Join Mat Kaplan and other Aurora “virgins” as they seek the Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska, and meet retired rocketeer and Director of the Poker Flat Research Range, Neal BrownLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Mat Kaplan and other Aurora “virgins” as they seek the Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska, and meet retired rocketeer and Director of the Poker Flat Research Range, Neal BrownLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

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 they dive deep into space science and exploration. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway where the future of the US space program hangs in the balance. Visit planetary.org/radio for an episode guide and much more.

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 they dive deep into space science and exploration. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway where the future of the US space program hangs in the balance. Visit planetary.org/radio for an episode guide and much more.

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

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 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, chief scientist for The Planetary Society, as they dive deep into the latest space news. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway with Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly to discuss the politics of space exploration in the US and advocacy actions you can take to support the missions that matter. Visit planetary.org/radio for the space trivia contest, an episode guide, and much more.

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 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, chief scientist for The Planetary Society, as they dive deep into the latest space news. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway with Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly to discuss the politics of space exploration in the US and advocacy actions you can take to support the missions that matter. Visit planetary.org/radio for the space trivia contest, an episode guide, and much more.

Alaskan Aurora Adventure!

Author Andy Weir was as shocked as anyone when The Martian became a top bestseller novel in the US. He repeated that achievement with his equally mind-blowing science fiction masterpiece Project Hail Mary. Former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan welcomed Andy in April of 2023 for the first livestreamed author conversation in The Planetary Society's member book club. Now, with the film version of Project Hail Mary approaching, we’re proud to begin making these insider interviews available to Planetary Radio listeners. We’ll post them on the third Friday of each month. Join us as we talk with Andy about his obsession with getting the science right while his reluctant and unlikely hero attempts to save humanity from a deep space scourge.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-andy-weir

Author Andy Weir was as shocked as anyone when The Martian became a top bestseller novel in the US. He repeated that achievement with his equally mind-blowing science fiction masterpiece Project Hail Mary. Former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan welcomed Andy in April of 2023 for the first livestreamed author conversation in The Planetary Society's member book club. Now, with the film version of Project Hail Mary approaching, we&rsquo;re proud to begin making these insider interviews available to Planetary Radio listeners. We&rsquo;ll post them on the third Friday of each month. Join us as we talk with Andy about his obsession with getting the science right while his reluctant and unlikely hero attempts to save humanity from a deep space scourge.
Discover more at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-andy-weir">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-andy-weir</a>

Bestselling science fiction author Andy Weir joins The Planetary Society’s Mat Kaplan for a deeply fascinating and very entertaining conversation about his #1 bestselling novel, Project Hail Mary, soon to be a major motion picture.

Book Club Edition: Andy Weir and Project Hail Mary

What happens when scientists, students, space communicators, and refugee engineers float together in zero gravity? Former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan joins a remarkable group of flyers aboard a Zero-G flight organized by Space for Humanity. You’ll hear from participants and mentors including Emily Calandrelli, Sian Proctor, and Roxy Williams, as well as Space for Humanity Executive Director Antonio Peronace and Zero-G CEO Kevin Sproge. Together, they share how a few moments of weightlessness offered a powerful shift in perspective. We explore the mission to make space more inclusive, the awe of the “overview effect,” and what it means to carry that inspiration back down to Earth. Then, Bruce Betts joins us for What’s Up.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-mat-kaplan-zero-g

What happens when scientists, students, space communicators, and refugee engineers float together in zero gravity? Former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan joins a remarkable group of flyers aboard a Zero-G flight organized by Space for Humanity. You&rsquo;ll hear from participants and mentors including Emily Calandrelli, Sian Proctor, and Roxy Williams, as well as Space for Humanity Executive Director Antonio Peronace and Zero-G CEO Kevin Sproge. Together, they share how a few moments of weightlessness offered a powerful shift in perspective. We explore the mission to make space more inclusive, the awe of the &ldquo;overview effect,&rdquo; and what it means to carry that inspiration back down to Earth. Then, Bruce Betts joins us for What&rsquo;s Up.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-mat-kaplan-zero-g">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-mat-kaplan-zero-g</a>

Former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan joins Space for Humanity and Zero-G for a flight that brings weightlessness and wonder to a diverse group of space dreamers. Hear voices from the flight and reflections on what it means to open space to everyone.

Mat Kaplan’s first flight in zero-G

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has shared its first public images, revealing millions of galaxies, stars, and asteroids in stunning detail. Stephanie Deppe, astronomy content strategist at Rubin Observatory, joins us to explain what makes these images so revolutionary, how the observatory works, and what’s coming next as Rubin prepares for its ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time.

Later in the show, we reflect on the life and legacy of the observatory’s namesake, Vera Rubin, the groundbreaking astronomer who provided the first convincing evidence of dark matter. Jess Soto, STEM Strategies Coordinator at Mount Wilson Observatory and creator of Science Women Shirts, reflects on Rubin’s efforts to open up opportunities for women in space science.

Then we close out the show with Bruce Betts in our regular What’s Up segment, featuring the discovery of a brand-new interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, the third known object to travel through our Solar System from interstellar space.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-first-images-rubin-observatory

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has shared its first public images, revealing millions of galaxies, stars, and asteroids in stunning detail. Stephanie Deppe, astronomy content strategist at Rubin Observatory, joins us to explain what makes these images so revolutionary, how the observatory works, and what&rsquo;s coming next as Rubin prepares for its ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time.
Later in the show, we reflect on the life and legacy of the observatory&rsquo;s namesake, Vera Rubin, the groundbreaking astronomer who provided the first convincing evidence of dark matter. Jess Soto, STEM Strategies Coordinator at Mount Wilson Observatory and creator of Science Women Shirts, reflects on Rubin&rsquo;s efforts to open up opportunities for women in space science.
Then we close out the show with Bruce Betts in our regular What&rsquo;s Up segment, featuring the discovery of a brand-new interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, the third known object to travel through our Solar System from interstellar space.
Discover more at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-first-images-rubin-observatory">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-first-images-rubin-observatory</a>

The Rubin Observatory releases its first public images, revealing millions of celestial objects. We explore the science with Stephanie Deppe, astronomy content strategist at Rubin Observatory.

Alaskan Aurora Adventure!

In 1 playlist(s)

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips