Articles

Charlene Anderson

From the Editor: Mars has definitely been the planet in the news these past two months, and two events have triggered larger-than-normal reverberations in the Society. First, on November 22, Gerald Soffen died. Then, on December 4, while we were wrapping up this issue, Mike Malin and Ken Edgett announced their latest news-making discovery -- this time of sedimentary layers on the Martian surface.

The Planetary Society's Mars Microphone is on board the Mars Polar Lander, and as far as we can tell, in good shape.

Dan Durda

In 1999, The Planetary Society awarded $28,000 (US) to an international group of researchers in support of near-Earth asteroid detection and characterization efforts.

The Mars Microphone has successfully gone through its latest round of testing in preparation for launch on the Mars Surveyor spacecraft in January 1999.

Dan Durda

In 1997, The Planetary Society awarded $35,000 (US) to an international group of researchers in support of near-Earth asteroid detection and characterization efforts.

Andrew Chaikin

Apollo gave us our money's worth. The Apollo lunar samples, totaling 381 kilograms (838 pounds), along with thousands of photographs and other data, are still yielding clues to the world that has been our Rosetta stone for deciphering planetary evolution.

Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan writes that once upon a time, we soared into the solar system. For a few years. Then we hurried back. Why? What happened? What was Apollo really about?

Charlene Anderson

Two robotic rovers reached the surface of Mars in 1971 during the Soviet Mars 2 and 3 missions.

Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan's argument for planetary exploration. Published in the first issue of The Planetary Report magazine.