Crew Dragon Thrills While Mars Chills, this week on planetary radio.

Welcome, I'm at Kaplan of the Planetary Society with more of the human adventure across our

solar system and beyond. That opening teaser line about thrills and chills

would normally have been a very appropriate way to start this week's show, but events

of the last few days have made it seem somewhat trite.

It has been a week of triumph and shame, of humanity at its best and very nearly its worst.

Like many of you, all of us at the society believed this would be a time to celebrate as humans return to space on a new ship.

It is that, of course, and we will celebrate shortly, but the success of SpaceX and

NASA with Crew Dragon has been overshadowed by other news.

We've struggled with this.

Planetary Radio and the Planetary Society generally look outward and upward, but we do this in concert with and on

behalf of men and women around the world. Our mission statement begins with empowering the world citizens.

Yet there are too many of the world citizens for whom empowerment is far beyond their reach,

for whom even survival is not a reliable outcome.

My colleagues and I have spent the last few days considering

how we can do more to advance true empowerment,

the kind that will create security, respect, honor, and opportunities

that will give everyone space in their lives to look up in wonder.

We have some great ideas, but we're just getting started.

I hope you'll also read the statement by our CEO Bill Nye.

Most of all, I hope you'll hold us to this commitment.

It begins with a small gesture here on planetary radio.

...