Articles

Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.

Why is SpaceX Sending a Dogecoin Mission to the Moon?

Elon Musk and SpaceX are sending a spacecraft to the Moon that has been paid entirely in Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency based on a meme.

Saving the World One Asteroid at a Time

Don’t leave it up to cosmic fate; take action right now to defend our planet from dangerous impacts.

This Is What Legally Happens If An Uncontrolled Rocket Damages Something

Space lawyers explain what happens if an object from something like debris from a rocket causes damage or harm.

Why lightning on Jupiter is a planetary unsolved mystery

As NASA's Juno spacecraft prepares for its extended mission, it’s worth taking a look back at why Jupiter’s lightning remains one of the planet's most fascinating enigmas.

Moon, Mars and a Meteor Shower

Remembering a space pioneer and seeing a rover from a whole new perspective.

Shoemaker NEO Grant Winners Advance Their Work

We check in our last round of grant winners, who are helping to defend Earth from dangerous asteroids.

A Tiny Spacecraft Makes a Huge Leap with a Short Flight

Ingenuity flies on Mars and a NASA-SpaceX partnership paves the way for humans to get there too.

Why NASA Picked SpaceX to Land Humans on the Moon

NASA picked SpaceX's Starship to land humans on the Moon as part of the agency's Artemis program. The decision will help humans land on Mars.

Can we make Mars Earth-like through terraforming?

These are some of the most compelling ideas on how to terraform Mars into a habitable, Earth-like world for future explorers.

A galaxy that spins in more ways than one

Listen to the sounds of the Whirlpool Galaxy and look back at our earliest picture of it.

The Space Advocate Newsletter, April 2021

Biden's space policy comes into focus with a budget, a space council, and a new administrator.

Happy Flightiversary to the Space Shuttle and Yuri Gagarin

An exclusive chat with first shuttle pilot Bob Crippen, plus looking ahead to Yuri’s Night and the first Mars helicopter.

The Space Shuttle Turns 40

The Planetary Society is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle launch with exclusive resources, interviews, and personal stories.

Space Shuttle Astronaut Bob Crippen Describes Columbia's First Flight: "A Moment of Pure Excitement"

NASA astronaut Bob Crippen joins Mat Kaplan on Planetary Radio to look back at the Space Shuttle's first flight.

Martian Ingenuity and Venusian imagination

Get a peek at the Martian moon and catch up on what the newest Mars explorer has been up to.

The Planetary Society's 2021 Day of Action

Space Advocates, Assembled

The 2021 Day of Action brought together 145 Planetary Society members from 30 states with 167 congressional offices.

Recommendations for the Future of Canadian Space Exploration

The Planetary Society submitted these recommendations in response to the Canadian Space Agency's call for input on the future directions of Canada's space exploration activities.