Grand designs

Space Snapshot

This color-enhanced image from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a gully in a region of Mars known as Terra Sirenum. The thin white trails at the gully’s edges may be dusty water ice, beneath which scientists think meltwater could form. Places like these could be targets in the search for extant Martian life. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona.

Fact Worth Sharing

Although several spacecraft have searched for signs of habitability or past life on Mars, only NASA’s Viking 1 and 2 landers carried out experiments designed to look for biological activity in the Martian soil.

Monthly members: Action needed!

The Planetary Society is upgrading our membership management system and our credit card charging processor has changed. For many monthly members, the process happens automatically and you won’t notice any changes to your monthly payment process. For other monthly members, however, these changes will require us to have members update their credit/debit card information.

To facilitate this, we are sending communications to members who need to update their credit card information. Please note that if you don’t update your information, your membership will lapse and you will lose access to your benefits. So, please be sure to update your information without delay!

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Mission Briefings

Mars Sample Return might still work out. Although NASA’s contribution to an international collaboration to return samples from the surface of Mars has faced serious budget concerns, the agency says that it is on track to decide by the end of 2024 how to potentially redesign the mission architecture to make its costs and schedule feasible. Pictured: An artist’s impression of components of the Mars Sample Return program. Image credit: ESA/ATG Medialab.

A giant asteroid that hit Earth 3 billion years ago may have helped life develop. Simulations suggest that when a Mount Everest-sized asteroid slammed into the ocean early in life’s history, it may have stimulated the development of new life forms. By stirring up elements like phosphorus and iron from the ocean floor and delivering them to shallower waters, the impact may have provided nourishment to new kinds of organisms.

China might conduct a mission to return a sample of the Venusian atmosphere. China recently shared information about its long-term plans for its space science programs up to 2050, which included a mission to collect and return a sample of Venus’ atmosphere. At this time, few details have been released about the mission.

ESA has awarded a contract to begin work on the Ramses mission to Apophis. The Ramses mission, or Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety is designed to send a spacecraft to study the asteroid up close ahead of its close flyby of Earth in April 2029. Ramses will build on the technology developed for ESA’s Hera mission, which recently launched on its mission to the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid pair.

From The Planetary Society

What grand designs do the presidential candidates have for space? With federal elections coming up in the United States, Planetary Society Director of Government Relations Jack Kiraly unpacks everything we know about what each candidate’s platform says about space policy. Pictured: An artist’s impression of Europa Clipper at Jupiter. What’s next? Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

From a storm-ravaged state to a stormy planet. Europa Clipper launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Oct. 14, leaving behind the aftermath of Hurricane Milton to begin its journey to the Jupiter system. On this week’s Planetary Radio, hear from Bob Pappalardo, the mission's project scientist, about the team's dramatic encounter with Hurricane Milton before their triumphant launch.

Catch up on the latest in space advocacy. In case you missed the live event, you can tune in to the recording of the fascinating and engaging 90-minute discussion with The Planetary Society’s space policy and advocacy experts Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly. They provide updates on the Society's latest policy and advocacy accomplishments, progress on the current advocacy campaign, and a preview of what's ahead.

Next month in the book club: the untold story of SpaceX. In November, Planetary Society book club members will be reading Eric Berger’s “Reentry.” This book is all about the visionary team at SpaceX that took a struggling startup that barely managed to launch its first rocket and turned it into a leading spaceflight company, defying all expectations along the way. Eric Berger will join the November book club meeting to chat with members about the book. Not yet a member? Join today!

What's Up

There are lots of planets in the evening and night skies this week. Super-bright Venus is very close to the horizon in the west, setting shortly after sunset. Look for yellowish Saturn rising in the east at around that same time, crossing the sky over the course of the night. Jupiter rises a few hours later, followed by reddish Mars in the middle of the night. Learn more at planetary.org/night-sky.

Carl Sagan. Bill Nye. You.

The Planetary Society was co-founded by Carl Sagan to give you an essential role in space exploration. Not already a member? Join today! When you become a member, you join a global community of space advocates who make a critical difference in supporting a future full of space exploration. Join CEO Bill Nye and become part of the world's most effective independent space advocacy nonprofit!

Wow of the Week

If you were to design a space logo, what would it look like? There are so many design inspirations to draw on, from rockets to orbits to planets and so much more. Pictured here are a handful of examples of how space imagery can be incorporated into logos. It comes from the Space Exploration Logo Archive, a collection of space logos from agencies, organizations, clubs, and companies from around the world. Image credit: The Space Exploration Logo Archive.

Send us your artwork!

We love to feature space artwork in the Downlink. If you create any kind of space-related art, we invite you to send it to us by replying to any Downlink email or writing to [email protected]. Please let us know in your email if you’re a Planetary Society member!