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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Preview: Cygnus to Resume ISS Cargo Runs with Help from Atlas V Rocket
Orbital ATK is returning its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to service on Thursday. This time, the ride to orbit will be a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
Orion Service Module Faces Roller Coaster of a Ride in Sandusky
The Orion European Service Module test article has arrived at NASA Glenn Research Center's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, where it's being prepared for acoustic and vibration testing.
Blue Origin Lands Spent Suborbital Rocket Stage in Texas
Secretive spaceflight company Blue Origin flew its New Shepard launch vehicle to the edge of space, deployed a suborbital spacecraft and returned the spent booster rocket to Earth for an upright landing.
At NASA's Johnson Space Center, Preparing for the Future of Human Spaceflight
As NASA kicks off a multi-decadal effort to send humans to Mars, the agency's traditional human spaceflight centers have had to adapt to new challenges—often more programmatic than technical.
Could Sino-U.S. cooperation bring The Martian home?
In the The Martian, NASA astronaut Mark Watney is stranded on Mars. At a critical moment, China offers to help the U.S. bring him back to Earth. But can these two countries cooperate to explore space in reality?
A Day in the Solar System: 28 October 2015
On October 28th, the Cassini spacecraft flew through the geyser plume of Saturn's moon Enceladus. But Cassini was not the only spacecraft operating in the solar system that day.
In Pictures: Orion, SLS Hardware on the Move
November is shaping up to be a busy month for Orion and Space Launch System hardware. A human-rated flight engine is in the test stand at Stennis Space Center, and a version of Orion's service module is getting ready to cross the Atlantic.
On Station's 15th Anniversary, A Look at Astronaut Utilization
An analysis by The Planetary Society shows that in the post-space shuttle era, NASA astronauts spend roughly 33 percent less time aboard the International Space Station than their Russian counterparts.
At Mars Workshop, Science and Human Spaceflight Find Common Ground
An update from NASA’s First Human Landing Sites/Exploration Zones on Mars Workshop at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas.
Where Should Humans Land on Mars? Workshop to Discuss Possibilities
This week in Houston, Texas, scientists are gathering to discuss where humans should first land and explore on the surface of Mars.
SLS Sheds White Paint, Completes Critical Design Review
NASA's Space Launch System officially shed the core stage's white paint job in favor of the vehicle's natural, orange-colored insulation.
Enhanced Cygnus Arrives at KSC ahead of Atlas V-powered Cargo Run
Orbital ATK is a month-and-a-half away from resuming cargo runs to the International Space Station.
NASA's Journey to Mars Report: A Plan to Form a Strategy for a Concept
NASA released a much-anticipated strategy document outlining the agency's next steps for getting humans to Mars, but the report lacks details. What should we make of it?
Telerobotics: Unifying Human and Robotic Spaceflight
Telerobotics—with humans nearby—just might be the perfect unification of human and robotic spaceflight. Two groups at NASA and ESA are working to make this fledgling technology commonplace.
Thousands of Photos by Apollo Astronauts now on Flickr
A cache of more than 8,400 unedited, high-resolution photos taken by Apollo astronauts during trips to the moon is now available for viewing and download on Flickr.
Cargo Craft Completes Six-Hour Schlep to ISS
A Russian cargo craft laden with more than three tons of food, fuel and supplies arrived at the International Space Station today.
Mars Week Continues: We've Released Our 'Humans Orbiting Mars' Workshop Report
Learn all about a sustainable, affordable path to get humans to the Red Planet—a path that goes through Mars orbit and Phobos.
Orion Enters Fabrication Phase, but Possible Launch Slip Looms
NASA's Orion spacecraft has officially moved from preliminary design to fabrication, but the agency says the first crewed flight of the vehicle could slip two years, from 2021 to 2023.
Veteran Spacefarer, 2 Rookies Return to Earth
A three-person crew commanded by humanity's most experienced space traveler is back on Earth today.
Swapped Soyuz Set for Friday Return
Gennady Padalka, Andreas Mogensen and Aidyn Aimbetov are set to return to Earth Friday after the station's one-year crew received a fresh Soyuz spacecraft.