Six years of science: NASA’s Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen reflects on his tenure as the agency’s science cheif

For the past six years, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen has led NASA’s science division. From the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope to landing a robot on Mars, Zurbuchen has been at the helm for some of NASA’s most complex and critical science missions.

At the end of this year, he’s leaving the agency.

We’ll speak with Zurbuchen about his six years leading NASA science and what’s ahead for the agency’s science mission directorate.

Then, earlier this year, a group of scientists recommended NASA look at Uranus. The decadal survey outlined reasons why the agency should send a mission to the gas giant. We’ll revisit a conversation with planetary scientist Paul Byrne about why that’s exciting -- and important.