Articles

Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.

Starship prior to first integrated test flight

How soon will Starship fly?

One rocket could decide how soon humanity returns to the Moon — and maybe one day sets foot on Mars.

Can SpaceX’s Starship save Mars Sample Return?

Though promising conceptually, Starship presents more questions than answers for NASA's Mars Sample Return needs.

What to look forward to in space in 2024

A total solar eclipse and the launch of Europa Clipper are on our list of cosmic events to get excited about this year.

Hard-working spacecraft and even harder-working microbes

The Soyuz spacecraft have been helping humans get to and from space for decades, but that’s nothing compared to the billions of years that microorganisms have been making life on Earth possible.

Why has SpaceX's Starship sparked an environmental controversy?

An interview with environmental policy expert Eric Roesch about what made the April 2023 Starship test launch so environmentally harmful, and why the Federal Aviation Administration may ultimately be to blame.

Moonshadow, Moonshadow

The Moon casts shadows on itself and on Earth, environmental concerns overshadow a test launch’s success, and exoplanets are awesome (beyond a shadow of a doubt).

Rocket flight and the five dwarfs

Meet the Solar System’s five official dwarf planets, celebrate two major launches, and find out why planets sometimes seem to go backwards across the sky.

Want more space? Speak up!

Detailed Mars maps, insights into the Venusian surface, and views of Uranian rings all have one thing in common: they don’t happen without public support for space.