BASILISK, the first esports organization dedicated to promoting science, has teamed up with The Planetary Society and Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter to bring the banner of “Science Victory” to gamers around the world. Their roster includes world champions in StarCraft II, chess, Magic: The Gathering, and fighting games, all united by a shared mission to inspire the next generation of scientists. Joining us to talk about this unique collaboration is Kyle Hill, award-winning science communicator and BASILISK’s head of science education and outreach. Kyle shares how his career in science communication led him from YouTube into the world of professional gaming, where science and play are coming together in powerful new ways. Then, stick around for What’s Up with Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, as we share our favorite space-themed video games and a new random space fact.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-basilisk

BASILISK, the first esports organization dedicated to promoting science, has teamed up with The Planetary Society and Caltech&rsquo;s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter to bring the banner of &ldquo;Science Victory&rdquo; to gamers around the world. Their roster includes world champions in StarCraft II, chess, Magic: The Gathering, and fighting games, all united by a shared mission to inspire the next generation of scientists. Joining us to talk about this unique collaboration is Kyle Hill, award-winning science communicator and BASILISK&rsquo;s head of science education and outreach. Kyle shares how his career in science communication led him from YouTube into the world of professional gaming, where science and play are coming together in powerful new ways. Then, stick around for What&rsquo;s Up with Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, as we share our favorite space-themed video games and a new random space fact.
Discover more at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-basilisk">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-basilisk</a>

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.

What happens when pro gaming and space science collide? Kyle Hill, head of science education and outreach for the esports team BASILISK, joins us to share how the team is inspiring the next generation of scientists. 

Esports and space: BASILISK’s quest for “Science Victory”

It was such a delight to feature work by our own Kate Howells in The Planetary Society’s member book club. We keep Kate busy as our public education specialist, but she found time to write about many of her favorite natural satellites in this richly illustrated edition. Join her and book club host Mat Kaplan for a journey taking us from our own Moon, past Europa, Titan, and many more, and out across a galaxy that is no doubt full of worlds circling other worlds. 

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-kate-howells

It was such a delight to feature work by our own Kate Howells in The Planetary Society&rsquo;s member book club. We keep Kate busy as our public education specialist, but she found time to write about many of her favorite natural satellites in this richly illustrated edition. Join her and book club host Mat Kaplan for a journey taking us from our own Moon, past Europa, Titan, and many more, and out across a galaxy that is no doubt full of worlds circling other worlds.&nbsp;
Discover more at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-kate-howells">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-kate-howells</a>

The Planetary Society’s Kate Howells has written this beautifully illustrated trek among our Solar System’s most intriguing and mysterious moons.

Book Club Edition: MOONS: The Mysteries and Marvels of our Solar System by Kate Howells

Thirty years ago, NASA’s Galileo spacecraft became the first mission to orbit Jupiter, opening a new chapter in our exploration of the outer Solar System. Over eight years around Jupiter, Galileo transformed how we understand Jupiter and its moons, revealing a powerful and dynamic planetary system, uncovering evidence for oceans hidden beneath icy worlds, and reshaping the search for life beyond Earth.

To mark the 30th anniversary of Galileo’s orbital insertion, scientists, engineers, historians, and advocates gathered at the California Institute of Technology for a special symposium: Galileo at 30. In this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed takes you inside that celebration. You’ll hear how Galileo survived seemingly impossible challenges, how its team adapted when things went wrong, and how its discoveries reshaped planetary science.

You’ll hear from key voices in Galileo’s story, including historian Erik Conway, project manager Bill O’Neil, magnetometer principal investigator Margaret Kivelson, Europa Clipper Project Scientist Bob Pappalardo, and Dragonfly mission Principal Investigator Elizabeth “Zibi” Turtle, along with reflections from many others whose lives and careers were shaped by this remarkable mission.

Together, they tell the story of Galileo not just as a spacecraft, but as a shared human effort, one whose legacy continues to guide exploration today.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-galileo-at-30

Thirty years ago, NASA&rsquo;s Galileo spacecraft became the first mission to orbit Jupiter, opening a new chapter in our exploration of the outer Solar System. Over eight years around Jupiter, Galileo transformed how we understand Jupiter and its moons, revealing a powerful and dynamic planetary system, uncovering evidence for oceans hidden beneath icy worlds, and reshaping the search for life beyond Earth.
To mark the 30th anniversary of Galileo&rsquo;s orbital insertion, scientists, engineers, historians, and advocates gathered at the California Institute of Technology for a special symposium: Galileo at 30. In this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed takes you inside that celebration. You&rsquo;ll hear how Galileo survived seemingly impossible challenges, how its team adapted when things went wrong, and how its discoveries reshaped planetary science.
You&rsquo;ll hear from key voices in Galileo&rsquo;s story, including historian Erik Conway, project manager Bill O&rsquo;Neil, magnetometer principal investigator Margaret Kivelson, Europa Clipper Project Scientist Bob Pappalardo, and Dragonfly mission Principal Investigator Elizabeth &ldquo;Zibi&rdquo; Turtle, along with reflections from many others whose lives and careers were shaped by this remarkable mission.
Together, they tell the story of Galileo not just as a spacecraft, but as a shared human effort, one whose legacy continues to guide exploration today.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-galileo-at-30">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-galileo-at-30</a>

Thirty years after NASA’s Galileo spacecraft became the first to orbit Jupiter, scientists and engineers gathered to reflect on the mission that transformed how we see the giant planet and its moons. 

Galileo at 30: How a mission transformed our understanding of Jupiter

Why do we explore space, and why does science matter in the first place?

In this Space Policy Edition rerun, Planetary Society Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier revisits a deeply influential 2020 conversation with philosopher and ethicist J. S. Johnson-Schwartz, author of The Value of Science and Space Exploration. As debates over NASA’s budget and the future of space science continue to resurface, this conversation remains strikingly relevant.

Dr. Johnson Schwartz makes a compelling philosophical case that science itself is not merely useful or beneficial, but a moral obligation. Beyond economic returns, technological spinoffs, or national prestige, the pursuit of knowledge has intrinsic value, and public space agencies play a critical role in representing that shared human interest.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/the-moral-case-for-space

Why do we explore space, and why does science matter in the first place?
In this Space Policy Edition rerun, Planetary Society Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier revisits a deeply influential 2020 conversation with philosopher and ethicist J. S. Johnson-Schwartz, author of The Value of Science and Space Exploration. As debates over NASA&rsquo;s budget and the future of space science continue to resurface, this conversation remains strikingly relevant.
Dr. Johnson Schwartz makes a compelling philosophical case that science itself is not merely useful or beneficial, but a moral obligation. Beyond economic returns, technological spinoffs, or national prestige, the pursuit of knowledge has intrinsic value, and public space agencies play a critical role in representing that shared human interest.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/the-moral-case-for-space">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/the-moral-case-for-space</a>

Why do we explore space? In this Space Policy Edition rerun, Casey Dreier speaks with philosopher Dr. J. S. Johnson-Schwartz about why space science is a moral obligation, beyond economics or prestige.

Esports and space: BASILISK’s quest for “Science Victory”

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