Best Space Science Podcasts (2025)

1
ESCAPADE begins its journey to Mars 1:06:34

1h ago1:06:34

1:06:34

NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft have finally launched on their journey to Mars. Designed to study how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ patchy magnetic fields and drives the loss of its atmosphere, ESCAPADE is NASA’s first dual-spacecraft mission to the Red Planet and a major milestone for the SIMPLEx program’s small, low-cost planetary explorers…

1
S3E1 The Actor 23:29

12h ago23:29

23:29

Science Fiction Audio Drama. We return to Mendaxia, heart of the human Empire. Months before a mysterious probe crash lands on the planet and changes the fate of the galaxy, an aspiring actor dreams of seeing his name up in lights... Cast: Crispian Cartwright, Katriona King, Nick Hucker, Ellen Hillman, Juliet Hargreaves, Michael Harwood, Matthew La…

1
Smart Girl Dumb Questions: Casey Dreier answers why space is worth it 1:00:00

3h ago1:00:00

1:00:00

This week on Planetary Radio, we’re sharing a special conversation from our friends at the Smart Girl Dumb Questions podcast. Host Nayeema Raza sits down with The Planetary Society’s Chief of Space Policy, Casey Dreier, to explore one of the most common questions in space exploration: Why does space matter, and is it really worth the cost? Casey br…

1
Seasons 1 and 2 Discussion - Making Sci-Fi 2 57:21

16h ago57:21

57:21

Season 3 is starting soon, but we thought it would be fun to chat about the show so far as well as science fiction in general. In this discussion episode, Dan Proctor (Paris Aquilla) and Ellen Hillman (Ruby) have a few drinks and talk about about No Space for Heroes. New version of the 'No Space for Heroes' theme tune and 'Galaxy of Lies' composed …

1
Book Club Edition: The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America by David Baron 1:03:00

13d ago1:03:00

1:03:00

There was a time when almost everyone, from Alexander Graham Bell to the Wall Street Journal, believed there was a supremely intelligent civilization on Mars, one that was probably trying to talk to Earthlings. Most of this belief could be traced to an amateur astronomer and charismatic speaker named Percival Lowell. David Baron tells this story in…

1
Epic Spaceman: Making cosmic scale human 59:51

1h ago59:51

59:51

When his filmmaking career stalled during the pandemic, Toby Lockerbie turned to the one place that had never stopped inspiring him: the Universe. With no background in visual effects, he taught himself the tools needed to transform complex space science into cinematic stories using everyday objects and beautifully crafted visuals to make the Cosmo…

1
The Planetary Society goes to TwitchCon 2025 1:01:28

13d ago1:01:28

1:01:28

The Planetary Society heads to TwitchCon 2025 to explore how scientists and educators use livestreaming to share the excitement of discovery. We begin with Moohoodles, one of Twitch’s pioneering space science streamers and co-host of the live panel “The Planetary Society: Space, Time, and You.” She explains how she built a thriving community around…

1
Space Policy Edition: Should a (potential) biosignature revive Mars Sample Return? 1:21:45

27d ago1:21:45

1:21:45

In 1996, a controversial claim of fossilized life in a Martian meteorite ignited a golden age of Mars exploration. Nearly 30 years later, a potential biosignature detected by the Perseverance rover at Jezero Crater has sparked…nothing, not even a formal effort to revive the beleaguered robotic Mars Sample Return project. Why did the claims surround…

1
Do Aliens Speak Physics? 59:44

26d ago59:44

59:44

If we ever meet intelligent extraterrestrials, will we even be able to talk about physics? Physicist Daniel Whiteson of UC Irvine and cartoonist Andy Warner join Sarah Al-Ahmed to explore one of science’s strangest and most profound questions: if alien civilizations exist, would their understanding of the Universe look anything like ours? Their new…

1
Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean 1:09:09

1M ago1:09:09

1:09:09

What happens in space doesn’t stay in space. Historian Dagomar Degroot joins Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed to explore how shifting solar cycles, volcanic eruptions on Venus, Martian dust storms, and even mistaken sightings of lunar forests have influenced life, science, and society on Earth. His new book, “Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Envi…

1
2025 NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium: Part 2 — Hopping robots and the search for exoplanet magnetospheres 1:01:51

1M ago1:01:51

1:01:51

In this second installment of Planetary Radio’s coverage from the 2025 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, host Sarah Al-Ahmed highlights more of the technologies presented by the NIAC fellows. Mary Knapp of MIT Haystack Observatory shares her team’s Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths project, a space-base…

1
Book Club Edition: Space Craze by Margaret Weitekamp 55:18

2M ago55:18

55:18

The American fascination with spaceflight and what we might find out there began long before any human left Earth. It’s Dr. Margaret Weitekamp’s job to collect, document, and preserve the cultural artifacts that display our deep attraction to all things spacey. Her book, Space Craze, explores how these objects, ranging from 1930s Flash Gordon ray g…

1
2025 NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium: Part 1 — Lunar glass and starshades 53:37

2M ago53:37

53:37

Each year, NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program (NIAC) funds visionary ideas that could shape the future of space exploration. In this first of two episodes from the 2025 NIAC Symposium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed introduces some of the concepts presented at this year’s event. You’ll hear from Mart…

1
A Day of Action to save NASA science 1:00:17

2M ago1:00:17

1:00:17

On October 6, 2025, hundreds of space advocates from across the United States joined The Planetary Society and 20 partner organizations on Capitol Hill to deliver one clear message: protect NASA’s science budget. We begin with Ari Koeppel, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow and Space Policy Intern at The Planetary Society, who shares why this …

1
Space Policy Edition: China’s growing space science ambitions 48:53

2M ago48:53

48:53

If the United States is indeed in a space race with China, then we cannot abandon space science. That’s the claim made by Maxwell Zhu and The Planetary Society’s chief of space policy, Casey Dreier, in a recent op-ed in Payload Space. Their piece contrasted the growing ambitions of China’s coming space science program against the draconian cuts pro…

1
Perseverance finds potential biosignatures in Jezero Crater 1:00:22

2M ago1:00:22

1:00:22

NASA’s Perseverance rover has made one of its most intriguing discoveries yet in Jezero Crater. A rock sample called Sapphire Canyon, drilled from the Bright Angel formation, contains unusual chemical and mineral patterns that may be potential biosignatures. We begin with remarks from Morgan Cable, research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labora…

1
Bill Nye: A star in Hollywood, a voice for NASA 56:18

2M ago56:18

56:18

Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, has officially joined the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this episode, we speak with Bill about what this rare honor means to him and to science communication. Then, we take you inside the star ceremony in Los Angeles, where friends and fans, including Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, paid tribute to his legacy.…

1
Book Club Edition: Cosmos Award–winning author Dava Sobel 50:29

3M ago50:29

50:29

Only six people have received The Planetary Society’s Cosmos Award for Outstanding Public Presentation of Science. We were honored to present it to author and historian Dava Sobel in May of 2025. She has created a brilliant library of books that illuminate the lives and work of great scientists, many of whom have been under-appreciated. Each of Dav…

1
A cosmic travel guide: 111 Places in Space That You Must Not Miss 1:07:36

3M ago1:07:36

1:07:36

Pack your cosmic suitcase. This week on Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Mark McCaughrean, astronomer, science communicator, and former Senior Advisor for Science & Exploration at the European Space Agency, to talk about his new book, “111 Places in Space That You Must Not Miss.” Part of the popular “111 Places” travel series, the …

1
International Observe the Moon Night 2025 59:51

3M ago59:51

59:51

This week on Planetary Radio, we look forward to International Observe the Moon Night on October 4, 2025. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with Staci Horvath, outreach coordinator for NASA’s Solar System Exploration Division at Goddard Space Flight Center and director of International Observe the Moon Night, and Theresa Summer, astronomy educator at the …

1
Space Policy Edition: Does the rise of Elon mean the decline of NASA? 1:00:33

3M ago1:00:33

1:00:33

NASA, the crown jewel of 20th-century technocratic liberalism, was the first to land humans on the Moon but now depends on SpaceX for its access to space. Atlantic writer Franklin Foer believes this reflects a diminishment of national capability and that NASA was inadvertently responsible for its own decline. He traces this transformation from a co…

1
Uranus revealed: Solving the ice giant’s heat mystery 56:18

3M ago56:18

56:18

For decades, Uranus has puzzled scientists. Unlike the other giant planets, Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby suggested the ice giant emitted no excess heat. Now, thanks to new analyses of Voyager data, decades of ground-based and space-based observations, and refined models, scientists have confirmed that Uranus does radiate more heat than it receives from t…

1
Esports and space: BASILISK’s quest for “Science Victory” 57:18

3M ago57:18

57:18

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 …

1
Silicate clouds and a dusty ring: JWST looks at YSES-1 59:45

4M ago59:45

59:45

In 2020, the YSES-1 system became the first directly imaged multiplanetary system around a Sun-like star. It features two giant exoplanets orbiting a star just 16 million years old. Now, the James Webb Space Telescope is revealing new insights into these distant worlds. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with Kielan Hoch, Giacconi Fellow at the Space Teles…

1
Book Club Edition: Exploring the Overview Effect with Frank White 1:03:29

4M ago1:03:29

1:03:29

Author Frank White has interviewed well over 100 astronauts. Almost all of them report the sense of awe they experienced as they looked down or back at Earth, and how deeply this has affected their understanding and appreciation of our planet and the Cosmos. It’s what author Frank White calls The Overview Effect. Frank joined Planetary Society Seni…

1
A “Star Trek” future: Your place in space 59:32

4M ago59:32

59:32

What do “Star Trek,” space advocacy, and the fight to save NASA science have in common? In this episode of Planetary Radio, we share a special panel recorded live at STLV: Trek to Vegas 2025, featuring Robert Picardo, actor and Planetary Society board member who played the Emergency Medical Hologram on ”Star Trek: Voyager,” and Tim Russ, actor, tel…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Space Science Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide