Space debris and satellite smackdowns this week on planetary radio. Hi everyone, welcome to Public Radio's travel show that takes you to the Final Frontier.

I'm at Kaplan of the Planetary Society. You heard the story. An Iridium

satellite was minding its own business when it had a close encounter of the

fourth kind with an old Soviet bird, Kablui.

We'll talk with space debris and planetary protection expert Bill Ailer

about the increasingly crowded space above our planet

and the threat all that junk poses.

Bill Nye is back to tie together the importance of science education and the launch of the most powerful

tool yet for discovery of extra solar planets.

And Bruce Betts will help me ponder birthday presents

in this week's What's Up segment.

A classic Q&A too.

Here's Bill.

Hey Bill Nye, the planetary. at Q&A too, here's Bill.

Hey, hey, Bill Nye, the planetary guy here, Vice President of the Planetary Society.

And this Thursday, the 5th of March, I will be testifying before Congress.

Well, okay, I exaggerate before the House Appropriations Committee that affects of all things prisons and space exploration.

And I'm going to talk about science education and the importance of the United States

to remain the world leader in science by encouraging very young people to start pursuing science when they're in elementary school, junior high school, high school.

That stuff, if I'm a broken record from the science guy, a skipping CD from the science guy.

Anyway, during that talk, rest assured, I will mention the Kepler

mission, which is to launch that night. Now Kepler, as you may recall, was Tycho Brahe's

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