A conversation with Andrew Ian about new honors for Carl Sagan this week on planetary radio. Hi everyone, welcome to Public Radio's travel show that takes you to the final frontier.

I'm Matt Kaplan of the Planetary Society. Everyone needs a

hero right. Today we get to talk about one of mine with his widow and longtime

collaborator Andrea. We'll celebrate NASA's announcement of the Carl Sagan

postdoctoral fellowships in exoplanet exploration.

And we'll hear about other ways Anne is continuing

her late husband's work.

Bill Nye, the science and planetary guy, was one of Dr. Sagan's students.

Bill shares some of his memories as well as his excitement about the Sagan fellowships.

Much later, Bruce Betts will join us from the his excitement about the Sagan Fellowships.

Much later, Bruce Betts will join us from the road

where he's keeping an eye on the night sky.

It won't be coming from the Mars microphone

that the Planetary Society designed specifically for conditions on the red

planet, but we may still soon get to hear the first sounds ever transmitted

from the surface of Mars. Planetary Society coordinator of science and technology,

Emily Lochuwala, has just written about this small part of the Phoenix Mission

that may deliver big results.

Her article is at planetary.org. I recently asked her

for a quick overview. Emily are we going to have to be really really lucky to

for the first time hear the sounds of Mars?

Yes, I think we are, Matt.

...