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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Rail-riding ISS Cart Jams, Prompting Contingency Spacewalk Plans
A rail-riding cart weighing nearly a metric ton jammed while moving along the International Space Station's exterior yesterday, prompting ground controllers in Houston to prepare for an unscheduled spacewalk.
LightSail Program Wraps Busy Year with Test Readiness Review
On Monday, LightSail engineers and mission managers met at The Planetary Society's Pasadena, California headquarters to prepare for a rigorous suite of spacecraft tests that are expected to begin in January.
New Crew Arrives at ISS following Docking Drama
Following a picture-perfect launch and some last minute docking drama, Tim Kopra, Tim Peake and Yuri Malenchenko arrived safely to the International Space Station today.
Expedition 45 Crew Makes Nighttime Landing in Kazakhstan
Three International Space Station crewmembers are safely back on Earth following a post-sunset Soyuz touchdown in Kazakhstan.
Cygnus Arrives at Station, Marking Restart of U.S. Cargo Flights
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station this morning, carrying more than three metric tons of critical crew supplies.
SpaceX, Partners Prepare for Falcon Return-to-Flight
SpaceX is preparing to return its Falcon rocket to service after the loss of a mission in June 2015. A backlog of payloads, including an ISS-bound Dragon cargo craft, await.
After Weather Cooperates, Atlas Rocket Launches Cygnus Cargo Craft to ISS
It took four tries for the weather to cooperate, but on Sunday afternoon, a Cygnus cargo spacecraft loaded with 3.3 metric tons of critical crew supplies launched toward the International Space Station.
Bad Weather Fizzles Cygnus Launch Attempt (Again)
A second launch attempt of a Cygnus cargo spacecraft bound for the ISS was scrubbed this evening, forcing ground controllers to schedule a third try Saturday at at 5:10 p.m. EST (22:10 UTC).
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.
In Pictures: LightSail Cameras Prepped for Flight
LightSail's flight cameras are being prepped for installation after receiving a software upgrade and checkout from their manufacturer.
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.
Surveyor Digitization Project Hints at Long-Lost Lunar Treasures
A project to digitize more than 90,000 images taken by NASA’s five Surveyor spacecraft in the 1960s has revealed early hints of never-before-seen treasures captured by America’s first robotic lunar landers.
NASA Orders First Official SpaceX Crew Flight to ISS
NASA placed its first official order for a SpaceX Crew Dragon to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, the agency announced Friday.
United Launch Alliance Unveils New CubeSat Carrier Program
United Launch Alliance plans to include a CubeSat carrier on nearly every one of its Atlas V and Vulcan rockets starting in 2017, the company announced today.
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.
SpaceX Completes Crew Dragon Propulsion System Development Testing
SpaceX has completed development testing on its SuperDraco propulsion system, used to propel the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft away from a Falcon rocket in the event of a launch failure.
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.