Articles

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

What's the post-election outlook for NASA and planetary exploration?

What does the political landscape look like for NASA and for The Planetary Society's 3 core enterprises of planetary exploration, the search for life, and planetary defense after the U.S.'s 2020 federal elections?

Your Guide to Crew-1, SpaceX’s Second Astronaut Flight

The last time was a test. This time it was for real. SpaceX successfully launched 4 astronauts to the International Space Station on 15 November 2020.

NASA astronauts ride a commercial rocket

Why do we need NASA when we have SpaceX?

Watching SpaceX's incredible feats, you might wonder whether we need NASA. But in reality the organizations do very different things and rely on each other for success.

This Year's Best Space Gifts, According to Our Members

Shopping for someone who loves space? Here's our 2020 gift guide.

Carl Sagan’s wisdom and vision, and how far we’ve come since his time

Even Sagan would be amazed by multitudes we now know our cosmos may hold. Learn more, plus get your scoop on the week’s space news.

A space spookfest

Catch up on news from across the ghoul-axy and beyond.

Sample acquired! And: is your name in space?

Get the full scoop on Bennu and Venus, and get yourself the most cosmic face mask out there.

High-fiving Bennu and slingshotting Venus

Get ready for OSIRIS-REx’s upcoming sample collection and share your gift ideas for space lovers.

Your Guide to the OSIRIS-REx sample collection

NASA's OSIRIS-REx successfully collected a sample from asteroid Bennu on 20 October 2020.

NASA and JAXA to Send Planetary Society-supported Sample Technology to the Moon and Phobos

PlanetVac, developed by Honeybee Robotics, is designed to be a reliable, flexible, low-cost sample collection technology.

How to stop microbes from hitching a ride to space

Learn about planetary protection for exploring other worlds and get caught up on the week’s space news.

Meet Orbilander, a Mission to Search for Life on Enceladus

A team of scientists are pitching NASA a mission that would sample Enceladus' plumes from orbit and the surface.

Jupiter dazzles and Neptune beckons

Feast your eyes on these images from space, catch up on the latest in exploration news, and get the lowdown on what’s up in the night sky.

We’re over the Moon for… well, for the Moon!

Everything you need to celebrate the Moon this week, plus a way you can help NASA thrive in 2021.

Can the Moon be upside down?

When you think about how the Moon looks in the night sky, you might never have considered that it looks different to people in other parts of the world. But really, perspective is all relative.