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Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Mars Plans Advance (and Occasionally Fade)
In the last two months, there has been significant news about the European-Russian 2018 mission and about NASA’s 2020 rover. NASA also has announced that it would like to send a new orbiter to the Red Planet in the early 2020s.
What Images Will We Get Back from the LightSail Test Mission?
With less than two weeks before launch, here's an in-depth look at whether the LightSail test mission's attitude control system bug will keep us from seeing pretty pictures taken by the spacecraft.
In Pictures: LightSail, Meet X-37B
United Launch Alliance has released photos showing the Air Force's X-37B spaceplane being stacked on its Atlas V at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Due to ion engine failure, PROCYON will not fly by an asteroid
PROCYON, the mini-satellite launched with Hayabusa2, will not be able to achieve its planned asteroid flyby due to the failure of its ion engine.
OSIRIS-REx – Seeking Answers to the Sweet Mystery of Life
The nature of the origin of life is a topic that has engaged people since ancient times. The samples to be collected by OSIRIS-REx, returned to the Earth in 2023 and archived for decades beyond that, may indeed hide the secrets to the origin of life.
Curiosity update, sols 949-976: Scenic road trip and a diversion to Logan's Run
Curiosity is finally on the road again! And she's never taken a more scenic route than this. Her path to Mount Sharp is taking her to the west and south, across sandy swales between rocky rises.
Sunset on Mars
Long before Curiosity's landing, the description of the color camera made me dream: I imagined what wonderful pictures we could get of sunsets and sunrises on Mars. They finally came on sol 956, the 15th of April, 2015.
In Pictures: SpaceX Crew Dragon Takes Flight in Pad Abort Test
A SpaceX Crew Dragon rocketed into the sky under its own power this morning, completing a critical milestone necessary to certify the spacecraft for crewed flights in 2017.
A week's worth of "RC3" images from Dawn at Ceres
Now that Dawn is in its science orbit at Ceres, the mission has been releasing new images every weekday!
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Logs Sol 4000, Digs Spirit of St. Louis Crater
After investigating some flat, light and dark toned rocks around Spirit of St. Louis Crater in April, Opportunity chalked up another milestone achievement – the 4000th sol or Martian day of surface operations.
Despite Rain Delays, NASA Prepares for Busy Year of SLS Engine Tests
Despite a rainy spring that has caused schedule delays, NASA is preparing for a busy year of Space Launch System engine testing.
[Updated] Good Planetary Support in A Flawed NASA Bill
Casey Dreier gives a brief summary of the House draft bill released the other day that would authorize NASA funding for the years 2016 and 2017.
Farewell, MESSENGER
There is one less robot exploring the solar system today. MESSENGER, which has orbited Mercury for four years, finally ran out of fuel and crashed into the planet at 17:26 UT on Thursday, April 30, 2015.
Dawn Journal: Getting Down to Science at Ceres
Dawn Mission Director and Chief Engineer Marc Rayman gives a status update on the mission, having finally arrived at dwarf planet Ceres.
Mars Exploration Rovers Special Update: MERathon Celebrates Opportunity's Marathon
MER mission ops team members joined other engineers and scientists, some who previously worked on the MER mission, to take on the challenge of a relay marathon to celebrate Opportunity's milestone achievement.
More than 1000 Rosetta NavCam images released!
Today the European Space Agency released a ton of NavCam images, taken as the spacecraft approached and then entered orbit at the comet.
New Horizons sees surface features on Pluto, begins raw image release
Today the New Horizons team released a new animation of images taken on approach to Pluto. The animation clearly shows how Pluto wobbles around the Pluto-Charon barycenter. It also shows something more exciting to the scientists: variations in brightness across the surface of Pluto. They also began releasing raw images to the Internet.
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.
Looking Down On Jupiter's North Pole
Ted Stryk shares the most direct view of a Jovian pole ever captured by a spacecraft.
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.