A solar system that almost looks like home this week on planetary radio. Radio. Hi everyone, welcome to Public Radio's travel show that takes you to the final

frontier.

I'm Matt Kaplan.

We mentioned it last week. This week we go to the source.

Christoph Lovelace of the Geneva Observatory was the lead author of a paper detailing discovery of three Neptune-sized planets circling a star that may also have

an asteroid belt.

And one of those planets appears to be in the so-called habitable zone, not too hot and not too cold for liquid water, and perhaps life.

We'll learn more in a few minutes.

Later today, Bruce Betts will tell me what I'd weigh on Pluto, but that's not nearly as important as his new space trivia

contest, is it? Let's cover a few headlines before Emily drops by. It's T-minus a few days for

the launch of discovery.

After an intensive two-day review, NASA has announced July 1

as the target date for the return of the space shuttle

to the International Space Station.

Commander Steve Lindsey and his six crewmates on the STS 121 mission will spend 12 days in orbit.

Meanwhile, NASA's Genesis Mishapp Investigation Board has put the blame for that mission's failed

parachute exactly where we had been told.

So-called G- switches had been installed upside down. The board also faulted the better faster

cheaper policy which resulted in the cutting of critical corners. There's a

detailed story at planetary.org on the web.

Lastly, some good news for science out of Washington.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Science

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