Blog Archive

Opportuity forward hazcam view, sol 1621, Duck Bay

Video: We Must Explore

Posted by Andrew Chaikin on 2012/05/04 11:36 CDT | 2 comments

Planetary exploration is in trouble. Massive budget cuts threaten to starve NASA’s planetary program for years to come. If you are as angered and frightened by this situation as I am, I ask you to make your voice heard. Please share this video. And tell Washington, “We Must Explore.”

A call to action

Posted by Paul Hayne on 2012/04/09 02:15 CDT

Paul Hayne, representing the Facebook group "Young Scientists for Planetary Exploration," urges you to take action to support NASA in the budget debate.

A Turning Point at Mars

Posted by Jim Bell on 2012/04/09 11:10 CDT

Today, NASA's highly-successful robotic solar system exploration program, and the Mars exploration program in particular, is on the brink of a major turning point.

Earth rose over the lunar horizon as Apollo 8 completed the first manned trip behind the far side of the Moon.

Where is space?

Posted by Andrew Rush on 2012/04/06 11:25 CDT

Obviously the Earth ends and space begins somewhere, but today, as it has been for the entirety of humanity's manned and unmanned exploration of "up there", there is no international legal definition of space, no clear indication of where space law applies! This ambiguity is a potential source of confusion and unease for aerospace companies.

Interesting times for young planetary researchers

Posted by Matt Siegler on 2012/03/21 05:16 CDT

After NASA Night at the 2012 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas, a group of young scientists (most of us just out of graduate school) met to discuss what we could do both in the near and far term to revive NASA's ability to continue the flagship mission program we would all like to see in our future.

Guest post: Matthew Chojnacki: Public service announcement by, and for, planetary grad students

Posted by Matthew Chojnacki on 2012/03/19 04:58 CDT

The President's proposed 2013 NASA budget calls for deep cuts to the nation's very successful planetary science program. These cuts not only threaten the future of planetary science, but also impact our ability to conduct deep space missions. As the next generation of planetary scientists, the graduate student community is deeply concerned about the ramifications of these budget cuts, and we must voice our concerns to policymakers in Washington, D.C.