The 14 Best Outer Space Podcasts (2026)

Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk is probably the most recognizable science podcast in existence, and for good reason. The show blends astrophysics, pop culture, and comedy in a way that genuinely works, which is not an easy combination to pull off. Neil hosts alongside comedians Chuck Nice and Gary O'Reilly, and they bring on scientists, authors, and celebrities for wide-ranging conversations about the universe.

The quantum physics content on StarTalk tends to come through specific guest episodes and Cosmic Queries segments where listeners submit questions. Neil's explanations of quantum phenomena are famously accessible. He's been explaining superposition and wave-particle duality to audiences for decades, and he's gotten very good at it. The show also features interviews with working physicists who can go deeper on specific topics like quantum computing or the implications of Bell's theorem.

With over 1,100 episodes and a 4.6-star average from nearly 14,000 ratings, StarTalk is a genuine phenomenon. Episodes premiere weekly and run about an hour. Not every episode covers quantum physics by any means, and some listeners feel the show has become more entertainment-focused over the years. But when it does tackle quantum topics, the combination of Neil's communication skills and the show's massive production resources makes for consistently engaging audio. It's an excellent entry point for anyone just starting to get curious about quantum mechanics.

Running since 2006, Astronomy Cast is one of those rare podcasts that actually gets better with age. Fraser Cain, the publisher of Universe Today, pairs up with Dr. Pamela Gay, an astronomer at the Planetary Science Institute, and they just talk through space topics like two old friends at a particularly nerdy dinner party. Each week they pick a subject—luminous fast blue optical transients, say, or the lifecycle of stars—and spend about 30 to 40 minutes breaking it down without dumbing it down. Fraser asks the questions a curious non-scientist would ask, and Pamela answers with the precision of someone who has published actual research papers on the topic. The show earned a 4.8 rating from nearly 3,000 reviews, which is pretty telling. Over 780 episodes in, they still manage to find fresh angles on subjects they covered a decade ago because, well, science keeps moving forward. Their Patreon-supported model means the show stays ad-light, though some listeners have noted the occasional sponsor read. The episodes feel like attending a really good college lecture, except nobody is grading you and you can listen in your pajamas.

The Planetary Society has been championing space exploration since Carl Sagan co-founded it in 1980, and Planetary Radio carries that torch with over 1,300 weekly episodes. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed leads a rotating cast that includes Bill Nye (yes, the Science Guy), Bruce Betts, and veteran host Mat Kaplan. The show covers everything from Mars rover updates to the politics of NASA funding, and it does so with a warmth that feels genuinely passionate rather than performative. Each episode runs 45 minutes to an hour, typically featuring interviews with working scientists, mission engineers, and astronauts. The recurring "What’s Up" segment with Bruce Betts is a highlight—he walks through upcoming night sky events and tosses out space trivia that will make you the most interesting person at any party. There is also a monthly Space Policy Edition for listeners who care about the budget battles and legislative wrangling that actually determine which missions get built. With a 4.8 rating from over 1,200 reviews, this podcast has proven it can keep space enthusiasts coming back week after week for over two decades. It strikes a nice balance between accessible enough for newcomers and substantive enough for people who already know their perihelion from their aphelion.

This is NASA’s official podcast straight out of Johnson Space Center in Houston, and it sounds exactly like you’d hope—authoritative but not stuffy. Host Gary Jordan sits down weekly with astronauts, engineers, and flight controllers who are literally building the future of human spaceflight. Over 415 episodes, the show has covered everything from the nuts and bolts of spacewalk procedures to the emotional reality of spending months on the International Space Station. Recent episodes have focused heavily on the Artemis II moon mission preparations and the CHAPEA Mars analog habitat experiments, giving you a front-row seat to missions while they are still being planned. Episodes range from 25 minutes to over an hour, depending on how much the guest has to say (and NASA engineers tend to have a lot to say). The production quality is exactly what you would expect from an agency that broadcasts rocket launches—clean audio, well-structured conversations, no filler. With a 4.7 rating and over 1,200 reviews, it has earned a loyal following among people who want their space news from the source rather than filtered through media coverage.

If Houston We Have a Podcast is NASA's engineering side, Curious Universe is the storytelling side. Hosts Padi Boyd and Jacob Pinter take a more cinematic approach to space science, weaving narratives around NASA's missions, discoveries, and the people behind them. Now in its eleventh season, the show recently launched a limited series devoted entirely to the Artemis II mission, covering everything from the crew selection process to the ground teams who keep the whole operation running. Each episode runs about 20 to 35 minutes, making it a perfect commute listen. The production feels polished and intentional—there are sound effects, music cues, and the kind of pacing you would find in a well-made radio documentary. With 95 episodes across 9 seasons, it releases in themed batches rather than the typical weekly grind. Some listeners have noted that episodes take a little while to get to the main point, but that is partly by design. The show wants you to feel the wonder, not just absorb the facts. It sits at a 4.5 rating with nearly 900 reviews, and it works especially well for people who want a more produced, narrative-driven experience rather than a straight interview format.

Fraser Cain runs Universe Today, one of the most respected space news websites on the internet, and this podcast is basically the audio extension of that same mission. With over 1,500 episodes and daily updates, it is absurdly prolific. The format rotates between Space Bites (quick news roundups of recent discoveries), Q&A sessions where Fraser answers listener questions, and longer interview episodes with working astronomers and astrophysicists. What sets it apart is that it is completely ad-free—supported entirely through Patreon—so you get pure content without interruption. Fraser has a calm, methodical delivery that pairs well with complex topics like exoplanet atmospheres or gravitational wave detection. He rarely oversimplifies, but he also does not assume you have a PhD. The show has a 4.7 rating from over 500 reviews, with listeners consistently praising the depth and the lack of ads. Individual episodes tend to be relatively short, typically 15 to 30 minutes, which makes it easy to stack a few of them in a row. If you want to stay genuinely current on what is happening in astronomy and space science, this is probably the most efficient way to do it.

Pale Blue Pod bills itself as an astronomy podcast for people who are overwhelmed by the universe, and honestly that is most of us. Dr. Moiya McTier, an astrophysicist with a genuinely funny bone, teams up with Connie Gibbs (known as ConStar), and together they make the cosmos feel approachable without ever being condescending. New episodes drop every Monday, and the format bounces between topic deep-dives, guest interviews, movie reviews through an astronomical lens, and the occasional birthday special. With about 175 episodes since 2022, the show has built momentum quickly. The chemistry between Moiya and Connie is the real draw here—their back-and-forth has the energy of two friends who happen to be really smart, not two smart people trying to be friends. Topics range from binary star research to the surprisingly political history of how we name celestial objects. The explicit rating is earned through casual language rather than shocking content. At 4.5 stars with 173 ratings, it is still growing its audience but the reviews are enthusiastic. This is a great entry point for anyone who finds traditional science podcasts a bit too dry or lecture-like, and it works especially well for younger listeners who want their space knowledge served with personality.

Backed by the Royal Astronomical Society—an institution that has been around since 1820—The Supermassive Podcast carries some serious credentials. Science journalist Izzie Clarke and astrophysicist Dr. Becky Smethurst host biweekly episodes that blend current research with historical gems from the RAS archives. Dr. Robert Massey pops in with stargazing tips, which is a nice practical touch for listeners who actually want to go outside and look up. The show covers topics like gravitational physics, multiverse theory, and temporal mechanics, but presents them in a way that feels conversational rather than academic. Over 108 episodes since 2020, it has earned a 4.6 rating from 316 reviews. The British perspective is refreshing if your podcast diet is heavily American—there is a slightly different emphasis on international collaborations and ESA missions alongside NASA coverage. Produced by Boffin Media and Richard Hollingham, the audio quality is consistently high. Members of The Supermassive Club get ad-free listening and exclusive forums, but the free version is perfectly complete on its own. This one is ideal for listeners who want academic rigor wrapped in genuinely accessible conversation.

Anthony Colangelo runs one of the sharpest spaceflight analysis shows out there. Main Engine Cut Off (MECO) focuses on the business and policy side of space—launch industry economics, NASA budget decisions, commercial crew contracts, and the strategic moves of companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab. With 323 episodes since 2016 and a near-perfect 4.9 rating from 284 reviews, it has earned a reputation for thoughtful, measured takes in a media environment that often sensationalizes rocket launches. Anthony does his homework. He reads the government reports, parses the contract awards, and connects dots that most space journalists miss. Episodes are biweekly and typically feature a mix of solo analysis and guest interviews with industry insiders. The companion show, MECO Headlines, handles the quick news hits. His delivery is calm and deliberate—no shouting, no hype, just careful reasoning about where the space industry is heading and why. Listeners regularly call it the best space policy podcast available, and it is hard to argue with that. If you already know the basics and want to understand the forces shaping which missions actually get funded and built, MECO fills a niche that almost nobody else covers this well.

Rod Pyle, editor-in-chief of Ad Astra magazine, and Tariq Malik, managing editor of Space.com, bring genuine journalism chops to this weekly space roundup. Every Friday they sit down for about an hour to recap the week in space news, interview expert guests, and occasionally argue about where the industry is heading. Rod opens each episode with a space joke—some land better than others—which sets a relaxed tone for what follows. Part of the TWiT network, the show benefits from solid production infrastructure and a built-in audience of tech-savvy listeners. Nearly 200 episodes in, it has maintained a 4.6 rating from 160 reviews. The guest list tends toward the impressive side: mission scientists, astronauts, and industry executives who bring firsthand knowledge rather than just opinions. The show is free with ads, though Club TWiT members can go ad-free for 10 dollars a month. Some listeners have noted occasional political tangents, but the core content stays firmly focused on launches, missions, and discoveries. It works best as a Friday wrap-up for people who want one reliable show to catch everything that happened in space that week.

Stuart Gary spent 19 years covering science on Australian public radio before launching SpaceTime as a podcast, and that broadcast experience shows. Each weekly episode packs multiple astronomy and space news stories into a tight, well-produced package. With over 1,200 episodes, SpaceTime has one of the deepest back catalogs in the space podcast world. Stuart brings in recurring contributors including Alex Zaharov-Reutt for tech segments and Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics, plus rotating academics from universities like Sydney and Colorado Boulder. The show has a 4.2 rating from 297 reviews—the lower score seems partly tied to listener opinions about commercial breaks and Stuart’s distinctive delivery style, which you will either find authoritative or a bit much. A premium tier is available at five dollars a month for those who want ad-free episodes. The Australian perspective gives the show an angle you will not find in most American-dominated space media, with more coverage of Southern Hemisphere observatories and international space programs. Episodes cover a broad spectrum from gravitational wave discoveries to satellite policy, and the journalistic approach means stories are sourced and fact-checked rather than speculative. Solid choice for listeners who want hard news delivered efficiently.

Two friends, two beers, and a casual conversation about space. That’s the tagline, and the show genuinely delivers on that promise. Jake Robins and Anthony Colangelo (who also hosts Main Engine Cut Off) turn space industry talk into something that feels like overhearing a great bar conversation between two very well-informed people. The vibe is relaxed and explicitly rated—they swear occasionally and let conversations wander in productive directions. With 234 episodes since 2017 and a 4.8 rating from 84 reviews, the audience is devoted if not massive. Episodes typically run 60 to 90 minutes and feature guests from across the space industry, from engineers to entrepreneurs to journalists. Recent episodes have tackled everything from the so-called 40 percent rule in aerospace to SpaceX’s latest Starship developments. The show works as a complement to more formal space podcasts—it fills the gap between hard news and the kind of opinionated, speculative discussion that makes the space community fun to be part of. If you like your space commentary unfiltered and served at a comfortable pace, Off-Nominal hits a sweet spot that more polished shows often miss.

Michael Annis has been methodically working through the entire history of spaceflight since 2013, and the level of detail is staggering. Starting from the earliest Sputnik missions and working forward chronologically, the show has produced 210 deeply researched episodes that read more like chapters in a comprehensive textbook than casual podcast chatter. The current focus is a multi-part series on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, covering training, rendezvous procedures, docking mechanics, and mission aftermath across several episodes. Each installment runs 40 to 50 minutes and is packed with primary source material and firsthand accounts. The podcast holds a remarkable 4.9 rating from 631 reviews, which is almost unheard of for a show this niche. Listeners consistently praise the enthusiasm and thoroughness—several reviews mention the importance of preserving these stories while original mission participants are still alive to tell them. The production is straightforward with no flashy sound design, just careful narration and well-organized research. It moves at a deliberate pace, so this is not the show for quick news updates. But if you want to genuinely understand how we got from theoretical rocketry to walking on the moon, episode by episode, there is nothing else quite like it.

Born out of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, The 365 Days of Astronomy is a true community project. Managed by Avivah Yamani and edited by Richard Drumm under the Planetary Science Institute umbrella, the show features a rotating cast of voices from across the astronomy world. That means no single host dominates the show. One day you might hear from a professional astronomer discussing solar eclipses, the next from an amateur observer sharing tips on spotting satellites. With about 250 episodes and daily updates, the show covers an enormous range—space debris, black holes, exoplanet detection methods, observational techniques, and more. The format keeps episodes brief, usually well under 30 minutes, which makes them easy to fit into a busy day. The community-driven model gives it a grassroots feel that larger shows cannot replicate. It holds a 4.4 rating from 344 reviews. Some listeners have strong feelings about the intro and outro music, and the quality naturally varies with different contributors, but that variety is also what makes the show interesting. Funded through CosmoQuest on Patreon, it has survived over 15 years by relying on a passionate community rather than a big media company. Perfect for listeners who want diverse perspectives on astronomy from people who genuinely love the subject.