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?

When Artemis II returned its crew safely to Earth, millions of people found themselves unexpectedly moved. The mission was a test flight, a proof-of-concept, and yet it felt like something far greater than the sum of its parts.

In this episode, Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Rebecca Lowe, philosophy senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to explore the deeper meaning of humanity's return to deep space. Drawing on philosophy of mind, aesthetics, and theories of value, they unpack why human presence in space feels fundamentally different from even the most sophisticated robotic mission, and why that difference matters.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-philosophy-of-artemis-ii

When Artemis II returned its crew safely to Earth, millions of people found themselves unexpectedly moved. The mission was a test flight, a proof-of-concept, and yet it felt like something far greater than the sum of its parts.
In this episode, Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Rebecca Lowe, philosophy senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to explore the deeper meaning of humanity's return to deep space. Drawing on philosophy of mind, aesthetics, and theories of value, they unpack why human presence in space feels fundamentally different from even the most sophisticated robotic mission, and why that difference matters.
Discover more at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-philosophy-of-artemis-ii">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-philosophy-of-artemis-ii</a>

Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Rebecca Lowe, philosophy senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to explore why human presence in space is so different from robotic missions, and why that difference matters.

Space Policy Edition: Why humans matter — The philosophy of Artemis II

On April 12th, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Sixty-five years later, we celebrated that milestone at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, CA. 

We began on the lawn of Griffith Observatory, where host Sarah Al-Ahmed spoke with exhibitors about the tools, dreams, and technology that drive space exploration. Laura Tomlin, CEO of Space for Teachers, shares how microgravity research projects inspire the next generation. Robotics engineer Kalind Carpenter from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) walks us through the machines he’s helping to build to explore the moon and beyond. Software engineer David Hernandez from Blue Origin describes the work happening at Club for the Future to get young people excited about space. Research scientist Robert Green from JPL talks about the invention of imaging spectroscopy and how it’s used to unlock the secrets of distant worlds. And aerospace engineer Andy Sadhwani, who flew to space aboard Virgin Galactic, reflects on seeing Earth from above and what the Artemis II astronauts experienced.

We then move inside for Yuri's Night's evening stage show, where the focus shifts to human experience and the overview effect. Cinematographer and polar explorer Jannicke Mikkelsen, Norway's first astronaut, shares her experience as part of the first crew to orbit over both Earth's north and south poles. Space philosopher Frank White, author of "The Overview Effect," leads a panel discussion with actress Nadine Nicole from The Expanse and commercial space explorer Christopher Huie about what happens to humans when we see Earth from space. Finally, NASA astronaut Ron Garan brings it all together with a powerful vision of our planet's fragility, our interconnectedness, and humanity's potential when we work together.

The episode closes with Bruce Betts' What's Up segment, revealing a little-known story about what went wrong during Yuri Gagarin's historic first flight.

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

On April 12th, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Sixty-five years later, we celebrated that milestone at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, CA.&nbsp;
We began on the lawn of Griffith Observatory, where host Sarah Al-Ahmed spoke with exhibitors about the tools, dreams, and technology that drive space exploration. Laura Tomlin, CEO of Space for Teachers, shares how microgravity research projects inspire the next generation. Robotics engineer Kalind Carpenter from NASA&rsquo;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) walks us through the machines he&rsquo;s helping to build to explore the moon and beyond. Software engineer David Hernandez from Blue Origin describes the work happening at Club for the Future to get young people excited about space. Research scientist Robert Green from JPL talks about the invention of imaging spectroscopy and how it&rsquo;s used to unlock the secrets of distant worlds. And aerospace engineer Andy Sadhwani, who flew to space aboard Virgin Galactic, reflects on seeing Earth from above and what the Artemis II astronauts experienced.
We then move inside for Yuri's Night's evening stage show, where the focus shifts to human experience and the overview effect. Cinematographer and polar explorer Jannicke Mikkelsen, Norway's first astronaut, shares her experience as part of the first crew to orbit over both Earth's north and south poles. Space philosopher Frank White, author of "The Overview Effect," leads a panel discussion with actress Nadine Nicole from The Expanse and commercial space explorer Christopher Huie about what happens to humans when we see Earth from space. Finally, NASA astronaut Ron Garan brings it all together with a powerful vision of our planet's fragility, our interconnectedness, and humanity's potential when we work together.
The episode closes with Bruce Betts' What's Up segment, revealing a little-known story about what went wrong during Yuri Gagarin's historic first flight.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-yuris-night-2026">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-yuris-night-2026</a>

At Yuri's Night 2026, held at Griffith Observatory the day after Artemis II splashed down, Sarah Al-Ahmed spoke with educators, engineers, astronauts, and space philosophers about 65 years of human spaceflight and what it means to see Earth from space.

Yuri's Night 2026: Celebrating 65 years of human spaceflight

“Project Hail Mary” is finally in theaters, and the science is just as thrilling as the story. This week on Planetary Radio, Sarah Al-Ahmed and senior communications adviser Mat Kaplan share their first reactions fresh from the theater. Author and producer Andy Weir tells us in his own words what the story is really about, in a flashback conversation with Mat. Award-winning Nature correspondent Alexandra Witze takes a critical scientific eye to the film. Virginia Tech astrophysicist Nahum Arav walks us through the real-life fate of our Sun. And in What's Up, Bruce Betts joins us to explore just how long it would actually take humanity to reach Tau Ceti at the fastest speed a spacecraft has ever traveled. 


Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-project-hail-mary-hits-the-big-screen

&ldquo;Project Hail Mary&rdquo; is finally in theaters, and the science is just as thrilling as the story. This week on Planetary Radio, Sarah Al-Ahmed and senior communications adviser Mat Kaplan share their first reactions fresh from the theater. Author and producer Andy Weir tells us in his own words what the story is really about, in a flashback conversation with Mat. Award-winning Nature correspondent Alexandra Witze takes a critical scientific eye to the film. Virginia Tech astrophysicist Nahum Arav walks us through the real-life fate of our Sun. And in What's Up, Bruce Betts joins us to explore just how long it would actually take humanity to reach Tau Ceti at the fastest speed a spacecraft has ever traveled.&nbsp;
 Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-project-hail-mary-hits-the-big-screen">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-project-hail-mary-hits-the-big-screen</a>

“Project Hail Mary” has arrived on the big screen, and we're diving into the real science behind Andy Weir's latest blockbuster with senior communications adviser Mat Kaplan, award-winning Nature correspondent Alexandra Witze, Virginia Tech astrophysicist Nahum Arav, and Planetary Society chief scientist Bruce Betts.

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

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