The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the two guys in charge of it this week on planetary radio.

Hi everyone, welcome to Public Radio's travel show that takes you to the final frontier. I'm Matt Kaplan.

Project manager Jim Graf and Project

scientist Rich Zurich are closing in on the red planet. When they arrive

their spacecraft will take pictures from orbit like nothing we've seen before.

They'll talk about their eagle-eyed bird minutes from now.

Bruce Betts keeps us from becoming lost in space on this week's What's Up segment and offers a new trivia contest

straight from Neptune.

We know you're dying to hear all the latest gossip from around the solar system.

Here's a developing story from slightly farther away, farther as in the edge of the visible

universe.

NASA has just announced detection of the most distant explosion ever seen. The gamma ray burst is, sorry, billions and billions of

light years away and therefore took place that many billions of years ago. Thank the

Space Agency's swift satellite for the find.

Just an itty-bitty fraction of a idea from home.

That new progress supply vehicle has arrived at the International Space Station.

Bruce will have more to say about it later in the show.

And right now, here on the surface of our favorite planet,

Deep Impact Principal Investigator Micah Hearn and his colleagues have released all sorts of new information about Comet Temple 1, including many surprises.

Ever dig a tunnel right through a snow bank with nothing more than your hands. We do it all the time

here in Southern California. Turns out you could do the same right through Temple One.

If anything, it's fluffier than new fallen snow.

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