Building Spaceships at SpaceX With Jeff RichichiLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Building Spaceships at SpaceX With Jeff RichichiLearn 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.

Building Spaceships at SpaceX With Jeff Richichi

How do astronauts get quality sleep in space? Erin Flynn-Evans, director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, joins Planetary Radio to explore how her team studies sleep, fatigue, and circadian rhythms to keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready. She shares how her team translates sleep science into actionable strategies for NASA crews, and how a chance job as a sleep technician led her on a path to spaceflight research.

Later in the show, Casey Dreier, The Planetary Society’s chief of space policy, and Jack Kiraly, our director of government relations, provide a quick update on NASA’s budget and what it means for the agency’s future. Then, Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, joins us for What’s Up to explore how and why our robotic spacecraft sometimes need to power down and rest.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-sleep-in-space

How do astronauts get quality sleep in space? Erin Flynn-Evans, director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, joins Planetary Radio to explore how her team studies sleep, fatigue, and circadian rhythms to keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready. She shares how her team translates sleep science into actionable strategies for NASA crews, and how a chance job as a sleep technician led her on a path to spaceflight research.
Later in the show, Casey Dreier, The Planetary Society&rsquo;s chief of space policy, and Jack Kiraly, our director of government relations, provide a quick update on NASA&rsquo;s budget and what it means for the agency&rsquo;s future. Then, Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, joins us for What&rsquo;s Up to explore how and why our robotic spacecraft sometimes need to power down and rest.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-sleep-in-space">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-sleep-in-space</a>

Erin Flynn-Evans, director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, shares how sleep science is helping astronauts stay healthy in space and prepare for future missions to Mars. 

The science of sleep in space

On July 14, 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made its historic flyby of Pluto, transforming our understanding of this distant world. Ten years later, we’re celebrating that iconic moment and the mission that made it possible.

We begin with Alan Stern, principal investigator of the New Horizons mission, who reflects on the mission’s origins, its most surprising discoveries, and what comes next as New Horizons continues its journey through the Kuiper Belt.

Then we check in with Adeene Denton, NASA postdoctoral program fellow at the Southwest Research Institute, who just returned from the “Progress in Understanding the Pluto System: 10 Years After Flyby” conference held at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Adeene shares highlights from the event, which brought together scientists to explore new results from New Horizons, JWST, Hubble, and ground-based observatories on Pluto, Charon, and the broader Kuiper Belt.

Finally, Planetary Society Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly joins us with a major update on the ongoing fight to protect NASA science from devastating budget cuts.

And don’t miss What’s Up with our Chief Scientist, Bruce Betts. We’re talking Arrokoth, the most distant Kuiper Belt object New Horizons visited after Pluto.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-new-horizons-pluto-flyby-10th-anniversary

On July 14, 2015, NASA&rsquo;s New Horizons spacecraft made its historic flyby of Pluto, transforming our understanding of this distant world. Ten years later, we&rsquo;re celebrating that iconic moment and the mission that made it possible.
We begin with Alan Stern, principal investigator of the New Horizons mission, who reflects on the mission&rsquo;s origins, its most surprising discoveries, and what comes next as New Horizons continues its journey through the Kuiper Belt.
Then we check in with Adeene Denton, NASA postdoctoral program fellow at the Southwest Research Institute, who just returned from the &ldquo;Progress in Understanding the Pluto System: 10 Years After Flyby&rdquo; conference held at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Adeene shares highlights from the event, which brought together scientists to explore new results from New Horizons, JWST, Hubble, and ground-based observatories on Pluto, Charon, and the broader Kuiper Belt.
Finally, Planetary Society Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly joins us with a major update on the ongoing fight to protect NASA science from devastating budget cuts.
And don&rsquo;t miss What&rsquo;s Up with our Chief Scientist, Bruce Betts. We&rsquo;re talking Arrokoth, the most distant Kuiper Belt object New Horizons visited after Pluto.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-new-horizons-pluto-flyby-10th-anniversary">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-new-horizons-pluto-flyby-10th-anniversary</a>

New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern joins us to celebrate the Pluto flyby’s 10th anniversary, with updates from planetary scientist Adeene Denton and Planetary Society Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly. Plus, a look at Arrokoth in What’s Up with Bruce Betts.

New Horizons: Celebrating a decade since the Pluto flyby

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.

Building Spaceships at SpaceX With Jeff Richichi

In 1 playlist(s)

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips