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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
The year in pictures: Planetary exploration in 2021
The past year as seen through the eyes of space missions across the solar system.
Catching the passion with Charlene Anderson
An interview with Charlene Anderson, who served as editor of The Planetary Report from 1980 to 2012.
DART mission resources for space fans and the press
Exclusive Planetary Society materials to help space fans tell the world about NASA's upcoming mission to impact an asteroid.
LightSail 2 sails into Smithsonian
The prestigious Washington, D.C. institution will display two models of LightSail 2, which is continuing to demonstrate flight by light in Earth orbit.
The LightSail 2 latest: mission updates, pictures and more
Almost 30 months after liftoff, the mission continues to help prepare for the next generation of solar sail missions.
The Fermi paradox and Drake equation: Where are all the aliens?
Theoretical work in SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, is dominated by two key concepts: the Fermi paradox and the Drake equation.
Risky business: will the world rise to the challenge of asteroid defense?
This November, NASA will launch the world’s first mission to test a method of deflecting an asteroid.
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.
Perseverance Firsts: The Best Moments from NASA's Mars Rover Landing
All the best moments so far from NASA's Perseverance rover, all in one place.
NASA solar sails build on LightSail 2
NEA Scout will visit a near-Earth asteroid and Solar Cruiser will test the largest solar sail yet.
Jupiter and Saturn Great Conjunction Viewing Guide
There's still time to get outside and see Jupiter and Saturn together in the evening sky.
Aliens at Proxima Centauri? A New Radio Signal Raises the Question
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, so here are the reasons why there may or may not be aliens in our cosmic backyard.
Planetary Society Reacts to Loss of Arecibo Observatory Radio Telescope
Arecibo helped us explore the cosmos and our solar system, search for life, and defend Earth from potentially dangerous asteroids.
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.
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.
Planetary Society Grant Winner Discovers Large Near-Earth Asteroid
The kilometer-wide object won't hit Earth, but would cause global-scale devastation if it did.
Planetary Society Grant Winners Deal with Delays, Hunt Asteroids, and Discover Comet
Every 6 months, we ask our recent Planetary Society Shoemaker NEO Grant winners for a progress report. Here's what they told us.
Here's What We've Learned So Far from LightSail 2
A new paper recaps mission events, discusses solar sail performance, and describes how the spacecraft's orbit has changed.
The Biggest Little Asteroid Observatory
The Center for Solar System Studies, a perennial Planetary Society Shoemaker NEO Grant winner, is a small observatory that makes big contributions to near-Earth asteroid research.