What does a NASA authorization bill actually do, and why does it matter? In this episode of Space Policy Edition, we dig into one of the most misunderstood but powerful tools Congress uses to shape the future of U.S. space exploration.

Host Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, is joined by Jack Kiraly, the Society’s director of government relations, for a deep dive into how NASA authorization bills work, how they differ from appropriations, and why they can have decades-long consequences for science missions, human spaceflight, and planetary defense. The discussion also reflects on a major recent win for space advocates: Congress’s bipartisan decision to protect NASA science funding.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-what-is-a-nasa-authorization-bill

What does a NASA authorization bill actually do, and why does it matter? In this episode of Space Policy Edition, we dig into one of the most misunderstood but powerful tools Congress uses to shape the future of U.S. space exploration.
Host Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, is joined by Jack Kiraly, the Society&rsquo;s director of government relations, for a deep dive into how NASA authorization bills work, how they differ from appropriations, and why they can have decades-long consequences for science missions, human spaceflight, and planetary defense. The discussion also reflects on a major recent win for space advocates: Congress&rsquo;s bipartisan decision to protect NASA science funding.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-what-is-a-nasa-authorization-bill">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-what-is-a-nasa-authorization-bill</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.

Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier and Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly break down what NASA authorization bills actually do and why these laws matter for long-term U.S. space policy, from science missions to human spaceflight and planetary defense.

Space Policy Edition: What a NASA Authorization bill actually does

What if Europa’s seafloor isn’t alive with activity after all?

This week on Planetary Radio, host and producer Sarah Al-Ahmed explores new research that reframes how scientists think about one of the Solar System’s most intriguing ocean worlds.

Sarah is joined by Paul Byrne, associate professor of earth, environmental, and planetary sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Paul is the lead author of a new study suggesting that the seafloor beneath Europa’s global ocean may be geologically quiet today, potentially lacking the hydrothermal activity often associated with habitable environments on Earth. Together, they discuss how scientists investigate places we can’t yet observe directly and why Europa remains a compelling world to explore regardless of what we find.

Then, Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, joins us for What’s Up to explain why Saturn’s moon Enceladus shows strong evidence for active hydrothermal vents beneath its icy crust, offering a fascinating contrast between two ocean worlds.


Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-europas-quiet-seafloor

What if Europa&rsquo;s seafloor isn&rsquo;t alive with activity after all?
This week on Planetary Radio, host and producer Sarah Al-Ahmed explores new research that reframes how scientists think about one of the Solar System&rsquo;s most intriguing ocean worlds.
Sarah is joined by Paul Byrne, associate professor of earth, environmental, and planetary sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Paul is the lead author of a new study suggesting that the seafloor beneath Europa&rsquo;s global ocean may be geologically quiet today, potentially lacking the hydrothermal activity often associated with habitable environments on Earth. Together, they discuss how scientists investigate places we can&rsquo;t yet observe directly and why Europa remains a compelling world to explore regardless of what we find.
Then, Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, joins us for What&rsquo;s Up to explain why Saturn&rsquo;s moon Enceladus shows strong evidence for active hydrothermal vents beneath its icy crust, offering a fascinating contrast between two ocean worlds.
 Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-europas-quiet-seafloor">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-europas-quiet-seafloor</a>

New research suggests the seafloor beneath Europa’s vast ocean may be geologically quiet today, reshaping how scientists think about habitability on one of the Solar System’s most intriguing ocean worlds. Planetary geologist Paul Byrne of Washington University in St. Louis joins Planetary Radio to discuss.

Europa’s quiet seafloor

Humans are preparing to return to the Moon. On this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Kelsey Young and Noah Petro, two of the scientists helping turn humanity’s return to the Moon into reality.

Kelsey Young is a research space scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and serves as the Artemis Science Flight Operations Lead. She also leads the Lunar Observations and Imaging Campaign for Artemis II, defining what astronauts will observe, document, and study as they fly around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

Noah Petro is the lab chief of the Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Laboratory at NASA Goddard and the former Project Scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. He also serves as the Project Scientist for Artemis III, helping shape the science behind humanity’s first lunar footsteps of the 21st century.

Together, they discuss how Artemis II and Artemis III build on decades of lunar science, how astronauts are being trained to observe the Moon like geologists, and why the Moon’s south pole is such a compelling destination for future exploration.

Then, we wrap up with What’s Up, where Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, shares the story of the first and so far only professional geologist to walk on the Moon.


Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-artemis-ii-and-iii

Humans are preparing to return to the Moon. On this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Kelsey Young and Noah Petro, two of the scientists helping turn humanity&rsquo;s return to the Moon into reality.
Kelsey Young is a research space scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and serves as the Artemis Science Flight Operations Lead. She also leads the Lunar Observations and Imaging Campaign for Artemis II, defining what astronauts will observe, document, and study as they fly around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
Noah Petro is the lab chief of the Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Laboratory at NASA Goddard and the former Project Scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. He also serves as the Project Scientist for Artemis III, helping shape the science behind humanity&rsquo;s first lunar footsteps of the 21st century.
Together, they discuss how Artemis II and Artemis III build on decades of lunar science, how astronauts are being trained to observe the Moon like geologists, and why the Moon&rsquo;s south pole is such a compelling destination for future exploration.
Then, we wrap up with What&rsquo;s Up, where Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, shares the story of the first and so far only professional geologist to walk on the Moon.
 Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-artemis-ii-and-iii">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-artemis-ii-and-iii</a>

This week on Planetary Radio, Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Kelsey Young, Artemis Science Flight Operations Lead and lead of the Artemis II Lunar Observations and Imaging Campaign, and Noah Petro, project scientist for Artemis III. Together, they explore how geology and human observation are shaping humanity’s return to the Moon.

Artemis II and III: The science that brings us back to the Moon

After months of uncertainty, NASA science has been spared from the largest proposed budget cuts in the agency’s history. In this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed unpacks how Congress moved to restore near-full funding for NASA science and what that victory really means for missions, researchers, and the future of space exploration.

Sarah is joined by Jack Kiraly, director of government relations at The Planetary Society, and Ari Koeppel, an AAAS science & technology policy fellow at The Planetary Society, to break down what passed in the FY 2026 budget, why the details matter, and how bipartisan support helped protect science programs across planetary science, astrophysics, Earth science, and heliophysics.

The conversation also takes an honest look at the costs of the past year, from lost jobs and disrupted missions to shaken morale, and why rebuilding NASA’s scientific workforce will take time, even after this hard-won win. We also look ahead to what comes next as the FY 2027 budget process begins, and why sustained public engagement remains essential to protecting space science.

Plus, Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, joins us for What’s Up, where we discuss the recent early return of astronauts from the International Space Station, what’s known about the situation, and what it means for station operations.


Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-nasa-science-saved

After months of uncertainty, NASA science has been spared from the largest proposed budget cuts in the agency&rsquo;s history. In this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed unpacks how Congress moved to restore near-full funding for NASA science and what that victory really means for missions, researchers, and the future of space exploration.
Sarah is joined by Jack Kiraly, director of government relations at The Planetary Society, and Ari Koeppel, an AAAS science &amp; technology policy fellow at The Planetary Society, to break down what passed in the FY 2026 budget, why the details matter, and how bipartisan support helped protect science programs across planetary science, astrophysics, Earth science, and heliophysics.
The conversation also takes an honest look at the costs of the past year, from lost jobs and disrupted missions to shaken morale, and why rebuilding NASA&rsquo;s scientific workforce will take time, even after this hard-won win. We also look ahead to what comes next as the FY 2027 budget process begins, and why sustained public engagement remains essential to protecting space science.
Plus, Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, joins us for What&rsquo;s Up, where we discuss the recent early return of astronauts from the International Space Station, what&rsquo;s known about the situation, and what it means for station operations.
 Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-nasa-science-saved">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2026-nasa-science-saved</a>

Congress has passed a budget that restores near-full funding for NASA science after months of uncertainty. We break down what was saved, what was lost, and what comes next.

Space Policy Edition: What a NASA Authorization bill actually does

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