Explore Worlds
Find Life
Defend Earth
All
All
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
United Launch Alliance Pulls Back Curtain on New Rocket
ULA revealed its new Vulcan rocket system today, an Atlas and Delta mashup the company says will increase power, lower costs and broaden mission capabilities.
To Recover First Stage, Just Read the Instructions
SpaceX is gearing up for a second attempt to land the spent first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Your First Timeline of Events for LightSail's Test Flight
The team behind The Planetary Society’s LightSail spacecraft is kicking off a series of simulations to ensure the spacecraft’s ground systems are ready for launch.
In Pictures: One-Year ISS Mission Begins
The one-year ISS mission of Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko began with an early morning launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
One-Year ISS Mission Preview: 28 Experiments, 4 Expeditions and 2 Crew Members
This Friday, astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will embark for a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station.
Meet NASA's Winning Asteroid Redirect Spacecraft, and the Asteroid It May Visit
NASA has decided to pluck a small boulder off a large asteroid, instead of bagging an entire asteroid outright, the agency announced Wednesday.
Desert Moon, Narrated by Former Astronaut Mark Kelly, Now Available Online
Desert Moon, a 35-minute documentary that tells the story of Dr. Gerard Kuiper and the dawn of planetary science, is now available online.
Report: NASA May Be Hard-Pressed to Launch SLS by November 2018
A report released by NASA’s Office of Inspector General warns that the agency may be hard-pressed to have its Kennedy Space Center launch facilities ready by November 2018.
Launch Pad Animals, Ranked
A semi-authoritative ranking of creatures that co-inhabit rocket launch sites around the world.
LightSail Featured on CBS Evening News
The Planetary Society's LightSail spacecraft made an appearance on national television Monday night during a two-minute segment by CBS Evening News.
In Pictures: Expedition 42 Crew Returns to Earth
Three International Space Station crew members are back on Earth today following a morning Soyuz landing on the snowy steppes of Kazakhstan.
NASA and Orbital ATK Complete SLS Booster Test (Updated)
A blast of fire and smoke lit up the hills of Promontory, Utah this morning as NASA and Orbital ATK completed a test firing of a Space Launch System solid rocket booster.
Interview with an SLS Engineer: How Booster Test May Help Drive Golden Spike for Interplanetary Railroad
With NASA and Orbital ATK preparing for an important test tomorrow in Utah, an SLS engineer describes the inner workings of the vehicle's new solid rocket boosters.
LightSail Arrives in Florida; More Launch Details Revealed
A cadre of CubeSats including The Planetary Society’s LightSail spacecraft completed a cross-country journey to Florida, where they await installation aboard an Atlas V rocket.
Russia Moves to Support ISS through 2024, Create New Space Station
The future of the International Space Station is a little clearer this week, following a statement from Russia supporting an extension of the orbiting complex through 2024.
Spacewalk Timelapse Makes Cable Routing Look Fun
A timelapse video shows two NASA astronauts as they became typical neighborhood cable technicians—except for the fact that they were wearing space suits.
How LightSail Holds Its Place in Space
There are few systems aboard a spacecraft more important than attitude control. This infographic shows how LightSail holds its place in space.
In Pictures: DSCOVR Headed for Deep Space
On Wednesday evening, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocketed into orbit with DSCOVR, the Deep Space Climate Observatory. Here's a photo and video roundup.
Europe's Experimental Spaceplane Completes Successful Test Flight
The IXV spaceplane, designed to demonstrate reentry technologies, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean this morning after a successful, 100-minute test flight.
Two Days, Two Launches and Three Landings
Within a two-day span, two rocket launches and three ocean landings are scheduled—one of which involves an autonomous spaceport drone ship.