Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

A ninth planet may be lurking in our Solar System out beyond Neptune. Caltech's Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin join us to discuss their new paper, the latest evidence for Planet 9, and why they believe their hunt may soon be over. Then, Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, joins us for What's Up and an Olympic-themed random space fact.  Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-hide-and-seek-planet-9See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do we explore space? This is not an easy question to answer. Yet policy expert G. Ryan Faith believes there is value to be had in communal engagement with this question. While easy answers may elude us, the act of defining our values and goals in space can help avoid common pitfalls and dead ends in our exploration efforts, ensuring a continued commitment to space for generations to come. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-philosophy-of-space-exploration-ryan-faithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA's Perseverance rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars: a sample that may hold evidence of ancient microbial life. This week, we visit the Tenth International Conference on Mars, where you'll hear from several Mars scientists, including Caltech's Ken Farley, Perseverance project scientist, Meenakshi Wadhwa and Brandi Carrier, the principal scientist and lead sample integrity scientist for Mars Sample Return at NASA JPL. We'll also discuss the recent cancellation of NASA's VIPER lunar mission with our director of government relations, Jack Kiraly. Before we go, we'll turn to Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society for What's Up, as he shares a new cometary random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-tenth-marsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fans of Venus were saddened in late 2022 to learn that one of NASA's upcoming Venus missions, VERITAS, was defunded, but with the help of space advocates, the mission is now back on. Darby Dyar, the deputy principal investigator for VERITAS, returns triumphantly to Planetary Radio to share the story. We also take a look at the new U.S. House of Representatives budget request for NASA and how it will impact programs like Artemis and Mars Sample Return with Casey Dreier, our chief of space policy. We'll close out our show with Olympic cheer as Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, shares a new random space fact in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-victory-for-veritasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We celebrate the second anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) science operations with Christine Chen, associate astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute. She describes the observatory's newest beautiful image, a close-up of two interacting galaxies called the Penguin and the Egg. Then, she tells us more about her team's recent findings in the Beta Pictoris system, where clearing dust indicates a recent and powerful asteroid collision. We also go back to the early solar system with Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, discussing the massive collisions that shaped our place in space in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-penguin-egg-and-asteroidSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Planetary Society introduces the newest member of its board of directors this week on Planetary Radio. Newton Campbell Jr., the director of the Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE) Consortium, discusses his career journey, AI in space, and Australia's first lunar rover, the Roo-ver. But first, we go to Washington D.C., U.S.A., where our director of government relations, Jack Kiraly, recently held a briefing for Congressional staffers. Jack discusses the event and the efforts to boost funding for NASA in the coming fiscal year. Then, Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, shares a new galactic space fact in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-meet-roo-ver See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every major NASA center built after the agency’s inception is located in the American South. Why? Dr. Brian Odom, NASA’s chief historian, joins the show to explore the relationship between NASA and the South, how politics and geography led to this focus, and why NASA’s expansion during the Apollo era was likened to a second reconstruction of a previously rural and underdeveloped region of the United States. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-nasa-and-the-american-southSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessie Christiansen, NASA Exoplanet Archive project scientist, discusses the astonishing variety of over 5,500 discovered exoplanets. The podcast also covers the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory, challenges in exoplanet detection, potential signs of life on Earth-like planets, and the significance of analyzing atmospheric gases for habitability.

Every year on June 30, the space community observes Asteroid Day, the anniversary of the Tunguska blast. Markus Payer, Asteroid Foundation Chair, joins us to talk about this year's Asteroid Day festivities. We also get an update on the results of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) with Terik Daly, a planetary scientist and the Planetary Impact Laboratory manager at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. He’ll tell us more about the aftermath of DART’s smashing encounter with asteroid Dimorphos. Then Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, discusses what The Planetary Society’s asteroid-hunting grant winners have been up and in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-asteroid-bash-smashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Sun is nearing the most active part of its solar cycle. This week, we explore recent solar activity and discoveries from NASA's Parker Solar Probe with Nour Rawafi, the mission's project scientist. But first, we honor the life and legacy of Ed Stone, the former director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the longtime project scientist of the Voyager mission. We close out our show with Bruce Betts, the chief scientist of The Planetary Society, in What's Up.  Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-parker-solar-probeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.