Bill Gowan, Friday, 6-13-25

Bill Gowan joined us on this program to share his experience participating in The Planetary Society’s annual Day of Action on Capitol Hill. This year’s event took place in March and included training sessions, group feedback meetings, and visits to numerous congressional offices, primarily engaging with staffers from both the Senate and the House. While the Day of Action had its own structured agenda focused on space advocacy, Bill also brought his personal priorities with him advocating for three key goals: exploring other worlds, defending Earth, and finding life. During the first 15–20 minutes of the show, Bill walked us through the process of preparing for and participating in the Day of Action. He discussed the training which was led by Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly (The Planetary Society’s government relations representative in Washington, D.C.), and what it was like to engage directly with congressional staffers. His detailed narrative offered a strong introduction and background, providing listeners with valuable insights into the experience of citizen lobbying for space.