How we will get Mars rocks to Earth 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.

If it was easy, someone would have done it already.

It's not.

It's really, really hard.

While we're now closer than ever to achieving that long-held goal for a robotic exploration

of the Red Planet, NASA JPL's Richard Cook is the manager of the Mars Sample Return

Program.

He'll share the current plan, including how two descendants of ingenuity the Mars helicopter

may play key roles.

Here are a couple of program notes I'll soon be leaving for the Kennedy Space Center,

where I'll join the hopeful crowd watching the first launch of the Space Launch System.

That biggest ever rocket will boost the Artemis-1 Orion capsule toward lunar orbit.

It's sitting on the pad as I record this with everything looking a-ok for liftoff.

Yeah, we really used to say a-ok.

Bruce Bats has come up with a humdinger of a space trivia question based on the SLS.

You'll get your shot at it in this week's What's Up?

While I'm away, you'll get to hear the celebration of the Voyager Mission's 45th anniversary.

I'll be at JPL when Deputy Project Scientist Linda Spilker and others mark this occasion.

You'll hear my coverage in our August 31st show that will also feature another conversation

...