The great Pluto debate reignites once more

FromAre We There Yet?

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The great Pluto debate reignites once more

FromAre We There Yet?

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Length:

28 minutes

Released:

Jan 25, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

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Back in 2006, a science organization changed the classification of Pluto as a planet, sparking a debate in both the astronomical community and pop culture. More than 15 years later, a new paper is reigniting that debate.

Released:

Jan 25, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

The Space Exploration Podcast

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Rockets With Frickin’ Laser Beams. Uncovering The Mystery Of Moon Dust: When it comes to how dirt on the moon behaves, scientists are still in the dark. Moon sand, also called regolith, is pretty mysterious — but one team of University of Central Florida scientists want to shed some light on lunar dust clouds…by shooting l... by Are We There Yet?
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Decade of Discovery & Dating Stars: Every 10 years, NASA tasks the science community to chart the course for the next decade of discovery and exploration. As NASA and other agencies push forward looking for signs of life in our universe, what’s the path ahead? by Are We There Yet?
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An Artemis Astronaut & Recap Of 2020 Space News: NASA announced the first group of astronauts who will train for a mission to the moon. We’ll talk with one of those astronauts, Kayla Barron, about the selection and what the mission means for women in the astronaut corps. by Are We There Yet?
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A New Era In Human Spaceflight: Four astronauts successfully launched and docked to the International Space Station this week, flying on the first commercially designed and built spacecraft -- SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. by Are We There Yet?
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Celebrating Five Years Of WMFE’s Space Exploration Podcast: This podcast and radio show is celebrating its five year anniversary. To celebrate this milestone event we invited frequent guests for a virtual conversation last week -- Charlie Bolden, a former NASA administrator under President Obama and retired ast... by Are We There Yet?
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A Countdown To Clean Clothes In Space: Astronauts rarely get the comforts of home. Fresh food is scarce, a hot shower is unheard of, and they’re asked to wear their clothes multiple times before tossing them to the trash. Laundry is something missing from human space exploration, by Are We There Yet?
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Hubble: 30 Years Of Spectacular Celestial Images: For the last three decades, the Hubble Space Telescope has peered deep into our universe, exploring the origins of the cosmos and capturing stunning views of stars, clusters and galaxies. Now, NASA is releasing a catalogue of some of its most dazzling ... by Are We There Yet?
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The Path Ahead In Space Policy & A “Black Hole Survival Guide”: All eyes have been on the Presidential race, but the 2020 election will also have an impact on the U.S. space program. From Congressional funding to NASA leadership -- what’s ahead? Then, black holes have captured the attention of the masses with break... by Are We There Yet?
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Remembering Arecibo & Sending Science To Space: A 305-meter radio telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed after sustaining damage earlier this year -- sending 900 tons of radio equipment crashing into the dish. by Are We There Yet?
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Arecibo’s Legacy: For nearly six decades, a 1,000 foot dish in a Puerto Rican forest has led the charge in searching for far away planets, alien life and tracking near-Earth asteroids. It’s also had cameos in television and film including the 1995 James Bond movie Golde... by Are We There Yet?
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Michio Kaku & The Quest For A Theory Of Everything: Before he died, Einstein was working on a theory of everything. It aims to combine all the forces in the universe into one beautiful, mathematical equation to explain everything. That equation remains incomplete, by Are We There Yet?
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Speedy Space Delivery: After spending about a month on the International Space Station, SpaceX’s new Cargon Dragon capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida. It’s a departure from previous versions of the vehicle which splashed down in the Pacific. by Are We There Yet?
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As Bridenstine Says Goodbye, What’s Ahead For NASA?: NASA’s administrator Jim Bridenstine stepped down last week as a new presidential administration took office. President Biden will now select the next leader of the civilian space agency -- could that mean a new direction for NASA? by Are We There Yet?
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The Big Business Of Small Satellites: A new company plans to launch small satellites from the belly of a drone. It joins the growing number of small launch companies popping up to send tiny payloads into space. So what’s the market for these small satellites? by Are We There Yet?
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NASA’s Moon Mission Hardware: SLS Arrives, SpaceX Wins Lunar Landing Contract: NASA’s next moon rocket has reached its final destination before launching from Kennedy Space Center. The massive 212-foot tall rocket will carry the Orion space capsule on an uncrewed mission around the moon and back, by Are We There Yet?
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A Helicopter On Mars, Some Gas On Venus: NASA’s Perseverance rover is hard at work, exploring Jezero crater since landing back in February. But the dune-buggy sized rover is about to get upstaged by a tiny helicopter. by Are We There Yet?
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The Hunt For Planet 9: On the outer edges of our solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune, objects cluster in weird ways. This clustering led some scientists to search for something that could be acting as a gravitational shepherd, moving and modifying their orbits. by Are We There Yet?
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Welcome To Mars, Percy. It’s Time To Do Science.: After a seven month journey hundreds of millions of miles through our solar system, NASA’s Perseverance rover safely landed on the surface of Mars. Now, the science campaign begins. by Are We There Yet?
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10 Years Since Shuttle: A Look To The Past & Future: On July 8, 2011, Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center, the final mission of the shuttle program. We’ll revisit the Space Shuttle program with two time astronaut Bruce Melnick, who was a mission specialist on both Space Shuttle Discovery and Ende... by Are We There Yet?
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First Of Mars Mission Trio Arrives At Red Planet: The first of three robotic explorers has arrived at the red planet. The United Arab Emirates Hope probe successfully entered the orbit of Mars Tuesday, marking the UAE's first mission to the red planet. by Are We There Yet?
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The Early Days of SpaceX & Crew Dragon’s Next Commander: From booster landings to astronaut launches, it’s hard to imagine a time when SpaceX struggled. But once it seemed like the company may never get off the ground. Eric Berger, journalist and Ars Technica’s senior space editor, by Are We There Yet?
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Space Tourism: Up There & Down Here: A seat on Blue Origin’s first crewed New Shepard flight went for $28 million at auction. It marks the start of a new chapter of space tourism. So what’s the future of this burgeoning market? by Are We There Yet?
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The Long Road To Mars: Getting to Mars isn’t easy, but so far this month two space agencies have delivered payloads to the red planet’s orbit -- China and the United Arab Emirates. A NASA mission is also on course for Mars. by Are We There Yet?
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Interplanetary Helicopters & SOFIA’s New Eyes: NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter had a Wright Brothers moment on Mars after performing the first powered flight on another planet. It’s the first in many planned helicopter missions to other worlds. So what are engineers learning from the test? by Are We There Yet?
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Printing On The Moon & Black Hole Observations: Can you print things on the moon? Redwire Space wants to find out using a 3D printer installed on the International Space Station. by Are We There Yet?
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The Next Space Telescope Will Peer Deep Into The Universe. Scientists Can’t Wait To See What It Sees.: The next space-based telescope is almost ready to head into orbit. The James Webb Space Telescope aims to look deeper into the history of the universe, piggy-backing off the incredible observations of the Hubble Space Telescope. by Are We There Yet?
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A Space For All? How Will Space Tourism Shape Access To Space: Billionaire Jeff Bezos has reached a life-long goal of flying in space. His company Blue Origin launched its first mission with passengers Tuesday morning from West Texas, ushering in a new era of private space tourism. by Are We There Yet?
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The Big Business Of Small Space Tech: Small satellites plus small rockets equals big business. by Are We There Yet?
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Bringing Mars To Earth: NASA’s Perseverance rover is sending back some of the clearest and most dramatic images of the Martian surface ever. It landed earlier this year, and since then has been beaming back detailed panoramics, up close images, by Are We There Yet?
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Sleeping In Space & “Woman In Motion”: Later this week, a new crew will launch to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center here in Florida. When the four astronauts arrive in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule about a day after launch, they’ll join the seven already on board bringing ... by Are We There Yet?
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To the moon, for good?: NASA's Artemis I mission is a big step in the agency's plans for permanent presence on the moon. Just how close is the agency to that goal, and what is left to be done? by Are We There Yet?
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From the moon to Mars: NASA's Artemis I mission has made it to the moon. We check in with the mission and preview what's ahead. Plus, the new documentary "Goodnight Oppy" chronicles a planned 90 day mission on Mars that lasted 15 years. by Are We There Yet?
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Artemis I, take three: NASA’s next moon mission could take flight this week. Artemis I is poised to launch from Kennedy Space Center as early as Wednesday morning. The mission has faced a handful of obstacles, from engine issues, a gas leak, to riding out a hurricane. by Are We There Yet?
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Six years of science: NASA’s Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen reflects on his tenure as the agency’s science cheif: For the past six years, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen has led NASA’s science division. From the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope to landing a robot on Mars, Dr. Z has been at the helm for some of NASA’s most complex and critical science missions. by Are We There Yet?
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The science of averting disasters. From asteroid impacts to severe storms due to climate change, NASA is on the case: As Florida prepares for Hurricane Ian, NASA is hoping to deflect another natural disaster -- an asteroid. by Are We There Yet?
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From the moon to Mars: A look at an intriguing finding on Mars and NASA’s plans for deep space exploration: How will NASA's lunar missions help get humans to Mars? And a look at an intriguing finding by NASA's newest Martian explorer in the search for signs of ancient life on Mars. by Are We There Yet?
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Failure to launch: A look at the delays and possible fixes to NASA’s Artemis I mission: Two attempts to launch NASA’s new moon rocket SLS and deep space capsule Orion have been waived off -- facing a handful of issues including a hydrogen leak. Now, engineers are working on fixing the issues for an attempt as soon as the end of this month... by Are We There Yet?
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NASA is heading back to the moon. These kids have some important questions: NASA is heading back to the moon and some of our youngest listeners have some really important questions about the future of exploration. by Are We There Yet?
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NASA’s next moon program Artemis takes flight next week. What sets this program apart from the Apollo missions?: A historian discusses how NASA's new moon missions differ from the Apollo flights of the 1960s and 70s. Plus, a look at the criticism of the Artemis program and why it's worth the cost. by Are We There Yet?
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Curiosity’s decade of discovery on Mars: A look back at Curiosity's decade of exploring Mars and what's ahead for the red planet rover. Plus, the Space Coast braces for at least 100,000 spectators as NASA launches Artemis I. by Are We There Yet?
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Space law — it’s complicated.: As more countries and companies leave the planet, governing space is getting increasingly more complicated. by Are We There Yet?
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James Webb Space Telescope zooms in on other worlds & Planetary Radio’s Mat Kaplan reflects on 20 years of hosting: How can the James Webb Space Telescope help us spot other Earth-like worlds? Plus, a conversation with Planetary Radio's Mat Kaplan about his two decades hosting the show. by Are We There Yet?
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Commercial space goes deep: Commercial companies are setting ambitious goals and heading into deep space. by Are We There Yet?
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Oh the things we can see, thanks to JWST: It’s been a week since the first James Webb Space Telescope images captivated scientists and the general public alike. by Are We There Yet?
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The big reveal: NASA drops stunning first images from James Webb Space Telescope: They’re here. The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope are out, revealing thousands of ancient galaxies, nebulae, and a close-up look at a planet outside our own solar system. by Are We There Yet?
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‘Escaping Gravity’: A conversation with NASA’s former deputy administrator Lori Garver: Lori Garver served as NASA deputy administrator, its second in command, during the Obama administration. It was a tumultuous time for the agency. The Space Shuttle was retiring, Obama canceled NASA’s costly Constellation program, by Are We There Yet?
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Protecting our planet for potential asteroid strikes: Thursday marks World Asteroid Day, a U.N.-sanctioned campaign to raise awareness of the scientific opportunities, and planetary threats, posed by asteroids. So we’re taking this week’s episode to explore asteroids. by Are We There Yet?
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From a new space station to supply chain solutions, a check in with commercial space: From filling the gap left by a retiring International Space Station to a possible solution to a unique supply chain issue, commercial space leaders weigh in on the future of the industry. by Are We There Yet?
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More moon science: Researchers explore lunar magma domes and growing plants on the moon: A team of researchers received approval for a $35 million dollar mission to the moon. The group will explore an uncharted portion of the moon, which scientists say was formed by magma below the surface. by Are We There Yet?
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For NASA’s new moon-bound astronauts, it’s time for some new suits: NASA needs new space suits. The agency wants to put people back on the moon in the 2020s, and to do it safely, it needs brand new space suits for use on the lunar surface. NASA is working with two private companies to design, by Are We There Yet?
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MegaCon, MegaRocket. The science of going back to the moon: From MegaCon Orlando -- the science of NASA’s next moon missions. by Are We There Yet?
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The power of parachutes: What’s it like plummeting from space and landing…alive? We'll talk with Inspiration4 astronaut Chris Sembroski about the power of parachutes and how the technology helped get him back on the planet. by Are We There Yet?
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Strainer’s redo, part two. Plus, the story of Susan Borman, Apollo 8 commander’s wife: Boeing’s Starliner is set for yet another test mission, a critical step before NASA lets its astronauts fly to space in it. So what’s at stake for Boeing? And why is having two providers so important for NASA? by Are We There Yet?
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What’s at the center of our galaxy?: At the center of our galaxy lies a supermassive black hole. It’s a region of space where gravity is so strong nothing can escape it, not even light. While the name supermassive might make it seem like these things are easy to spot -- they’re really not. by Are We There Yet?
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A new chapter in commercial space & how Elon’s Twitter buy might impact SpaceX: With the first all-private space mission in the books, what's ahead for the commercial space economy? Plus, a look at the impacts to SpaceX after found Elon Musk announced plans to buy Twitter. by Are We There Yet?
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The case for Uranus: Outlining the next decade of discovery: Every 10 years, the National Academies submits a report, outlining what it thinks NASA should focus on when it comes to planetary science efforts. Uranus came out the big winner. by Are We There Yet?
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The great Pluto debate reignites once more

The great Pluto debate reignites once more

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Are We There Yet?

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