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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
LightSail Test Mission Ends with Fiery Reentry
The LightSail test mission is officially over. Following a 25-day stay in low-Earth orbit, the spacecraft tumbled back into Earth’s atmosphere Sunday afternoon.
Tonight I Glimpsed LightSail
Tonight, for the first time, I glimpsed our spacecraft with my own eyes. It was just the faintest pinprick against the bright lights of the big city. But, there it was right on time and exactly per the coordinates.
In Pictures: LightSail’s Final Days in Space
LightSail’s brief stay in orbit is almost over. Here are a few photos and videos of the spacecraft from observers around the world.
Pretty (Partial) Picture: LightSail Catches a Glimpse of Earth
With the team still trying to download an image from LightSail's second camera, Emily Lakdawalla processed a partial image from the first camera that contains a slice of Earth.
LightSail Test Mission Declared Success; First Image Complete
The Planetary Society’s LightSail test mission successfully completed its primary objective of deploying a solar sail in low-Earth orbit.
Sails in Space: Partial Photo, Video and Light Curve (Updated)
It’s official: The sails are out. This afternoon, LightSail mission controllers downlinked a partial image of the spacecraft’s solar sails in space.
Deployment! LightSail Boom Motor Whirrs to Life
LightSail's tiny solar sail deployment motor sprung to life Sunday afternoon, marking an important milestone for The Planetary Society’s nail-biting test mission.
LightSail Drama Continues as Spacecraft Wakes for Second Time
LightSail is back in business, following the second extended outage of the test spacecraft’s mission. The CubeSat checked in at 2:21 p.m. EDT Saturday.
LightSail Falls Silent; Battery Glitch Suspected
The LightSail test spacecraft fell silent for a second time, less than a day after completing what appeared to be a successful solar panel deployment.
LightSail Solar Panel Deployment: No Pics, but Data Look Good
LightSail didn’t send home pretty pictures of Earth today, but it did relay promising signs that its deployable solar panels swung successfully out into space.
LightSail Deployment Update: Panels Wednesday, Sails Friday
LightSail Mission Managers have decided to split the spacecraft’s sail deployment sequence into two segments, following an extended checkout period that wrapped up Tuesday.
First Look: Partial Camera Test Images from LightSail
A jumbled JPG never looked so pretty. This afternoon, LightSail sent home pieces of two images taken by one of the spacecraft's onboard cameras.
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.
For LightSail Test Mission, Waiting is the Hardest Part
The Planetary Society's LightSail spacecraft is now entering its second week of silence.
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.
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.
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.