Alan Stern Says It’s Time for Suborbital Science

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Planetary Radio centers on Alan Stern’s case that commercial suborbital spacecraft will transform science by letting researchers fly with their experiments, do astronomy and microgravity work more cheaply, and open space access to students, educators, and smaller nations. The show also updates New Horizons, highlights space news, and closes with Bruce Betts’s trivia and skywatching segment.

Main Topics: Commercial suborbital flight as a new scientific platform: Alan Stern argues Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin will let scientists conduct hands-on research in space, making experiments more reliable, cheaper, and faster than traditional spaceflight or sounding rockets. Human-tended experiments and research use cases: Stern explains why having the experimenter aboard matters for biomedical monitoring, astronomy, microgravity studies, and rapid iteration of experiments in a lab-like way. Democratization of space access: The discussion frames suborbital vehicles as opening space to students, educators, artists, and smaller countries that cannot afford orbital missions. New Horizons mission status and legacy: Stern provides an update that New Horizons remains healthy, has ample power and communications margin, and is producing long-term science beyond Pluto and Arrokoth. Pluto science consolidation through a new textbook: Stern describes the new compendium The Pluto System After New Horizons as a definitive reference collecting the mission’s findings across many disciplines. Planetary news and community updates: The episode mentions Europa Clipper’s launch on Falcon Heavy, possible water vapor at Ganymede, the Nauka/ISS incident, and a tribute to Neil Brown. Bruce Betts’s weekly space segment: Betts covers skywatching, a space history anniversary roundup, a LightSail 2 fact, and a trivia contest about long-duration spaceflight and Olympic torch missions.

Key Arguments: Suborbital commercial flights are not just tourism; they are an emerging research platform that can carry scientists with their instruments. Having a human onboard avoids the cost, complexity, and failure-proneness of full automation in many experiments. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin can support faster experimental cycles because flights are expected to be frequent and cheaper than NASA sounding rockets. Suborbital research can capture the transition into microgravity and support longer-duration microgravity studies than parabolic aircraft flights. These vehicles can also support partial-gravity experiments, educational payloads, and broader access for nations and institutions that cannot afford orbital missions. New Horizons remains technically healthy and could continue operating into the late 2030s or 2040s while continuing Kuiper Belt science. The new Pluto volume provides a lasting synthesis of the mission’s results and will serve as a core reference for planetary scientists for decades.

Data Points: Virgin Galactic / Blue Origin era: 2021 - Two crewed commercial suborbital flights by Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin prompted discussion of a new science era. Human spaceflight total: Fewer than 600 people - Used to emphasize how rare spaceflight still is and why broader access matters. Microgravity time on suborbital flight: 3–4 minutes - Approximate time available aboard Virgin Galactic compared with seconds on aircraft parabolas. Microgravity time on airplane parabolas: 20–30 seconds - Comparison point for research on vomiting/zero-G aircraft. Sounding rocket history: 70 years - Stern notes astronomical sounding rocket missions date back to the 1950s. Research flight cost comparison: 5–10 suborbital missions for the cost of 1 NASA sounding rocket - Stern’s estimate of improved research cadence and affordability. Southwest Research Institute payload proposal: Accepted on first try - NASA accepted Stern’s proposal to fly experiments on Virgin Galactic. Expected first science flight: Next year - Stern hoped the first SwRI/Virgin Galactic flight would occur the following year. New Horizons launch date: 2006 - The spacecraft was launched 15.5 years before this interview. New Horizons distance: More than 5 billion miles - Current range of the spacecraft during the interview. New Horizons operating margin: Into the late 2030s, possibly the 2040s - Projected remaining life based on power and fuel margin. Pluto book length: 700 pages - The new volume The Pluto System After New Horizons is described as a comprehensive reference work. Pluto system book chapters: 25 chapters - The book includes contributions from roughly 100 authors. 50 AU milestone: 50 astronomical units - New Horizons marked this distance with an ode to Voyager. Voyager age: 44+ years - Voyager 1 and 2 were cited as still operating decades after launch. Perseid peak: Night of August 12–13 - Bruce Betts’s skywatching note for the meteor shower peak. Juno anniversary: 10 years - Space history segment noted the anniversary of Juno’s launch. Curiosity anniversary: 9 years - Space history segment noted Curiosity’s Mars landing anniversary. Vostok 2 anniversary: 60 years - German Titov became the second human in space and first to sleep/vomit in space. LightSail 2 size analogy: Balance beam to boxing ring - Betts’s Olympic-themed comparison of spacecraft size and deployed sail size. Longest single-mission human spaceflight: 437.7 days - Valeri Polyakov’s record cited in the trivia contest. Second-longest single-mission human spaceflight: 379.6 days - Sergei Avdeyev’s mission duration cited in the trivia contest. Mir-era 1-year flights: 365 days, 20 hours, 38 minutes - Titov and Manarov’s flight duration as discussed in the trivia answers.

Pivotal Quotes: "This is really the inflection point with spaceflight breaking out and the power of commercial spaceflight." — Alan Stern: Stern describing why Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin mark a turning point for space science and industry. "We finally have the chance to fly researchers at costs that actually make sense." — Alan Stern: He explains why human-tended experiments on suborbital vehicles could transform research practice. "This is where Star Trek begins." — Alan Stern: Stern’s slogan for the era of commercial spaceflight and broader human expansion into space.

Implications: Listeners are being shown that suborbital spaceflight is becoming a practical scientific tool, not just a novelty. The industry may soon support faster, cheaper, and more inclusive research, education, and outreach in space.