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Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Why the true colors of the planets aren't what you think
Cameras on our space probes act as proxies for our own eyes, but what they see isn't necessarily what our eyes would see.
A hazy shade of winter
A Martian explorer hunkers down for winter and a planet’s haze is explained.
Earthlings off-planet
Celebrate 61 years of humans in space, and take a look at the latest news from our exploration of the cosmos.
The value of knowledge
Space exploration comes at a cost, but the investment is always worthwhile.
Not a planet? Not a problem.
Pluto, everyone’s favorite former planet, takes center stage in this week’s Downlink.
Tourism: Apollo's Forgotten Legacy
Americans were deeply divided over the value of the Apollo program. One member of Congress had a radical idea: open Kennedy Space Center to the public.
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.
Reconstructing the Cost of the One Giant Leap
How much did Project Apollo cost? Planetary Society experts answered that question by revisiting primary sources and reconstructing Apollo's entire cost history from 1960 - 1973.
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.
Beyond Apollo: Where Next in Space?
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Planetary Society founder Lou Friedman argue that it is time for humans to go beyond the Moon.
While We Weren't Watching: Apollo's Scientific Exploration of the Moon
Apollo gave us our money's worth. The Apollo lunar samples, totaling 381 kilograms (838 pounds), along with thousands of photographs and other data, are still yielding clues to the world that has been our Rosetta stone for deciphering planetary evolution.
The Gift of Apollo
Carl Sagan writes that once upon a time, we soared into the solar system. For a few years. Then we hurried back. Why? What happened? What was Apollo really about?