Was the Space Shuttle a successful program? In many ways, yes: it endured for 30 years, launched hundreds of astronauts into space, and built the International Space Station. But, according to the goals of lower costs, rapid reusability, and reliability NASA stated at its conception, the Space Shuttle program was a failure. In this new recurring feature on SPE, Jack and Casey read through a classic paper in space policy and discuss its arguments, its conclusions, and whether the paper stands up to this day.

Read along with us and suggest future episodes in our Planetary Society online member community.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/space-shuttle-policy-failure

Was the Space Shuttle a successful program? In many ways, yes: it endured for 30 years, launched hundreds of astronauts into space, and built the International Space Station. But, according to the goals of lower costs, rapid reusability, and reliability NASA stated at its conception, the Space Shuttle program was a failure. In this new recurring feature on SPE, Jack and Casey read through a classic paper in space policy and discuss its arguments, its conclusions, and whether the paper stands up to this day.
Read along with us and suggest future episodes in <a href="https://community.planetary.org/">our Planetary Society online member community.</a>
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/space-shuttle-policy-failure">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/space-shuttle-policy-failure</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.

Though the Space Shuttle program lasted 30 years and built the ISS, it fell short of NASA's goals for cost, reusability, and reliability. Can a program be both a worldly success and a policy failure? In this Space Policy Edition, we dissect a classic space policy paper and debate its relevance today.

Space Policy Edition: Was the Space Shuttle a policy failure?

Gentry Lee spent nearly five decades at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and in that time he helped shape some of the most ambitious missions in the history of space exploration. A new documentary, “Starman,” chronicles his career and the big question that runs through it: is there life beyond Earth? Lee worked on every NASA mission to land on Mars, helped Carl Sagan bring the Universe to living rooms around the world with “Cosmos,” and oversaw dozens of active missions as Chief Engineer for the Solar System Exploration Directorate at JPL. Few people have had a front-row seat to the Space Age quite like him.

In this episode, host Sarah Al-Ahmed sits down with Gentry at Planetary Society headquarters just one day after his retirement from JPL. He reflects on the colleagues who shaped him, the missions that changed our understanding of the Solar System, and why the search for life beyond Earth remains the most profound endeavor humanity has ever undertaken.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-starman

Gentry Lee spent nearly five decades at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and in that time he helped shape some of the most ambitious missions in the history of space exploration. A new documentary, &ldquo;Starman,&rdquo; chronicles his career and the big question that runs through it: is there life beyond Earth? Lee worked on every NASA mission to land on Mars, helped Carl Sagan bring the Universe to living rooms around the world with &ldquo;Cosmos,&rdquo; and oversaw dozens of active missions as Chief Engineer for the Solar System Exploration Directorate at JPL. Few people have had a front-row seat to the Space Age quite like him.
In this episode, host Sarah Al-Ahmed sits down with Gentry at Planetary Society headquarters just one day after his retirement from JPL. He reflects on the colleagues who shaped him, the missions that changed our understanding of the Solar System, and why the search for life beyond Earth remains the most profound endeavor humanity has ever undertaken.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-starman">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-starman</a>

Gentry Lee, the subject of the new documentary “Starman,” reflects on nearly five decades at JPL, the missions that defined the Space Age, and the search for life beyond Earth.

Starman: Looking back on a life exploring the Solar System

Is the United States really in a new space race with China? Or is that framing missing the bigger picture?

In this Space Policy Edition of Planetary Radio, Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Patrick Besha, former NASA strategic advisor on China, to explore the realities behind China’s rapidly advancing space program. They discuss how China’s political system shapes its long-term space strategy, why the rhetoric about a “space race” may be misleading, and how competition between the United States and China in space is likely to unfold over the coming decades.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-us-china-space-race

Is the United States really in a new space race with China? Or is that framing missing the bigger picture?
In this Space Policy Edition of Planetary Radio, Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Patrick Besha, former NASA strategic advisor on China, to explore the realities behind China&rsquo;s rapidly advancing space program. They discuss how China&rsquo;s political system shapes its long-term space strategy, why the rhetoric about a &ldquo;space race&rdquo; may be misleading, and how competition between the United States and China in space is likely to unfold over the coming decades.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-us-china-space-race">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-us-china-space-race</a>

Space Policy Edition: Is there really a space race between the US and China?

NASA has announced a major restructuring of the Artemis program, reshaping the roadmap for returning humans to the Moon.

At a February 27 press conference, agency leadership addressed the rollback of Artemis II following post–wet–dress–rehearsal testing and unveiled significant changes to upcoming missions, including shifting Artemis III from a planned lunar landing to a low-Earth-orbit rendezvous and integrated systems test. In this episode, you’ll hear remarks from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Lori Glaze, Moon to Mars program manager and acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. They explain what happened with Artemis II and why NASA is changing course.

Then, host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Jack Kiraly, director of government relations at The Planetary Society, and Ari Koeppel, AAAS science and technology policy fellow, to unpack the political and strategic forces behind this shift and what it means for the future of lunar exploration.

In What’s Up, Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, looks back at Apollo 9, the Earth-orbiting mission that proved the Lunar Module could operate independently before NASA attempted a lunar landing.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-artemis-update

NASA has announced a major restructuring of the Artemis program, reshaping the roadmap for returning humans to the Moon.
At a February 27 press conference, agency leadership addressed the rollback of Artemis II following post&ndash;wet&ndash;dress&ndash;rehearsal testing and unveiled significant changes to upcoming missions, including shifting Artemis III from a planned lunar landing to a low-Earth-orbit rendezvous and integrated systems test. In this episode, you&rsquo;ll hear remarks from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Lori Glaze, Moon to Mars program manager and acting associate administrator for NASA&rsquo;s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. They explain what happened with Artemis II and why NASA is changing course.
Then, host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Jack Kiraly, director of government relations at The Planetary Society, and Ari Koeppel, AAAS science and technology policy fellow, to unpack the political and strategic forces behind this shift and what it means for the future of lunar exploration.
In What&rsquo;s Up, Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, looks back at Apollo 9, the Earth-orbiting mission that proved the Lunar Module could operate independently before NASA attempted a lunar landing.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-artemis-update">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-artemis-update</a>

NASA has restructured the Artemis program, shifting Artemis III from a planned lunar landing to a low-Earth-orbit systems test following the rollback of Artemis II. We hear remarks from NASA leadership and break down what the changes mean with Planetary Society space policy experts.

Space Policy Edition: Was the Space Shuttle a policy failure?

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