Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In a ceremony on Jan. 4, President Joe Biden awarded Bill Nye the United States’ highest civilian honor to recognize his contributions to the nation and the world. The White House’s statement said, “Bill Nye has inspired and influenced generations of American students as ’Bill Nye the Science Guy.’ His dedication to science education continues through his work as CEO of The Planetary Society and as a vocal advocate for space exploration and environmental stewardship.”
Our members can make big contributions as space advocates, too. At our annual Day of Action, Planetary Society members come together in Washington, D.C., to speak with their representatives in Congress about the importance of investing in space science and exploration. In-person meetings are the most impactful form of advocacy. The 2025 Day of Action takes place on March 24. Sign up before Jan. 31 to take advantage of early-bird registration prices.
On Nov. 22, 2024, Emily Calandrelli became the 100th woman to venture into space. On this week’s episode of Planetary Radio, Emily shares her experiences on the Blue Origin voyage, what she took to space, and how motherhood influenced her reaction to seeing Earth from space.
This month on Planetary People: Lou Friedman. Planetary People is a live Q&A series that connects our members with people at the forefront of space science and exploration. This month’s guest is Planetary Society co-founder Louis Friedman. Celebrating our 45th anniversary, Lou will share stories from the earliest days of the Society and talk about his work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, including the Voyager missions, the Mars program, and more. Planetary Society members can join the live event on Jan. 15 in our online member community. Not yet a member? Join today!