Book Club Edition: Diane Ackerman and “The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral”

Book Club Edition: Diane Ackerman and “The Planets: A Cosmic Pastoral”

Author: The Planetary Society May 15, 2026 Duration: 51:18
Celebrated author and poet Diane Ackerman joins us for a lively conversation about the new edition of her wonderful collection. Carl Sagan described it as spectacularly good poetry.

Every week, Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science charts the human adventure from our own Solar System out to the distant cosmos. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a direct conversation with the people making discovery happen. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed guides these discussions, sitting down with the engineers plotting spacecraft trajectories, the scientists interpreting data from alien worlds, and the astronauts who have experienced orbit firsthand. The Planetary Society's own advocates and experts, like Bill Nye and Bruce Betts, frequently join in to offer their unique perspective, making complex topics both accessible and genuinely exciting. You'll hear the latest on robotic missions to Mars, the search for exoplanets, and the technology pushing our boundaries. Alongside these deep dives, the podcast includes lighter, regular segments designed to inform and entertain, turning abstract concepts into engaging stories. It’s a comprehensive audio journey for anyone curious about our place in the universe, offering both the grand vision of exploration and the detailed human stories behind it. Tune in to let your curiosity roam as far as the subjects covered in each episode of this essential science podcast.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science
Podcast Episodes
The science of sleep in space [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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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.
New Horizons: Celebrating a decade since the Pluto flyby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:21
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 Kir…
Book Club Edition: Andy Weir and Project Hail Mary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:49
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 moti…
Mat Kaplan’s first flight in zero-G [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:29
Former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan joins Space for Humanity and Zero-G for a flight that brings weightlessness and wonder to a diverse group of space dreamers. Hear voices from the flight and reflections on what it m…
First images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:50
The Rubin Observatory releases its first public images, revealing millions of celestial objects. We explore the science with Stephanie Deppe, astronomy content strategist at Rubin Observatory.
Space Policy Edition: Are Democrats falling behind on space policy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:57
Our guest, Mary Guenther, argues that the Democratic Party is ceding leadership in space policy, and how linking space to jobs, supply chains, and climate could help refocus the party’s relationship with the Cosmos.
Space Policy Edition: NASA’s 2026 budget [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:51
Alicia Brown from the Commercial Space Federation and Brittany Webster from the American Geophysical Union join the show to discuss NASA’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.
The Giant Magellan Telescope takes its next big step [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:25
The Giant Magellan Telescope advances toward construction with support from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Rebecca Bernstein joins us to explore how this groundbreaking observatory will transform our view of the Un…