A conversation with the top of the world 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.

I mentioned last week that we might soon get a call from very near the North Pole.

Well, it happened just a few days ago.

When I picked up the phone, it was Stephen Grasby on the line, calling us via satellite phone from a glacier on Canada's

Ellsmere Island, 81 degrees north.

You'll hear our conversation about the remarkable sulfur-laden spring.

Stephen and his three colleagues are investigating,

the one that may make the site the closest thing around

to the modeled ice on Jupiter's moon Europa.

Of course, Bill Betts will be along soon with this week's edition of

What's Up and another chance to win a planetary radio t-shirt. As we go to press or

wherever it is that radio shows go, NASA is preparing for a third attempt to launch

Discovery on July 4th. All systems were go but that pesky Florida weather kept the shuttle

on the pad last weekend.

While America is trying to return humans to orbit for the first time in many months,

we've also learned that Russia and Europe have decided to explore development of what is being called the advanced crew transportation system.

It centers on a small winged vehicle that might carry up to six people to the International Space Station.

The craft is based on an earlier concept from the Russians called The Clipper.

Want to see it?

Check out the article and photos at planetary.org.

Mars Exploration Rover Spirit may not be rolling around during the Martian winter,

...