When NASA loses employees, their experience and expertise can’t be simply changed. The newest episode of Planetary Radio: Area Coverage Version explores staff dynamics at NASA with Janet Vertesi, PhD, a sociologist who has spent years embedded in NASA science groups. She discusses her alarm on the prospect of indiscriminate firings on the company, and on the potential lack of institutional information that gained’t simply be rebuilt. Pictured: An artist’s impression of NASA engineers disappearing. Picture credit score: Casey Dreier/NASA.
The place are all of the aliens? That is the central query of the Fermi Paradox. Our newest article unpacks why some scientists suppose that we should always have made contact with clever extraterrestrials by now, and explores some theories about why we haven’t.
Sub-Neptunes could also be the most typical kind of planet in our galaxy. This week’s Planetary Radio options an interview with planetary geochemist Chris Glein, PhD, about his staff’s analysis on the sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-270 d and the secrets and techniques it might be revealing about this class of world.
Consideration all asteroid hunters! The Planetary Society is accepting proposals for the 2025 spherical of Shoemaker NEO grants, which fund skilled newbie observers and underfunded skilled observers all through the world who make important contributions to analysis on near-Earth objects. The deadline for proposals is Could 14, 2025. See our Request for Proposals for extra particulars.
ICYMI: The Planetary Society ebook membership with Hakeem Oluseyi. Astrophysicist, engineer, and science communicator Hakeem Oluseyi joined our newest digital ebook membership assembly to speak about his inspiring coming-of-age memoir about his rise from an impoverished childhood and crime-filled adolescence to the highest ranks of analysis physics. You possibly can watch a recording of the occasion right here. Our subsequent ebook membership decide is “Mars: Photographs from the NASA Archives.” Planetary Society members can be part of the ebook membership and attend reside Q&As with authors. Not but a member? Be a part of at present.
Be a part of us on the People to the Moon and Mars Summit. Happening Could 28-29, 2025, in Washington, D.C., this summit explores the way forward for human area exploration from scientific, engineering, and coverage views, and extra. This yr’s occasion will function Planetary Society board member and planetary scientist Britney Schmidt, PhD, in addition to former Planetary Radio host Mat Kaplan. Planetary Society members can use the promo code PlanetarySocietyMARS2025 for a ten% low cost on registration.
