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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Carl Sagan’s wisdom and vision, and how far we’ve come since his time
Even Sagan would be amazed by multitudes we now know our cosmos may hold. Learn more, plus get your scoop on the week’s space news.
NASA and JAXA to Send Planetary Society-supported Sample Technology to the Moon and Phobos
PlanetVac, developed by Honeybee Robotics, is designed to be a reliable, flexible, low-cost sample collection technology.
We’re over the Moon for… well, for the Moon!
Everything you need to celebrate the Moon this week, plus a way you can help NASA thrive in 2021.
Can the Moon be upside down?
When you think about how the Moon looks in the night sky, you might never have considered that it looks different to people in other parts of the world. But really, perspective is all relative.
What’s up (and down) in space?
Wrap your head around orientations in space, and learn the latest in space exploration news.
How to pick the best beginner telescope
Picking out your first telescope can be overwhelming. This easy-to-follow guide will help you find the best telescope that you'll actually use.
A comet visitor and a pretty metal Moon
The week’s space news, plus your guide to the night sky and ways you can contribute to Venus science.
Sample Return Roundup
It's a banner year for sample return missions. In 2020, China, Japan, and the United States are all scheduled to have sample return missions in flight, seeking to retrieve material from near-Earth asteroids, the Moon, and eventually Mars.
The Next 10 Years
Six scientists share the major planetary science discoveries of the past decade, and the questions that will drive the next 10 years of solar system exploration.
Is the Moon a Stepping Stone or a Cornerstone for Mars?
New legislation proposed in the House of Representatives would radically shift NASA's human spaceflight efforts away from the Moon and back to Mars.
India's Vikram Spacecraft Apparently Crash-Lands on Moon
Communications were lost with the lander, which was carrying a small rover named Pragyan to the lunar surface.
Chandrayaan-2 Enters Lunar Orbit
The combination lander, rover, and orbiter fired its main engine to enter orbit around the Moon at 09:02 IST (03:32 UTC) on 20 August.
Chandrayaan-2 Headed for Lunar Orbit
At 02:21 IST (20:51 UTC), the spacecraft fired its main engine, changing its orbit to intersect with the Moon.
Lunar Orbiter Longjiang-2 Smashes into Moon
Don’t worry, this was a planned end for a tiny satellite that has been a huge success.
Chandrayaan-2 Launches for the Moon
Liftoff atop the country’s GSLV Mk III rocket occurred on 22 July at 14:43 IST (09:13 UTC).
Planetary Society-funded Technology Picked by NASA for Possible Moon Flight
PlanetVac, a technology that simplifies the process of collecting samples from other worlds, may fly to the Moon.
What to Expect when Chandrayaan-2 Launches to and Lands on the Moon
A preview guide for India's upcoming Moon mission.
Emily's Recommended Kids' Space Books: Special Apollo 11 Anniversary Edition for July 2019
So many Apollo-related books have come out in the first half of 2019 that I decided to cover them in a special summer book-recommendation blog. I have 5 brand-new Apollo-related books to recommend for kids, and include others I've recommended in past years.
Apollo 11 Little West Crater Panorama
Apollo 11’S landing on 20 July 1969 was the day humans first set foot on another world. For the risky, challenging endeavor, NASA sought a smooth landing site, one lacking craters or mountains.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Images Beresheet Impact Site
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has successfully imaged the impact site of the Beresheet lander, which made a really good run at performing the first privately funded Moon landing on 11 April, but crashed after the failure of its main engine.