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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
How layoffs at JPL can be traced to a stalemate in Congress
A battle over the future of Mars Sample Return is taking a toll on NASA’s workforce.
What went wrong with Mars Sample Return
An edited transcript of an interview with Orlando Figueroa, chair of the independent review team that evaluated NASA's Mars Sample Return program.
The future of Mars Sample Return
An overview of the 2023 Independent Review Board report on the state and future of Mars Sample Return.
The Day of Action returns to Capitol Hill
Planetary Society members traveled to Washington, D.C., in September 2023 to advocate for the future of space science and exploration.
See for yourself
See the month’s coolest space pictures, see planets in the night sky, and create the future in space that you want to see.
To the moon together
An interview with Scott Pace about the Moon’s role in internationally cooperative human space exploration.
Hasta la vista, baby
Terminators abound this week in space, and we’ll be back to Mars if NASA gets the budget it needs.
That’s a mare
An unusual lunar feature, Saturn’s shining rings, and Mars’ complex gullies.
The U.S. Senate threatens to cancel Mars Sample Return
The House has yet to weigh in. And much can still happen before this threat is realized.
The Space Advocate Newsletter, July 2023
What's going on with Mars Sample Return?
The Space Advocate Newsletter, June 2023
What the debt limit deal means for NASA.
Way out there
We’re always learning more about the worlds of the outer Solar System, and even those beyond.
Hard-working spacecraft and even harder-working microbes
The Soyuz spacecraft have been helping humans get to and from space for decades, but that’s nothing compared to the billions of years that microorganisms have been making life on Earth possible.
Why has SpaceX's Starship sparked an environmental controversy?
An interview with environmental policy expert Eric Roesch about what made the April 2023 Starship test launch so environmentally harmful, and why the Federal Aviation Administration may ultimately be to blame.
The Space Advocate Newsletter, May 2023
NASA's planetary budget is historically high, but it's still beset by challenges.
Moonshadow, Moonshadow
The Moon casts shadows on itself and on Earth, environmental concerns overshadow a test launch’s success, and exoplanets are awesome (beyond a shadow of a doubt).
What happened with Psyche?
When the Psyche mission missed its launch date in 2022, it caused a ripple-effect of delays and budget woes for other JPL-led missions. Dr. Laurie Leshin, JPL's new director, shares her insights into the unique challenges facing her team and what she's doing to change JPL for the better.
Rocket flight and the five dwarfs
Meet the Solar System’s five official dwarf planets, celebrate two major launches, and find out why planets sometimes seem to go backwards across the sky.
2023 Digital Day of Action recap
The Planetary Society's all-virtual advocacy event was a success, with more than 1,500 advocacy actions taken.
Want more space? Speak up!
Detailed Mars maps, insights into the Venusian surface, and views of Uranian rings all have one thing in common: they don’t happen without public support for space.