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Posted by Louis D. Friedman on 2013/01/14 02:37 CST | 13 comments
Louis Friedman discusses what he expects to be the future of space exploration. According to him, it won't be in manned missions, but in remote, virtual exploration available to anybody.
The raw data behind an Earth-like exoplanet
Posted by Jason Davis on 2013/01/11 03:29 CST | 14 comments
Taking a closer look at KOI 172.02, a super-Earth exoplanet sitting in its solar system's habitable zone.
Shoemaker Winner Hug Discovers Near Earth Asteroid 2013 AS27
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2013/01/10 04:43 CST | 8 comments
Using a Planetary Society provided camera, Gary Hug in Kansas, USA discovered Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 2013 AS27 on Jan. 7, 2013. Shoemaker winner Bob Holmes provided the first follow up observations of this 140m-310m wide asteroid.
Planetary Society Hangout: Jan 10th, 2013 - AAS Coverage with Astronomer Meg Schwamb
Thursday, Jan 10th, at noon PST/2000 UT
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/01/10 01:00 CST | 1 comments
Join Casey Dreier and Emily Lakdawalla as they are joined by Dr. Meg Schwamb from Yale University. They will discuss the latest announcements from the American Astronomical Society 2013 conference and Dr. Schwamb's research in outer solar system bodies.
New Details on the 2020 Mars Rover
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/01/10 10:23 CST | 7 comments
The 2020 Rover will achieve its cost-savings by using $200 million of existing hardware left over from the Curiosity mission, said the Director of the Planetary Science division within NASA.
The Astronomy Budget Squeeze
It's not just NASA. All of space science feels the pinch of smaller budgets.
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/01/09 07:11 CST | 1 comments
It's not just the Planetary Sciences division within NASA that's under harsh budgetary times. The NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences is facing a choice between funding scientists and funding telescopes. A report from the 221st AAS meeting in Long Beach.
The Chang'e 3 lunar lander and rover, expected to launch late this year
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/01/09 03:46 CST | 8 comments
All of the information I could track down on China's planned Chang'e 3 lunar lander and rover, including videos and a brand-new artist's concept of the rover rolling across the Moon.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Zeroes In on Clay Minerals and We Look Back on 2012
Sols 3149 - 3178
Posted by A.J.S. Rayl on 2013/01/08 07:16 CST | 4 comments
Despite the lull of the holidays, the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission recorded one of the expedition's best months ever in December as Opportunity and her team confirmed the location of the smectite clay minerals on Matijevic Hill, effectively grabbing the scientific brass ring they came hoping to find at Endeavour Crater.
Report from AAS: Exoplanets (and exo-asteroids, and exo-comets) everywhere
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/01/08 06:52 CST | 7 comments
This year's American Astronomical Society meeting featured tons and tons of news on exoplanets. They're everywhere! And not just planets, but also asteroids, comets, and more....
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/01/08 04:22 CST | 1 comments
Join me, Mike "Plutokiller" Brown, Mario Livio, Jason Kalirai, and others in a Space Fan Hangout broadcast from the American Astronomical Society meeting happening this week in Long Beach, California.
Curiosity's Scoop Campaign, a Summary
Posted by Stephen Kuhn on 2013/01/08 09:30 CST | 4 comments
Stephen Kuhn is the CHIMRA and the scoop systems lead on the Curiosity rover. He explains what the team was doing at Rocknest, and why it took so long!
Posted by Martin Still on 2013/01/07 12:35 CST | 1 comments
A change in the Kepler data delivery process provides both scientists and the public to get involved in planet discovery.
Coverage of the 2013 AAS Conference in Long Beach
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/01/07 01:40 CST
The American Astronomical Society's 221st meeting is happening this week in Long Beach, California, and the Planetary Society will be there.
Looking ahead to spacecraft activities in 2013
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/01/04 01:09 CST | 3 comments
2013 is going to be a busy year in space exploration. Two missions launch to the Moon (LADEE and Chang'E 3), and another two to Mars (MAVEN and India's mission). Curiosity should drive to the Mountain, and Opportunity to the next site on Endeavour's rim. Cassini will be seeing rings and Titan. Others should continue routine operations, except maybe MESSENGER, whose fate after March is not yet decided.
Updates on ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission: five instruments to be delivered in March
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/01/04 11:27 CST | 2 comments
Several news articles appeared in Indian media today about the upcoming launch of ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission. Five instruments have been selected, and their delivery is expected in March.
Dawn Journal: faraway viewing through the mind's eye
Posted by Marc Rayman on 2013/01/02 04:38 CST
As Dawn treks onward to Ceres, its path will cross within a few degrees of the moon as seen from Earth on Jan. 21-22.
Planetary Society Weekly Hangout, Thu Jan 3 1200PT/2000UT: Jim Bell
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/01/02 12:32 CST | 3 comments
Join Emily Lakdawalla and Casey Dreier for a chat with Jim Bell, a scientist who wears many hats. He's the team lead for the Pancam color cameras on the Spirit and Opportunity rovers; he's a member of the Curiosity science team; and he's the esteemed President of the Planetary Society's Board of Directors. We'll talk about the great science being done by both Curiosity and Opportunity, and about what's in store for the future.
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/01/02 12:28 CST
The fiscal cliff deal delays implementation of the across-the-board cuts known as the sequester for two months.
Who is the photographer behind Mars rover photos? Answer from Jim Bell
Posted by Jim Bell on 2013/01/02 11:40 CST | 1 comments
Another Mars imaging scientist answers the question: who is the "photographer" behind images returned from Mars?
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