Planetary Science podcasts

Benjamin Thompson and Elizabeth Gibney discuss an experiment trapping a single positron and how precise measurements could probe differences between matter and antimatter. The episode then turns to JAXA’s mission to Phobos, including the challenge of operating a wheeled rover under extremely low gravity. These conversations connect laboratory tests of fundamental physics with the engineering and scientific aims of planetary exploration.

Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham discuss astronaut training and future missions with European Space Agency reserve astronauts John McFall and Meganne Christian. The conversation includes plans for a private space-station mission and an Atlantic crossing in winter. Project scientist Geraint Jones explains the joint European–Japanese BepiColombo mission as it approaches Mercury.

Hosted by Sue Nelson, Richard Hollingham

Robin George Andrews discusses Japan’s planned sampling mission to Phobos and what returned material could reveal about the moon and Mars. Ashton Flinders explains how camera observations, geochemistry and geophysical monitoring revealed patterns in Kīlauea’s lava fountains. Economist Javier Birchenall examines a historical prediction of runaway population growth and the broader difficulty of forecasting major crises.

Hosted by Sarah Crespi

Chris Smith presents a science-news episode examining how artificial intelligence could be misused to develop biological weapons and how researchers and regulators are responding. The programme also covers long-lasting genetic scars after childhood chemotherapy, ultra-strong ice as a possible construction material, and methods for tracking weather patterns on distant planets.

Hosted by Chris Smith

University of Arizona planetary scientist Daniel Apai joins Tim Swindle to discuss the Pandora Space Telescope and its potential to reveal the properties of exoplanets and their atmospheres. This Arizona Science episode examines the scientific questions addressed by the observatory as it returns data from Earth orbit. Published on 10 September 2026; listen through Arizona Public Media’s episode page.

Hosted by Tim Swindle

The Supermassive team revisits an interview with Meg Schwamb about the Kuiper Belt and the small bodies beyond Neptune. The conversation explores what these distant objects can reveal about the Solar System’s formation and evolution. This is the explicitly labelled revisited edition published in September 2026.

C&EN journalists examine the chemistry behind sustaining human activity beyond Earth. Topics include obtaining useful resources, designing materials and understanding the practical constraints of living and working in space. The episode connects chemical research with planetary resources and engineering.

Hosted by Craig Bettenhausen

Nature reporters discuss evidence for a distant Jupiter-mass exosatellite and the discovery of a rare transmissible cancer in wild catfish.

David Kipping considers how to reason about extraterrestrial life when evidence is scarce. The discussion covers promising places to search, the interpretation of possible biosignatures and the role of statistical inference, alongside questions about habitable worlds and moons beyond our solar system.

Hosted by Janna Levin

Sonia Tikoo explores the unresolved history of the Moon’s magnetic field. Lunar samples indicate a strong early field followed by a much weaker field that persisted far longer than expected. The discussion weighs proposed dynamo mechanisms, paleomagnetic measurements and the difficulty of explaining both the field’s early strength and its long-lived weak tail.

Hosted by Oliver Strimpel

Steve Jacobsen describes how laboratory experiments reproduce the extreme pressures and temperatures found inside planets. He explains how the behaviour of minerals under those conditions informs models of planetary interiors and discusses work at the NSF Center for Matter at Atomic Pressures.

Hal Levison explains how Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids could help distinguish competing accounts of Solar System evolution. The discussion compares scenarios in which giant planets formed near their present orbits with models involving substantial migration from a more compact configuration. It considers why the Lucy spacecraft’s observations can test these ideas and how discoveries of other planetary systems sharpen the questions.

Michael Manga explains how water changes volcanic eruptions, including explosive interactions between magma and external water and the effects of dissolved water as magma depressurizes. The discussion includes the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and extends to water-related volcanism on Mars and icy moons.

Anat Shahar investigates how rocky planets acquire water, a question central to assessing habitability beyond Earth. Her experiments and models examine chemical reactions between hydrogen-rich atmospheres and early magma oceans. The episode considers why water formation matters alongside a planet’s distance from its star.

Sean Carroll and astronomer Natalie Batalha discuss the transition from discovering individual exoplanets to systematically understanding planetary populations. They explore how frequently stars host planets, how planetary sizes and orbital distances are distributed, and what observations can reveal about atmospheres and possible habitats for life. Batalha draws on her experience with NASA's Kepler mission to explain what researchers have learned and which questions future observations may answer.

Hosted by Sean Carroll