey through the Kuiper Belt. Then we check in with Adeene Denton, NASA postdoctoral program fellow at the Southwest Research Institute, who just returned from the “Progress in Understanding the Pluto System: 10 Years After Flyby” conference held at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Adeene shares highlights from the event, which brought together scientists to explore new results from New Horizons, JWST, Hubble, and ground-based observatories on Pluto, Charon, and the broader Kuiper Belt. Finally, Planetary Society Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly joins us with a major update on the ongoing fight to protect NASA science from devastating budget cuts. And don’t miss What’s Up with our Chief Scientist, Bruce Betts. We’re talking Arrokoth, the most distant Kuiper Belt object New Horizons visited after Pluto. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-new-horizons-pluto-flyby-10th-anniversarySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Andy Weir was as shocked as anyone when The Martian became a top bestseller novel in the US. He repeated that achievement with his equally mind-blowing science fiction masterpiece Project Hail Mary. Former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan welcomed Andy in April of 2023 for the first livestreamed author conversation in The Planetary Society's member book club. Now, with the film version of Project Hail Mary approaching, we’re proud to begin making these insider interviews available to Planetary Radio listeners. We’ll post them on the third Friday of each month. Join us as we talk with Andy about his obsession with getting the science right while his reluctant and unlikely hero attempts to save humanity from a deep space scourge. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-andy-weirSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when scientists, students, space communicators, and refugee engineers float together in zero gravity? Former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan joins a remarkable group of flyers aboard a Zero-G flight organized by Space for Humanity. You’ll hear from participants and mentors including Emily Calandrelli, Sian Proctor, and Roxy Williams, as well as Space for Humanity Executive Director Antonio Peronace and Zero-G CEO Kevin Sproge. Together, they share how a few moments of weightlessness offered a powerful shift in perspective. We explore the mission to make space more inclusive, the awe of the “overview effect,” and what it means to carry that inspiration back down to Earth. Then, Bruce Betts joins us for What’s Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-mat-kaplan-zero-gSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has shared its first public images, revealing millions of galaxies, stars, and asteroids in stunning detail. Stephanie Deppe, astronomy content strategist at Rubin Observatory, joins us to explain what makes these images so revolutionary, how the observatory works, and what’s coming next as Rubin prepares for its ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time. Later in the show, we reflect on the life and legacy of the observatory’s namesake, Vera Rubin, the groundbreaking astronomer who provided the first convincing evidence of dark matter. Jess Soto, STEM Strategies Coordinator at Mount Wilson Observatory and creator of Science Women Shirts, reflects on Rubin’s efforts to open up opportunities for women in space science. Then we close out the show with Bruce Betts in our regular What’s Up segment, featuring the discovery of a brand-new interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, the third known object to travel through our Solar System from interstellar space. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-first-images-rubin-observatorySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have Democrats ceded leadership in space policy? That’s what Mary Guenther believes. She’s the Director of Space Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute and the author of an editorial that claims Democrats have ceded their leadership. She traces the party’s arc from Obama-era reforms to recent data showing that Democrats introduced a third fewer space bills than Republicans in recent years, and proposes ways that the party should embrace this forward-looking field while tying it to their core issues of job creation, supply chains, and climate science.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.