Articles

Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.

NASA's Journey to Mars Report: A Plan to Form a Strategy for a Concept

NASA released a much-anticipated strategy document outlining the agency's next steps for getting humans to Mars, but the report lacks details. What should we make of it?

Chris Cassidy operating the K10 rover from ISS

Telerobotics: Unifying Human and Robotic Spaceflight

Telerobotics—with humans nearby—just might be the perfect unification of human and robotic spaceflight. Two groups at NASA and ESA are working to make this fledgling technology commonplace.

Cargo Craft Completes Six-Hour Schlep to ISS

A Russian cargo craft laden with more than three tons of food, fuel and supplies arrived at the International Space Station today.

Veteran Spacefarer, 2 Rookies Return to Earth

A three-person crew commanded by humanity's most experienced space traveler is back on Earth today.

Soyuz TMA-12M descends through the clouds

Swapped Soyuz Set for Friday Return

Gennady Padalka, Andreas Mogensen and Aidyn Aimbetov are set to return to Earth Friday after the station's one-year crew received a fresh Soyuz spacecraft.

Ten-day Taxi Trip to International Space Station Underway

A ten-day International Space Station taxi flight is underway following the Wednesday liftoff of a three-person crew from Kazahkstan.

Dropping Orion in the Desert: NASA Completes Key Parachute Test

NASA’s Orion spacecraft completed a key parachute test Aug. 26 at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona.

Space Station Update: Launch Logistics

Orbital ATK says they are making progress returning Antares to flight, NASA buys more Soyuz seats and the ISS program manager moves on to private industry.

Expedition 44 Trio Flies through Solar Panel Glitch, Arrives at Station

A three-person crew is safely aboard the International Space Station following an early morning launch of a Soyuz rocket and spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Broken Bottle Strut Likely Doomed Falcon 9 Rocket, Says Elon Musk

The demise of an ISS-bound Falcon 9 rocket last month was likely caused by a broken liquid helium bottle strut, according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

In Pictures: Russian Spacecraft Ends Streak of Station Supply Mishaps

Following back-to-back space station resupply failures, a Russian Progress vehicle pulled into port this morning at the International Space Station.

SpaceX Rocket Breaks Apart En Route to International Space Station

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean during today's flight to the International Space Station.

Of Course I Still Love You, Falcon: New SpaceX Ship Ready to Catch Rockets

SpaceX is gearing up for its seventh paid cargo run to the International Space Station, and the third attempt to catch the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship in the ocean.

There's coffee in that nebula...or maybe that Dragon....

Welcome home, AstroSamantha

Three astronauts have returned to Earth, and while I'm happy that they landed safely, I'm very sad that astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is not in space anymore to wish us

ISS-bound Cargo Spacecraft Doomed to Atmospheric Reentry

The six crew members aboard the International Space Station will have to go without a scheduled delivery of food, supplies and fuel.

Russian Resupply Ship Spins Out Of Control after Reaching Orbit

An International Space Station-bound cargo craft is spinning out of control in Earth orbit following an afternoon launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.