Europa, like Mars, is thought to hide liquid water beneath its surface. This makes the moon of Jupiter highly interesting to scientists, but also to artists and musicians. This week’s Planetary Radio takes listeners to the public premiere of the “Moons Symphony,” a collection of musical works inspired by the satellites of our Solar System’s planets. The episode includes highlights from a panel discussion featuring members of the Europa Clipper, Dragonfly, and Cassini mission teams about the discoveries that inspired the music. Pictured: Europa imaged by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. Image credit: NASA et al.
With private companies doing more and more in space, why not science? The reason why space science is the domain of national bodies like NASA comes down to the nature of science itself. In a new article, Planetary Society Chief of Space Policy Casey Dreier explores why, despite increasing contributions from commercial entities, the public sector will always be better suited to pursuing scientific inquiry in space exploration.