Episodes

  • A proposal to stifle American science

    A proposal to stifle American science
    Jun 5 2026
    Casey Dreier is joined by Liz Ginexi, a former Program Officer at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, to break down a 400-page proposed rule change from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget that could fundamentally reshape how the federal government manages scientific grants.
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    52 mins
  • Why humans matter — The philosophy of Artemis II

    Why humans matter — The philosophy of Artemis II
    May 1 2026
    Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Rebecca Lowe, philosophy senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to explore why human presence in space is so different from robotic missions, and why that difference matters.
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Return to Launch — Cape Canaveral's unlikely history

    Return to Launch — Cape Canaveral's unlikely history
    Apr 3 2026
    Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Stephen C. Smith, author of Return to Launch and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex communicator, to explore how a remote Florida peninsula became the heart of U.S. spaceflight.
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Is there really a space race between the US and China?

    Is there really a space race between the US and China?
    Mar 6 2026
    Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, speaks with former NASA strategic advisor on China, Patrick Besha, about China’s long-term space strategy and what real competition in space may look like in the decades ahead.
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • What a NASA Authorization bill actually does

    What a NASA Authorization bill actually does
    Feb 6 2026
    Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier and Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly break down what NASA authorization bills actually do and why these laws matter for long-term U.S. space policy, from science missions to human spaceflight and planetary defense.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Change for the Sake of Disruption at NASA

    Change for the Sake of Disruption at NASA
    Jan 2 2026
    After DOGE cuts, mass staff departures, and a blink-and-you-missed-it pivot to Mars, how much did NASA actually change in 2025? Space Policy Online founder Marcia Smith returns to assess a turbulent year.
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • The Moral Case for Space Science

    The Moral Case for Space Science
    Dec 12 2025
    Why do we explore space? In this Space Policy Edition rerun, Casey Dreier speaks with philosopher Dr. J. S. Johnson-Schwartz about why space science is a moral obligation, beyond economics or prestige.
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Should a (potential) biosignature revive Mars Sample Return?

    Should a (potential) biosignature revive Mars Sample Return?
    Nov 7 2025
    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… no major policy changes. Why? Lou Friedman joins the show to present his view.
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    1 hr and 22 mins