Looking forward to a big year in space this week on planetary radio.

Welcome to the travel show that takes you to the Final Frontier.

I'm at Kaplan of the Planetary Society.

Last week we looked backward.

This time it's a gaze at the near future.

My Planetary Society colleagues return with their predictions of the big stories ahead in 2015.

In addition to regulars Emily Lockwala and Bruce Betts, you'll hear Jason Davis on human spaceflight and light sail along with Director of Advocacy Casey dryers

forecast for space exploration planning and funding.

Bill Nye is moments away with his comments about a decision that NASA will announce in the next

few weeks about the so-called asteroid redirect mission or Arm.

Notice something different this week? That's our brand new theme playing in the background.

It was composed and produced for us by Josh Doyle of Three Theory Music. Let us know what you think about

the new tune or anything else about the show right to planetary

radio at planetary.org. Here's the Chief Executive Officer of the Planetary Society, Bill Nye

the Science Guy.

Bill, happy New Year once again.

Welcome to our first official show of the new year.

It's great to be here, Matt.

It feels a lot the same.

No, I just want to say, this is going to be a big year. 2015 is going to be a

big year. NASA still hasn't decided whether it's going to redirect or drag a small asteroid into an orbit beyond the moon or go to a small asteroid and try to take a piece off of it.

And these are both just, I mean, it's easy to say in a sentence or two, but these are just extraordinary missions, way to heck out into deep space with people.

...