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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Initial checkout of IKAROS complete
JAXA has posted a short update on their solar sailcraft IKAROS.
The goal of Opportunity's trek
Opportunity's kilometers-long march across the sands of Meridiani Planum is a great story, and the journey is fun to follow; but what could be worth such a long march?
Akatsuki captures goodbye shots of Earth
Three of Akatsuki's six science instruments have now checked in as operating normally, producing lovely photos of the receding homeworld.
All's well on IKAROS and Shin-en
Today JAXA posted a very brief mission status update on the IKAROS spacecraft, launched yesterday along with Akatsuki. Brief is good; all's well.
Official launch and landing dates announced for Curiosity
Yesterday the Jet Propulsion Laboratory formally announced the launch dates chosen for Curiosity, the next generation Mars rover also known as Mars Science Laboratory.
Voyager 2's flipped bit fixed
A happy ending to this story: JPL reported yesterday evening that the flipped bit in Voyager 2's flight data system software has been successfully toggled back to its correct value.
Akatsuki, IKAROS, UNITEC-1, and your names are on their way to Venus
It was a picture-perfect launch for three Venus-bound spacecraft this morning: the Akatsuki Venus orbiter, the IKAROS solar sail, and a university-built minisat named UNITEC-1.
Pretty picture: Messier 83
What does a barred spiral galaxy look like? THIS is what a barred spiral galaxy looks like.
Opportunity: longest-lived landed Mars mission
Today is sol 2,246 of Opportunity's mission to Mars; as I write, it's just before 7:00 local solar time. If this sol passes, as her previous 2,245 have done, with Opportunity still alive and speaking to Earth, she will have surpassed a record set on November 12, 1982: Opportunity will pass Viking Lander 1 as the longest-lived landed Mars mission.
The most amazing image of Enceladus Cassini has captured yet
Every time I think Cassini has captured the coolest image of Enceladus ever, it does better.
Pictures hitting Earth from Cassini's close Enceladus flyby today
Cassini flew within 436 kilometers of Enceladus' surface today. Although it's Cassini's 11th targeted flyby of Enceladus, these close buzzes are never routine.
Akatsuki and IKAROS new launch date set
According to the Akatsuki Twitter feed, the next try for launch of Akatsuki and IKAROS will be Thursday, May 20, at 21:58:22 UTC.
Voyager 2 status update: Yep, it was a flipped bit
Voyager 2's engineers have confirmed that the problem with the spacecraft was indeed the result of a single flipped bit in its software, as they predicted.
Akatsuki and IKAROS launch scrubbed due to weather
The countdown for the planned launch of Akatsuki and IKAROS got to about four minutes before they decided to cancel the attempt due to weather, and I can't blame them.
Sighting the homeworld
Coming closer every day, Mr. Hayabusa has sighted his final destination: his homeworld, Earth, and its attendant Moon.
Photos of your names on the IKAROS spacecraft
IKAROS, Japan's solar sail, is nearly ready for launch, piggybacked behind the Venus orbiter Akatsuki.
Solstice? What solstice?
Thumbing her nose at this whole winter thing, Opportunity drove 20 meters yesterday, sol 2,240, on the winter solstice.
Venus, and the Moon, and Atlantis, and ISS, and Magellan
Pam Chadbourne, one of the many engineers who made the Magellan Radar Mapper mission possible, sent this note out to Magellan team members this morning, and graciously permitted me to post it here.
Update on Voyager 2 status
Good old Voyager 2; she takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Happy solstice -- on Mars
It's the solstice on Mars today: summer in the north, winter in the south.