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Artwork for Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

The Planetary Society
NASA
Space Exploration
Planetary Society
Mars
Space Policy
Astrobiology
Europa Clipper
Artemis Program
James Webb Space Telescope
Carl Sagan
Europa
Spacex
Enceladus
Jupiter
Planetary Defense
Astronomy
Human Spaceflight
Dava Sobel
Asteroids
Titan

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our Solar System and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts who are taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye the Science Guy and Bruce Betts as ... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes1340Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyScience

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Artwork for Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Latest Episodes

Between budget battles, proposed grant rule changes, and an exploding Blue Origin rocket, there's a lot to cover in U.S. space policy right now. Jack Kiraly, The Planetary Society's director of government relations, joins host Sarah Al-Ahmed to walk ... more

The White House's Office of Management and Budget has released a sweeping 400-page proposed rule change that would fundamentally alter how the U.S. federal government manages grants, affecting everything from NASA research to biomedical science and c... more

YouTube

Colonel Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot and command a Space Shuttle, and the person NASA trusted to lead the program back into space after the loss of Columbia. But her story is about so much more than the milestones.

In this episode, S... more

YouTube

The Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS) is one of the oldest and largest amateur astronomy clubs in the United States, and this year, it’s turning 100. To mark the occasion, the LAAS threw a centennial star party on the lawn of Griffith Observato... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Liz Genexy
Former NIH program officer; writer with a focus on science policy
National Institutes of Health / Substack writer
Episode: Space Policy Edition: A proposal to stifle American science
Eileen Collins
Former NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle commander
NASA
Episode: Spacewoman with Eileen Collins
Laura Mae Abrone
Vice President of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society and Centennial Committee Chair
Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS)
Episode: Los Angeles Astronomical Society celebrates 100 years of looking up
Lewis Chilton
Historian of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society
LAAS
Episode: Los Angeles Astronomical Society celebrates 100 years of looking up
Geovani Somoza
Volunteer at Planetary Society, works at Mount Wilson and Griffith Observatories
Planetary Society / Mount Wilson Observatory / Griffith Observatory
Episode: Los Angeles Astronomical Society celebrates 100 years of looking up
Amy Williams
Astrobiologist and associate professor at the University of Florida
University of Florida / Planetary Science Team
Episode: Twenty organic molecules found in an ancient Martian rock
Diane Ackerman
Author, poet and science communicator
Author, dianneackerman.com
Episode: Book Club Edition: Diane Ackerman and “The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral”
Julianna Charlene Kolczynski
First-time advocate from Virginia
Planetary Society
Episode: Igniting Discovery: A showcase of NASA-funded research
Megan McKeown
Director of Government Affairs
Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
Episode: Igniting Discovery: A showcase of NASA-funded research

Hosts

Matt Kaplan
Host and producer focused on space policy, communication, and planetary science, affiliated with the Planetary Society.
Casey Dreier
Chief of Space Policy; frequent host on policy-focused editions, with emphasis on advocacy and audience engagement.
Sarah Al-Ahmed
Host of Planetary Radio, facilitating interviews with scientists, engineers, and policy experts.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 2.2k ratings
  • Ad Astra for Real

    Planetary Radio is the most hopeful, and the most humane, place on the internet. Every episode gives us a chance to feel connected, included, and welcomed, whoever we may be or wherever we may be coming from. Every episode gives us a chance to experience awe. This is what it means to be one human family, headed inexorably Ad Astra. I am so grateful for the weekly reminder of what we can be when we're at our best and doing great things together <3

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    yuhfdfbged
    United States5 months ago
  • Excellent podcast

    Fascinating topics given by enthusiastic hosts. Could listen all day to programs like this!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    I’m they
    Canada6 months ago
  • So inspiring, well produced!

    I've listened to this podcast and every episode grabs me by the *****. Just bought the Moons book after hearing about it here! Keep up the great production!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    coolfactor
    Canada6 months ago
  • Ripples

    Non-white men? Racist nonsense.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    MarkChicagoIL
    United States8 months ago
  • Republicans are raising taxes for middle class and poor

    Casey begs for the listeners to become a member and donate to them on one hand, while he promotes billionaires’ business ventures on another hand.

    Republicans keep raising taxes for regular people, by way of tariffs, and lowering taxes for rich people, by way of the Big Beautiful Bill, making regular people even poorer. But that doesn’t stop this podcast from begging for more donations from regular people. Somehow the rich keep getting richer while the rest of us keep getting screwed.

    This i... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Fatty2820
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some reviews push back on perceived emphasis on policy or personalities over pure science.
Critics note gaps where political bias is perceived by some audiences.
Listeners praise accessible, hopeful space storytelling and thorough interviews.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#116
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#122
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#156
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#153
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#30
South Korea/Science
Apple Podcasts
#33
Poland/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Book Club Edition: Founder and CEO Peter Beck on The Launch of Rocket Lab
Q: What lessons came from the Electron near-miss during its first launch, and how did that shape Rocket Lab?
The near-miss underscored that even skilled teams can make critical mistakes; it reinforced the importance of meticulous internal checks and learning from failures to build a culture of reliability and continuous improvement.
Artemis II launches to the Moon
Q: What makes Artemis II a historic step for human spaceflight?
Artemis II represents the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo, with a multinational crew and a modern spacecraft stack, marking a pivotal move toward returning humans to the Moon and establishing long-term exploration.
Artemis II’s AVATAR and a sungrazing comet
Q: What can you tell us about Comet MAPS, its Kreutz lineage, and what observers should expect as it approaches perihelion?
Comet MAPS is a Kreutz sungrazer with a potentially dramatic fate near the Sun. Depending on its survival through perihelion, it could become visible in daylight or with a striking tail, particularly benefiting southern hemisphere observers in the second week of April.
Artemis II’s AVATAR and a sungrazing comet
Q: How does the MAPS program actually work, and what have been some of its key software and hardware innovations?
MAPS uses a pipeline of software to move telescopes, select fields, stack hundreds of images, and compute asteroid vectors. Innovations include synthetic tracking to keep moving objects on a pixel, CMOS cameras for sensitivity, GPU-based processing, and TECO Tracker for orbit confirmation and MPC submissions.
Artemis II’s AVATAR and a sungrazing comet
Q: So what has Avatar meant for NASA's approach to testing human biology in space, and why bone marrow as a model is particularly informative?
Avatar provides a realistic, human-relevant model of how the immune system and hematopoietic tissue respond to deep-space conditions. Bone marrow is extremely radiosensitive and linked to immune function, so studying it through organ chips helps predict health risks and tailor countermeasures for astronauts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across recent episodes, the show centers on space exploration, policy, and science communication, with conversations ranging from Artemis II and NASA funding to planetary science, education outreach, and the ethics of exploration. Guests often include scientists, policy experts, engineers, and advocates who illuminate how funding, governance, and public engagement shape our path to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Notable strengths include accessible explanations of complex missions, strong emphasis on advocacy and policy, and a consistent commitment to science storytelling that connects research to real-world impact. The format frequently blends technical detail with human-interest narratives, memorable anecdotes, and timely updates on missions... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Universe Today Podcast
2. The Supermassive Podcast
3. Astronomy Cast
4. SpaceTime with Stuart Gary
5. The 365 Days of Astronomy

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 21 years ago and published 1340 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Liz Genexy
2. Eileen Collins
3. Laura Mae Abrone
4. Lewis Chilton
5. Geovani Somoza
6. Amy Williams
7. Diane Ackerman
8. Julianna Charlene Kolczynski

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