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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
Titan
Human Spaceflight
Dava Sobel
Asteroids

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 weeklyEpisodes1345Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyScience

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Latest Episodes

NASA's plan for what comes after the International Space Station (ISS) has been anything but stable. Since 2019, the agency's commercial space station strategy has shifted from free-flying vendor-operated stations to a government-owned module attache... more

YouTube

After more than two decades, the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover finally has a path to the launchpad. This week, ExoMars Project Scientist Jorge Vago joins Planetary Radio to talk about what makes this mission like nothing we've sent ... more

YouTube

China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft has successfully arrived at Kamoʻoalewa—a tiny, enigmatic "quasi-satellite" that dances along with Earth on its trek around the Sun. A fascinating scientific debate is heating up over this object's true identity: is it a ... more

YouTube

This outstanding novella, “To Be Taught, If Fortunate” by award-winning science fiction author Becky Chambers, is a passionate argument for the human exploration of space and the wonders we will find there. Kirkus Reviews calls it, “An extraordinary ... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Becky Chambers
Author of To Be Taught, If Fortunate
Self-published author / Monk and Robot universe
Episode: Book Club Edition: “To Be Taught, If Fortunate” with Becky Chambers
Elizabeth Turtle
Principal Investigator on Dragonfly, planetary scientist
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)
Episode: Flying on Titan: The engineering of Dragonfly
Felipe Ruiz
Lead Rotor Engineer on Dragonfly
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Episode: Flying on Titan: The engineering of Dragonfly
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
Bryce Bolin
Professional astronomer, co-author on 3I Atlas
LAAS / 3I Atlas project
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

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 States6 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
    Canada7 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 Statesa year 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
#63
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#72
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#95
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#108
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#229
Italy/Science
Apple Podcasts
#70
Mexico/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Book Club Edition: “To Be Taught, If Fortunate” with Becky Chambers
Q: Becky, is there any specific type of advancement in space you'd like to see in the near future? Habitation of another planet, proof of intelligent life elsewhere?
Her reply emphasized a desire to find microbes first and foremost; even discovering microbial life would be thrilling, with grandiose discoveries like intelligent life or inhabited worlds being less mandatory for fulfillment. The broader theme is curiosity-driven progress, with a preference for incremental, tangible gains that science can explain and verify.
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.

Audience Metrics

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

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Gender Skew
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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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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Universe Today Podcast
2. Astronomy Cast
3. SpaceTime with Stuart Gary
4. The Supermassive Podcast
5. Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries

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this podcast launched 21 years ago and published 1345 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. Becky Chambers
2. Elizabeth Turtle
3. Felipe Ruiz
4. Liz Genexy
5. Eileen Collins
6. Laura Mae Abrone
7. Lewis Chilton
8. Bryce Bolin

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