Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

NASA's Europa Clipper mission launched on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, embarking on a journey to explore Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. This week, Planetary Radio welcomes Bob Pappalardo, the mission's project scientist, who recounts the team's dramatic encounter with Hurricane Milton before their triumphant launch. Plus, get a sneak peek at The Planetary Society's upcoming collaboration with StarTalk as Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium, visits The Planetary Society's headquarters. As always, Bruce Betts wraps up with What's Up, featuring a beautiful member-submitted poem and an intriguing random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-europa-clipper-blasts-offSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Planetary Radio offers advice for students pursuing higher education in space-related fields. Elizabeth Koenck, a Zed Factor Fellow, shares how her internship at The Planetary Society has helped her pursue a future in space policy. Sara Miller, the organizer of AbGradCon and a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell, discusses how to best leverage conferences and build community. Then, Briley Lewis, a recent Ph.D. graduate at UCLA and a correspondent at STARtorialist, will teach you how to survive grad school. Stick around for What's Up with Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, as he shares more about The Planetary Society's new book series for kids. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-space-students-guide See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jupiter's moon Europa is one of the most promising targets in the search for life. The Planetary Society and space advocates around the world fought to make Europa Clipper a reality. This week, we learn more about the tumultuous history of the mission with Casey Dreier, our chief of space policy. Mat Kaplan, senior communications adviser, gives an update on the successful launch of the European Space Agency's Hera mission and the delayed launch of Europa Clipper due to Hurricane Milton. Then, Bruce Betts, chief scientist at The Planetary Society, discusses two opportunities to view comets in the October sky in What's Up. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-clippers-championsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lori Garver, former NASA Deputy Administrator and author of "Escaping Gravity," shares her insights on the space policy priorities of a potential Harris Administration. She discusses Kamala Harris's role in shaping commercial space regulations and the challenges NASA faces with budget cuts and international competition, particularly from China. Garver emphasizes the balance needed between competition and collaboration in space exploration, advocating for meaningful objectives that align with societal needs and sustainable initiatives.

Joining the discussion are Michael Küppers, the project scientist for ESA's Hera spacecraft, Ambre Trujillo, digital community manager at The Planetary Society, and Bruce Betts, chief scientist at The Planetary Society. They delve into the upcoming Hera mission to study Dimorphos, exploring its significance for planetary defense. The conversation also highlights NASA's Europa Clipper challenge, blending creativity with space science. Plus, there's excitement about a potential meteor shower in 2034 and reflections on the importance of public support for NASA.

We return to the 2024 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium for part two of our coverage. Astronaut and NIAC external council member Mae Jemison honors Lou Friedman, the co-founder of The Planetary Society, for his contributions to the space community and the NIAC program. Then Kenneth Carpenter from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and his colleagues pitch their plan for an Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager. Steven Benner from the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution and his team tell us about their plan for an add-on to large-scale water mining operations on Mars to screen for introduced and alien life. We close out with Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, in What's Up, as we celebrate LightSail 2 being announced as one of the winners of this year's Gizmodo Science Fair.  Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-niac-part-2See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us on a journey to the 2024 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium. We'll hear from the teams behind two NIAC projects that could help us study distant planets and potentially reach them ourselves. Marshall Eubanks from Space Initiatives, Inc. and his colleagues will introduce us to their concept for a swarm of laser sailing pico spacecraft that could travel interstellar distances. Then Ryan Sprenger from Fauna Bio Inc. joins us to discuss how hibernation could help humans reach other worlds. Then, our chief scientist, Bruce Betts, joins us for What's Up and a new random space fact. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-niac-part-1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vince Ledvina, known as the Aurora Guy, shares his passion for the enchanting phenomenon of auroras and their connection to solar activity. He discusses the excitement of chasing auroras during solar maximum, the unique conditions on planets that create these light displays, and even personal experiences from his research in Alaska. The conversation also touches on the role of citizen science in aurora photography and the contrasting auroras found on Earth and Mars, making for a captivating exploration of these cosmic wonders.

Dr. Greg Autry, who served on Trump’s NASA transition team in 2016 and was nominated for the position of NASA CFO in 2020, joins the show to discuss the space policy issues facing a potential second Trump administration in 2025. We discuss the role of competition versus cooperation in space exploration, how space politics have changed since Trump’s first term, and what major issues at NASA must be faced by the next presidential administration. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/space-policy-issues-second-trump-termSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With less than two months to go until the highly anticipated launch of NASA's Europa Clipper mission, we take a look back at over twenty years of Planetary Radio episodes about Jupiter's most intriguing moon. You'll hear from Elizabeth 'Zibi' Turtle, planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, Bob Pappalardo, project scientist for Europa Clipper, and many more, as we reflect on all of the dreams and science it took to make the upcoming mission a reality. Then, Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, joins in for What's Up as host Sarah Al-Ahmed gears up for next week's NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts symposium.  Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-europa-in-reflectionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.