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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Bill Nye and the State of a Polarized Union
Last week, The Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye accepted an invitation by NASA Administrator nominee Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) to join him as his guest at the State of the Union address. We anticipated this would be a controversial decision, and we were right.
Here's our rolling list of space things affected by the U.S. government shutdown
The International Space Station stays open for business; everything else is at least somewhat affected.
Space Policy & Advocacy Program Quarterly Report - January 2018
As a service to our members and to promote transparency, The Planetary Society's Space Policy and Advocacy team publishes quarterly reports on their activities, actions, priorities, and goals in service of their efforts to promote space science and exploration in Washington, D.C.
Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye to Attend the State of the Union Address
When a congressman and current nominee for NASA Administrator asks you to be his guest at the state of the union address in Washington, D.C., how do you respond? For us, the answer was easy. Yes, Bill would be there.
What changed with space directive #1?
President Trump signed Space Directive #1, formally implementing as policy what Vice President Pence had announced at the first meeting of the National Space Council in October: that NASA will focus its human spaceflight efforts on a return to the Moon, and then onto Mars. What really changed?
What's Up in Solar System Exploration in 2018
Three launches to the Moon and one each to Mercury and Mars; two arrivals at near-Earth asteroids; and an approach to an encounter with a distant Kuiper belt object are highlights we anticipate in 2018.
A closer look at China's audacious Mars sample return plans
China is making steady progress on a proposed mission to bring a piece of Mars back to Earth in the late 2020s.
Congress rejects graduate student tax
The Planetary Society was proud to join dozens of other scientific organizations in standing against this unnecessary and detrimental tax increase on the future scientific workforce of the United States.
Bridenstine makes his case for NASA administrator job
Republicans and Democrats spent nearly 3 hours showering Bridenstine with both praise and criticism.
After Cassini, What’s Next for the Outer Planets?
The Planetary Society likes to look ahead, and in that spirit we organized a reception at the Library of Congress to bring scientists, legislators, and their staff together to honor Cassini and get excited about our future in the outer planets.
American R&D Policy and the Push for Small Planetary Missions at NASA
Planetary Society Policy Adviser Jason Callahan summarizes his paper he presented at the 2017 International Astronautical Congress in Australia, where he examined NASA's low-cost Discovery program and how federal policies directed at higher education initially bolstered planetary science into a viable field.
Meet VOX, a proposed mission to uncover the secrets of Venus
Van Kane brings us newly released details of the Venus Origins eXplorer (VOX), one of NASA's 12 New Frontiers mission proposals.
Space Policy & Advocacy Program Quarterly Report - October 2017
As a service to our members and to promote transparency, The Planetary Society's Space Policy and Advocacy team publishes quarterly reports on their activities, actions, priorities, and goals in service of their efforts to promote space science and exploration in Washington, D.C.
We choose to go to the Moon and do the other things
Vice President Mike Pence kicked off the National Space Council's first meeting today by declaring Americans will return to the Moon. Casey Dreier and Jason Davis analyze this new direction for NASA's human spaceflight program.
Upward bound: Canada's Space Advisory Board provides its recommendations
Canada's Space Advisory Board has provided a clear set of recommendations to advance the country's space program, and The Planetary Society is proud to have played a role in the process.
Planetary Society hosts space policy reception at Australian Embassy
This year’s International Astronautical Congress (IAC) is being held in Adelaide, Australia. Thanks to the generous support of our members, The Society’s advocacy and outreach capability is rapidly expanding, and we decided to step up our IAC advocacy this year.
Your guide to Jim Bridenstine, the new nominee for NASA administrator
The White House announced it will nominate Jim Bridenstine to become NASA's next administrator.
Here's what we know about the 12 proposals for NASA's next New Frontiers mission
NASA officials are in the process of selecting the agency’s next planetary science mission from a field of 12 competitors.
A space advocate on Capitol Hill: Planetary Society intern shares story
Planetary Society intern Aaron Campbell recaps his experience working on Capitol Hill over the course of two summers.
The Senate Makes Its Move: Nearly $200M less for NASA in 2018
The proposed $19.5 billion would be less than the agency received in 2017, and substantially less than that proposed by the House for the coming year.