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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
LightSail Team Prepares for Sail Deployment
LightSail is almost ready for its moment in the sun. Mission managers are preparing for a manual solar sail deployment this week.
Contact! LightSail Phones Home after 8-Day Silence
The Planetary Society’s LightSail test spacecraft reported for duty this afternoon, heralding the end of an uneasy silence caused by a suspected software glitch.
Dawn Journal: Spiralling Closer to Ceres
Dawn's Chief Engineer and Mission Director Marc Rayman gives an update as the spacecraft's orbit takes it even closer to the dwarf planet Ceres.
For LightSail Test Mission, Waiting is the Hardest Part
The Planetary Society's LightSail spacecraft is now entering its second week of silence.
Four mission assembly progress reports: ExoMars TGO, InSight, OSIRIS-REx, and BepiColombo
2015 has seen few deep-space-craft launches, but 2016 is shaping up to be a banner year with three launches, followed quickly by a fourth in early 2017. All of the missions under development have reported significant milestones recently.
Why We Don't Know When the Europa Mission Will Launch
NASA has been vague about when the new mission to Europa will launch. There's a reason for that, and it's not just orbital mechanics.
Pretty Pictures of the Cosmos: Special Qualities
Award-winning astrophotographer Adam Block shares some images of nebulae and a galaxy with some special qualities to each of them.
Here Are the Science Instruments NASA Will Use to Explore Europa
NASA just announced the science instruments that will be used to understand the enigmatic ocean moon of Europa. The mission is planned to launch sometime in the early 2020s.
Software Glitch Pauses LightSail Test Mission
The Planetary Society’s LightSail test mission has been paused while engineers wait out a suspected software glitch that has silenced the solar sailing spacecraft.
Real-time sunset on Mars
Pause your life for six minutes and watch the Sun set....on Mars. Thank you, Glen Nagle, for this awe-inspiring simulation based on Curiosity's sol 956 sunset images.
Tons of fun with the latest Ceres image releases from Dawn
Fantastic new images of Ceres continue to spill out of the Dawn mission, and armchair scientists all over the world are zooming into them, exploring them, and trying to solve the puzzles that they contain.
LightSail Update: All Systems Nominal
It's been 24 hours since The Planetary Society’s LightSail spacecraft was deposited into space yesterday afternoon. All systems continue to look healthy.
Liftoff! LightSail Sails into Space aboard Atlas V Rocket
The first of The Planetary Society’s two LightSail spacecraft is now in space following a late morning launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
LightSail Sends First Data Back to Earth
LightSail is sending home telemetry following a Wednesday commute to orbit aboard an Atlas V rocket.
[Updated] House NASA Funding Bill Proposes a Fantastic Budget for Planetary Science
The House Appropriations Committee released their vision for NASA's 2016 budget this week, which includes significant increases for the SLS and Planetary Science, but cuts Commercial Crew and Earth Science funds.
Rover eyes on rock layers on Mars
Digging in to mission image archives yields similar images of layered Martian rocks from very different places.
Two Months from Pluto!
Two months. Eight and half weeks. 58 days. It's a concept almost too difficult to grasp: we are on Pluto's doorstep.
Timeline: LightSail's First Day in Space
It's the day before launch at Cape Canaveral. Here's a timeline of events for LightSail's first day in space.
In Pictures: LightSail’s Rocket Rolls to the Launch Pad
Pictures of The Planetary Society’s LightSail spacecraft rollout to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 41.
LightSail Launch Countdown: Ready for Rollout
It’s launch week in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where The Planetary Society’s LightSail spacecraft is buttoned up for flight aboard an Atlas V rocket. Liftoff is scheduled Wednesday sometime between 10:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. EDT.