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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
An Early Preview of Orion's Maiden Voyage
NASA's Orion spacecraft is just four weeks away from its first test flight. Here's an early preview of the mission.
[Update 1] Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Destroyed in Testing Accident, 1 Dead, 1 Injured
The private spaceflight company's spaceplane was destroyed in an accident over California's Mojave Desert.
A (Difficult) Day in the Solar System
After a bad day on the launch pad, some perspective.
When Nixon Stopped Human Exploration
Society Board Member John Logsdon describes how the decisions made by Richard Nixon in late 1969 and early 1970 effectively ended human exploration beyond Earth orbit for the indefinite future.
[Update 2] Antares Rocket Explodes Seconds after Liftoff
An Antares rocket fell back to the launch pad shortly after liftoff, exploding in a fireball that destroyed the vehicle.
When Good Rockets Go Bad: Orion's Launch Abort System
One of the tricky parts of launching humans into space is deciding what to do if something goes wrong. And that's where Orion's Launch Abort System comes in.
How Richard Nixon Changed NASA
The end of the Moon race raised the question: what, if anything, was next for NASA? The decisions made by President Nixon in the aftermath of Apollo still impact the space program today.
Orion's Ride to Space is at the Launch Site. Why So Early?
On Tuesday, Orion's massive Delta IV Heavy rocket rolled from its Horizontal Integration Facility out to the launch site. Launch is still eight weeks away. Why so early?
In Pictures: A Busy Week at the International Space Station
This week, the International Space Station received a new crew and a welcomed a SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle. Here are a few photo highlights.
NASA Kicks Off a Private Space Race Between Boeing and SpaceX
Boeing and SpaceX have won multi-billion dollar contracts to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station.
Expedition 40 Crew Returns Safely to Earth
NASA astronaut Steve Swanson and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev are safely back on Earth following a five-and-a-half month stay aboard the International Space Station.
NASA’s Big Rocket a Step Closer to Reality
NASA's Space Launch System passed a critical milestone yesterday, but buried within the announcement was news that the first launch could slip by nearly a year.
International Postcards from Space
A collection of pretty pictures by cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, who currently serves as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station.
Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight By Jay Barbree
Mat Kaplan reviews a wonderful new biography on Neil Armstrong, written with the support of Armstrong and many of the other pioneering astronauts.
45 Years after Apollo 11, NASA Prepares for Another Big Splashdown
A new version of Apollo 11's splashdown will play out when the first astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft return to Earth.
Our Pathway to Exploration Should Start with the Asteroid Redirect Mission
Despite its rejection by the NRC Committee, we argue that the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is an affordable and logical first step in such a sequence. ARM is not only consistent with the NRC Committee’s own principles, but is also the only near- term initiative that can shape their recommendations into a sustainable human space exploration program. ARM would launch U.S. explorers into deep space beyond the Moon, and fits logically into an exploration program aimed at Mars.
The latest on NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission
During televised updates on June 18 and 19, NASA showcased its progress on Orion and ARM. Here's the latest news.
The Senate's Flawed NASA Bill Hits a Bump in the Road
For the second day in a row, the Senate failed to vote on a bill that would fund NASA and other agencies in 2015. Without passage, no progress can be made addressing the flaws contained within.
The Planetary Society Supports NASA's Asteroid Initiative
The Planetary Society strongly supports NASA's asteroid initiative, including the goal of redirecting an asteroid to the vicinity of the Moon. But an independent cost estimate is needed, and needed soon.
No, Russia Did Not Just Kick the U.S. Out of the Space Station
A top Russian official announced a ban on Russian engines in U.S. military launches and questioned Russia's long-term commitment to the International Space Station. We cut through the hype and try to understand what was actually said and the immediate consequences facing NASA.