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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
A repeat of the space shuttle's bold test flight? NASA considers crew aboard first SLS mission
NASA has only flown astronauts aboard a rocket's first flight once, when John Young and Bob Crippen took space shuttle Columbia on the boldest test flight in history. What are the risks of repeating the feat for SLS?
Signed, sealed but not delivered: LightSail 2 awaits ship date
Following a pre-ship review at Planetary Society headquarters, LightSail 2 is ready to be integrated with its Prox-1 partner spacecraft. The final shipping schedule, however, has yet to be determined.
Trump's first budget proposal is out. Here's how NASA fared
NASA escaped a large-scale budget slash, and planetary science fared well. ARM is canceled, the Moon-versus-Mars debate is not mentioned, and Earth science stands to lose some missions.
Cassini, with only a half-year to go at Saturn, just keeps dropping awesome images
Our latest roundup of Cassini goodies from Saturn includes Pan, a ravioli-shaped moon that orbits inside the planet's ring system.
This company launches balloons to the edge of space. Will the business float?
World View, a self-described “stratospheric exploration” company, recently unveiled its new headquarters in Tucson, Arizona.
SpaceX plans to send tourists around the Moon in 2018. Here's why that may not happen
Two private citizens are paying SpaceX for a 2018 flight around the Moon. Is that timeline realistic?
NASA's audacious Europa missions are getting closer to reality
Today, NASA announced progress on a spacecraft that would assess whether Jupiter's Moon Europa is habitable, and earlier this month, an agency-sponsored science team released a report on a separate lander mission that would directly search for signs of life.
Everything you need to know about tomorrow's historic SpaceX launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasts off from a former space shuttle launch pad tomorrow morning. Here's a rundown of everything you need to know about the historic event.
Solar sailing in Japan: 10 questions for LightSail engineer Barbara Plante
Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye and LightSail systems engineer Barbara Plante recently traveled to Japan for a solar sailing symposium. Our Q&A with Plante discusses everything from CubeSat attitude control systems to robotic giraffes in Tokyo.
Want NASA to pick your space mission proposal? Two winning scientists share some tips
NASA is currently accepting proposals for its next New Frontiers-class planetary science mission. What does the agency look for in a winning proposal? The two scientists behind the ORISIS-REx and Psyche missions share some tips.
Let's talk about this whole Moon vs. Mars thing for human spaceflight
NASA's current human spaceflight goal is Mars, but the Trump administration could change that to the Moon. Is that a good idea? Here's an in-depth look at the differences in science gain, the arguments for and against a potential commercial market, and whether or not the technological and operational challenges required to reach the Moon apply to Mars.
Here's what history has to say about when Trump's NASA administrator will take office
This Friday, Charles Bolden resigns as NASA administrator after a stint of 2,744 days. Robert Lightfoot, the agency's highest-ranking civil servant, will take over as acting admin. How long will Lightfoot serve? If history serves as a guide, it could be a while.
Want to build on our LightSail work? Here are some resources to get started
The Planetary Society is launching a new webpage showcasing LightSail academic papers, schematics, parts and imagery.
SpaceX is ready to fly rockets again. An expert talks about the reason a Falcon 9 blew up last year
SpaceX says they fixed a problem with the helium pressurization system that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket last year. The company pushes the boundaries of rocket science, creating an occasional jaw-dropping fireball in the process. But will the risk-reward equation change when SpaceX starts flying astronauts?
NASA is visiting 8 asteroids in 8 years. Here are 8 things to know about the missions
NASA announced two new asteroid missions today named Lucy and Psyche that will fill important gaps in our understanding of how the solar system was formed. Here are eight things to know about the two missions.
A company you've never heard of plans to build the world's first private space station
Axiom Space, a recently formed company headed by former ISS program manager Mike Suffredini, plans to send an astronaut to the ISS in 2019 and connect a large multipurpose habitat there in 2020.
Spaceflight in 2017, part 1: Earth-centric edition
Our preview of spaceflight in 2017 starts with highlights of missions and events happening on and around our home planet.
Review: ‘Rogue One’ is Star Wars comfort food
In a review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jason Davis says you're more likely to enjoy the film if you embrace it as comfort food—a story line that fits into a larger sequence of Star Wars events you already know.
Future fear, loathing and predjudice: Star Trek VI turns 25
On the 25th anniversary of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Jason Davis says the societal topics the film explores are still relevant today.
Lunar orbit beckons: NASA’s next four years of human spaceflight
Our six-part Horizon Goal series concludes with a look at the future of NASA's human spaceflight program. As NASA prepares to set up shop beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since 1972, are changes coming for the agency's Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule?