Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

They uncover the mystery of lunar volcanism, discussing the peculiarities of lunar volcanic rock formation and the importance of understanding the moon's geothermal gradient. They explore the unique hotspot on the far side of the moon called Compton-Belkovich and its higher concentration of thorium. They also discuss the correlation between microwave brightness temperatures and geothermal heat flux in the lunar hotspot. Moreover, they delve into the presence of a lunar hot spot on the Moon, its temperature, geothermal heat detection, and the possibility of utilizing lunar resources for energy production. Finally, they discuss living in a dense atmospheric condition, encourage listener engagement, and give updates on upcoming space events.

Phosphorus, a key ingredient for life on Earth, has been detected in the ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus. This discovery marks the first time phosphorus has been found in an ocean off of Earth. Chris Glein, a lead scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, joins Planetary Radio to talk about the discovery and its implications for the search for life. Then Bruce Betts shares what's up in the night sky this week. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-phosphorus-in-enceladus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caltech's Jay Dickson joins the podcast to discuss the formation of gullies on Mars, focusing on the planet's changing axial tilt and the consequences of Martian climate change. Bruce Betts shares updates on space news and highlights the oldest person to ever travel to space. The podcast also explores the presence of ice on Mars and discusses William Shatner's suborbital flight on Blue Origin.

Get ready for a journey across the rivers of our Solar System in this week's Planetary Radio. Sam Birch, an assistant professor at Brown University, explores what we know about the alluvial rivers of Earth, Mars, and Saturn’s moon Titan. Stay tuned for the What's Up segment with Bruce Betts and the last question in our on-air space trivia contest. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-rivers-of-earth-mars-and-titan See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We check in on the congressional budget process for NASA, Mars Sample Return’s spiraling cost growth, and the impending end of the regulatory holiday for human commercial space launch companies. Jack Kiraly, director of government relations for The Planetary Society, joins host Casey Dreier to provide the latest insight and analysis on these issues. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/summer-2023-congressional-statusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's going to take a lot of collaboration to get humans to Mars, but we're up for the challenge. This week on Planetary Radio, Mat Kaplan, senior communications adviser at The Planetary Society, takes us to the 2023 Humans to Mars Summit in Washington, D.C. We'll share his conversation with three NASA Associate Administrators, Nicola Fox, James Free, and James Reuter about the international, commercial, and robotic collaboration it will take to put the first humans on the Red Planet. Then Bruce Betts and Sarah Al-Ahmed share What's Up in the night sky and a chance to win a grab bag of prizes in one of our last space trivia contests. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-humans-to-mars See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some solar mysteries, like the origin of the fast solar wind, can only be solved by getting up close and personal with the Sun. James Drake from the University of Maryland joins Planetary Radio this week to talk about the latest results from NASA's Parker Solar Probe as it soars closer to our star than any spacecraft in history. We share what to look forward to in the night sky and a Parker Solar Probe-themed question in our space trivia contest. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-fast-solar-windSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Durisen, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy from Indiana University Bloomington, and Paul Estrada, Research Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, discuss their research on the surprisingly recent formation of Saturn's rings and why they are disappearing over time. They explore the findings about the rings' age, composition, and structural evolution. The chapter also highlights the importance of the Cassini mission in providing detailed information about Saturn's rings. The chapter concludes with the discussion of future missions to study Saturn's rings and the emotional reflection on the end of the Cassini mission.

Justin Spilker and his colleagues at Texas A&M University have detected the oldest and most distant organic molecules in the known Universe using the James Webb Space Telescope. Justin joins Planetary Radio to talk about the discovery and what it means for our understanding of star formation in the early Universe. We also share what to spot in the night sky this week and pay homage to the first women in space in this week’s What’s Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-oldest-organic-molecules See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarafina El-Badry Nance joins Planetary Radio to discuss her new book, Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark. We share a beautiful poem about exploration that will soon be on its way to Europa and let you know how you can put your name on the upcoming Europa Clipper mission. Then we check in with Bruce Betts for What's Up and an update on this week's night sky. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2023-starstruckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.