Articles

Geraint Jones

Recently, almost a thousand researchers gathered in London for Europe’s annual meeting of planetary scientists. Here's a report from one session on cometary science.

Emily Lakdawalla

A paper in press in the Journal of Geophysical Research uses new data from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to update our story for the history of the Moon's massive impacts.

Stephen J. Pyne

The Voyagers were special when they launched. They have become more so thanks to their longevity, the breadth of their discoveries, the cultural payload they carried, and the sheer audacity of their quest.

Abigail Fraeman

We're two weeks in to ‘Dancing with the Stars’ season 17, and Bill Nye has shown that, true to his TV-theme song lyric,

Bill Dunford

The final moments of a lunar orbiter, as told in a song composed by the moon itself.

Van Kane

The European Space Agency will announce two major science missions this November, one of which is likely to be devoted to solar system exploration.

Emily Lakdawalla

Curiosity looked up after dark and captured more cool photos of Mars' moons. They include Phobos and Deimos passing in the night, and Phobos entering Mars' shadow.

Dawn Sumner

Dawn Sumner describes the preparations for maximizing the science at Curiosity's short stop at

Jason Davis

Follow along with Roscosmos during the launch of Soyuz TMA-10M using this list of common Russian flight terms.

Mat Kaplan

Two new programs about renewed interest in the technologies that will enable humanity to cross the interstellar gulf. Lou Friedman talks with Mat from the 100-Year Starship Symposium, while physicist and science fiction author Gregory Benford is Mat's guest for a webcast.

Emily Lakdawalla

Indian media reported over the weekend that the Mars Orbiter Mission has passed some senior review, and has been approved to proceed toward a launch date of October 28, a week later than previously planned.

Jason Davis

The private spacecraft Cygnus was forced to abort its first attempt to berth with the International Space Station Sunday morning due to a software glitch.

Casey Dreier

Plutonium-238 provides electricity to deep space missions, but NASA only has a little bit left. A new article in Wired highlights the disastrous consequences of no plutonium for use in space, something the Planetary Society is currently fighting for in Washington, D.C.

Emily Lakdawalla

Rock Star -- the memoir of television

Emily Lakdawalla

Efforts to regain contact with Deep Impact have been ended. The last contact with the spacecraft was on August 8, 2013.

Emily Lakdawalla

After a journey of more than 30 years, ICE is coming back to Earth next year. But do we know how to regain control of it, and can we find the means to do so?

Fran Bagenal

From October 6 to 11, two divisions of the American Astronomical Society - Planetary Science and History - are meeting together for a combined annual conference. There will be several opportunities for the public to participate: a free public talk, several webcast lectures, a special online event for the Juno flyby of Earth, and a pro-am workshop on how amateur astronomers can contribute to planetary science.

Larry Crumpler

On sol 3425 Opportunity

Jason Davis

Orbital Sciences Corporation's Antares rocket lifted off from the Virginia coast this morning, successfully carrying the first operational Cygnus resupply spacecraft into orbit.

Mat Kaplan

Pay attention! This Mars orbiter, headed for launch in November, is a terrific science mission, as Mat Kaplan learned in a recent workshop, and in this week's Planetary Radio.