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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
In Pictures: A Partial Solar Eclipse from Space
Two sun-observing spacecraft in Earth orbit captured images of a partial solar eclipse Sunday morning.
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.
Pretty Picture: A Sweeping View of the Martian South Pole
The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft captured a sweeping view of Mars' south pole, along with a region extending northward to Hellas Basin.
Ten-day Taxi Trip to International Space Station Underway
A ten-day International Space Station taxi flight is underway following the Wednesday liftoff of a three-person crew from Kazahkstan.
Dropping Orion in the Desert: NASA Completes Key Parachute Test
NASA’s Orion spacecraft completed a key parachute test Aug. 26 at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona.
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.
LightSail Lands New Hardware for Laser Ranging
A cluster of small mirrors will be added to LightSail's aft hull to allow engineers to precisely track its position as it sails around the planet next year.
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.
LightSail Nominated for SmallSat Mission of the Year
The Planetary Society’s LightSail spacecraft has been nominated for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Small Satellite Technical Committee Mission of the Year 2015 award.
Space Station Update: Launch Logistics
Orbital ATK says they are making progress returning Antares to flight, NASA buys more Soyuz seats and the ISS program manager moves on to private industry.
In Pictures: West Virginia from Space
Jason Davis shares five images of his home state, West Virginia, taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Expedition 44 Trio Flies through Solar Panel Glitch, Arrives at Station
A three-person crew is safely aboard the International Space Station following an early morning launch of a Soyuz rocket and spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Broken Bottle Strut Likely Doomed Falcon 9 Rocket, Says Elon Musk
The demise of an ISS-bound Falcon 9 rocket last month was likely caused by a broken liquid helium bottle strut, according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
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.
LightSail Workshop Recaps Lessons Learned from Test Mission
The LightSail team held a workshop in Pasadena to discuss lessons learned from the test mission and plan for the second flight in 2016.
Pushing back the frontier: How The Planetary Society helped send a spacecraft to Pluto
It took 16 years and five spacecraft designs to get a mission to Pluto. The Planetary Society was there through it all, always striving to help NASA push back our Solar System's frontier.
In Pictures: Russian Spacecraft Ends Streak of Station Supply Mishaps
Following back-to-back space station resupply failures, a Russian Progress vehicle pulled into port this morning at the International Space Station.
LightSail Project Manager Passes Torch
LightSail project manager Doug Stetson, who helped bring the program from a storage shelf to low-Earth orbit, is passing the torch.