Teamwork makes the dream work

SpaceX launched two lunar missions this week. On Jan. 15, the company’s Falcon 9 rocket sent Blue Ghost and Resilience — lunar landing missions built by private companies Firefly Aerospace and ispace, respectively — on their way to the Moon. Pictured: A long exposure photo of the early-morning Falcon 9 launch. Image credit: SpaceX.

Scientists are in agreement: life is likely out there. A recent survey of scientists, published in Nature Astronomy this week, found that about 85% of both astrobiologists and non-astrobiologists think it is likely that extraterrestrial life of at least a basic kind exists. About two-thirds of astrobiologists think it's likely that complex life exists out there, and 60% think it's likely that intelligent life does. Those who responded otherwise were largely neutral on the question, with very few comfortable saying that alien life of any sort is unlikely.

Plate tectonics could have helped life form on Earth, but that might not be universal. Collisions between tectonic plates early in Earth’s history influenced our climate, creating conditions favorable to life. New research from Stanford University suggests that exoplanets called Ignan Earths, which lack plate tectonics but experience high levels of volcanic activity, could still develop environments conducive to habitability.

The Chinese Yutu-2 rover’s mission is likely over. China’s Chang’e-4 mission became the first ever to land on the far side of the Moon in January 2019, deploying its Yutu-2 rover to explore Von Kármán crater, where an ancient lunar impact may have exposed the Moon’s mantle. Imagery from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter appears to show that Yutu-2 has been stationary since March 2024, suggesting that its spacecraft’s active science mission may be over.

Caltech and JPL are welcoming support in the aftermath of the fires. Many of the staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory — which is run by Caltech in Pasadena and is a major center for planetary science and exploration — were affected by the recent fires in LA County. In response to this crisis, Caltech has established a special disaster relief fund to provide direct to support staff, faculty, and students whose lives have been interrupted by the fires. Learn more here.

New Glenn successfully launched this week. On Thursday morning, Blue Origin's new launch vehicle took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and reached orbit. Although it didn't succeed at landing its booster as planned, the launch was considered a success overall.

Blue Ghost 1 is carrying Planetary Society-funded tech on board. The Firefly Aerospace mission that launched to the Moon this week carries PlanetVac (pictured), a sample collection tool developed through funding from The Planetary Society. Learn more about the technology and how Planetary Society members helped make it a reality. Image credit: NASA/Firefly Aerospace.

Solar sailing is an idea that goes way back. Long before The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 spacecraft proved that sunlight could propel a spacecraft, scientists and engineers (as well as science fiction authors) imagined the possibility. “Project Solar Sail” is a collection of musings about solar sailing, including essays and short stories that span decades. Co-editors David Brin and Stephen W. Potts joined the latest Planetary Society book club meeting to discuss the book and how far solar sailing has come.

The Planetary Society's Secretary and former President, Jim Bell, has been named a fellow of the American Astronomical Society. This nomination honors Jim’s achievements in science communication and his work developing innovative imaging and spectroscopy instrumentation that led to discoveries on Mars, the Moon, and asteroids.