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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
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.
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.
NASA-sponsored SmallSats Get Dedicated Rides to Space
NASA-sponsored small satellites will soon have dedicated rides to space, thanks to a new, light-duty rocket program called Venture Class Launch Services, or VCLS.
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.
Blue Origin to Launch Rockets from Cape Canaveral
Spaceflight company Blue Origin plans to launch its orbital rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the company revealed Tuesday.
IceBreaker: The Search for Life on Mars
The IceBreaker mission, proposed to NASA's Discovery program for low-cost missions, would seek out life on the northern plains of Mars.
No Major Problems with SLS Design, NASA Managers Say
A key review of NASA’s Space Launch System did not uncover any major problems with the rocket's design, officials said at Stennis Space Center near Gulfport, Mississippi.
Roving Mars—In Utah
Students gather in the desert to answer the University Rover Challenge, pushing the limits of the tech that will drive future Mars exploration.
SLS Engine Roars through Flight Test in Mississippi
NASA completed the sixth and next-to-last test firing of its RS-25 engine Thursday in Mississippi. Four RS-25 engines power the Space Launch System core stage.
Video: NASA Prepares for Sixth SLS Engine Test
The Planetary Society will be at NASA's Stennis Space Center this Thursday for the sixth test firing of the RS-25 engine, which powers the Space Launch System.
Proposals to Explore the Solar System’s Smallest Worlds
Van Kane rounds up some of the latest NASA Discovery mission proposals aiming to explore our solar system's smallest bodies.
Report Finds SLS Cost and Schedule Estimates Tight, but on Track
The GAO says NASA is generally doing a good job with cost and schedule estimates for SLS, its new heavy lift rocket. But NASA is also running short on schedule margin as it works to have SLS ready for flight by November 2018.
Five steps to prevent asteroid impacts
For Asteroid Day, Bruce Betts reviews 5 steps needed to prevent asteroid impacts, as well as how The Planetary Society is involved in those.
Preparing America’s Spaceport for NASA’s New Rocket
At Kennedy Space Center, NASA's ground systems program prepares for the first flight of the Space Launch System in 2018.
Welcome home, AstroSamantha
Three astronauts have returned to Earth, and while I'm happy that they landed safely, I'm very sad that astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is not in space anymore to wish us
Here Are the Science Instruments NASA Will Use to Explore Europa
NASA just announced the science instruments that will be used to understand the enigmatic ocean moon of Europa. The mission is planned to launch sometime in the early 2020s.
[Updated] House NASA Funding Bill Proposes a Fantastic Budget for Planetary Science
The House Appropriations Committee released their vision for NASA's 2016 budget this week, which includes significant increases for the SLS and Planetary Science, but cuts Commercial Crew and Earth Science funds.
OSIRIS-REx – Seeking Answers to the Sweet Mystery of Life
The nature of the origin of life is a topic that has engaged people since ancient times. The samples to be collected by OSIRIS-REx, returned to the Earth in 2023 and archived for decades beyond that, may indeed hide the secrets to the origin of life.