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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
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.
Could there be life on Venus?
Explore exciting news in the search for life beyond Earth, and take a trip down memory lane with our co-founder.
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.
Sample Return Roundup
It's a banner year for sample return missions. In 2020, China, Japan, and the United States are all scheduled to have sample return missions in flight, seeking to retrieve material from near-Earth asteroids, the Moon, and eventually Mars.
The Next 10 Years
Six scientists share the major planetary science discoveries of the past decade, and the questions that will drive the next 10 years of solar system exploration.
How the European Space Agency Does Planetary Defense
Defending the planet from the hazard of potential asteroid impacts requires investments from the whole world. In Europe, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union both support work to understand and mitigate the threats from near-Earth objects.
How NASA's Planetary Defense Budget Grew By More Than 4000% in 10 years
NASA used to spend more on travel for its employees at headquarters than it did on finding dangerous near-Earth asteroids. Now it’s building asteroid-hunting space telescopes. What changed?
The State of Planetary Defense
Vishnu Reddy delivers a sober but hopeful report on our understanding of near-Earth objects, their dangers, and our readiness.
The September Equinox 2019 Issue of The Planetary Report Is Out!
A new issue of The Planetary Report brings you our pride in the success of LightSail 2 and our gratitude to our members for making it happen. Plus Venus science from Akatsuki and Venus Express, and the status of planetary defense.
Hayabusa2 Lander Mania: Results from MASCOT, Plans for MINERVA-II2
Japan's sample return spacecraft only has about 3 months left at asteroid Ryugu. Its next action will be to drop more stuff on the surface.
Here's How the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will Revolutionize Small-Body Science
The LSST is expected to increase the number of known small bodies by more than a factor of 10.
OSIRIS-REx Team Picks 4 Candidate Sample Sites on Asteroid Bennu
The sites each have unique characteristics that would advance the field of asteroid science.
Hayabusa2 Nailed its Second Touchdown on Asteroid Ryugu
JAXA's sample collection spacecraft touched down just 60 centimeters away from its aimpoint.
Hayabusa2 makes second touchdown on asteroid Ryugu
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has touched down on Ryugu for a second time, bagging samples which hopefully contain material from the subsurface of the asteroid.
OSIRIS-REx Sets Low-Orbit Record, Enters New Orbital B Mission Phase
Last week, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission announced that they had achieved an orbit above asteroid Bennu with an altitude of only 680 meters. Now they are surveying for landing sites and have invited the public's help.
Treasure Hunting With Hayabusa2
IN THE EARLY hours of 22 February, light was just beginning to brighten the campus of JAXA’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences (ISAS) in Kanagawa, Japan. It should have been a quiet time, but the Hayabusa2 control room was packed with people. We were about to land on an asteroid.
Hayabusa2 drops second target marker, targets artificial crater for sample collection
The reflective softball-sized sphere will give the spacecraft a visual guide during a second potential sample collection.