Sample acquired! And: is your name in space?

It’s an exciting time for space exploration, and Planetary Radio is your one-stop-shop for all the inside scoops. This week’s episode brings you special coverage of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s successful collection of a sample from asteroid Bennu. Then we talk with Jane Greaves, leader of the team that found evidence of phosphine gas (a possible byproduct of life) in the atmosphere of Venus. Pictured: A collage of Bennu on the left (credit: NASA) and Venus on the right (credit: Mattias Malmer/NASA JPL).

What are the next steps in humanity’s exploration of Mars? Find out in a free Scientific American webinar on the future of Mars exploration on Thursday, October 29, 2020, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET. Casey Dreier, senior space policy adviser for The Planetary Society, and space & physics editor Lee Billings will discuss NASA’s upcoming Perseverance rover mission, the “post-Perseverance†future in which space agencies and private companies may pursue major shifts in Mars exploration strategies, and how those plans could forever change our understanding of—and relationship with—the Red Planet.

Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye is future-minded. CNN’s ‘Saved by the Future’ program featured Nye this week, speaking about The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 spacecraft and the potential for solar sailing to carry us to other planets and beyond.

This holiday season, what out-of-this-world gifts are you shopping for? Every year The Planetary Society puts together a gift guide for people who love space. This year, we want to hear from you! Send us your great gift ideas for space enthusiasts by filling out this quick online form. And stay tuned for the final gift guide, which will be coming to planetary.org in November.

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