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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
OSIRIS-REx sample return: What to expect
The spacecraft will drop off its precious samples of asteroid Bennu on Sept. 24, 2023.
See for yourself
See the month’s coolest space pictures, see planets in the night sky, and create the future in space that you want to see.
Storms and showers
Mars has storms of dust, while Saturn pours down ammonia rain. Here on Earth, we passed through a debris tail to get a special kind of shower.
Hasta la vista, baby
Terminators abound this week in space, and we’ll be back to Mars if NASA gets the budget it needs.
That’s a mare
An unusual lunar feature, Saturn’s shining rings, and Mars’ complex gullies.
The U.S. Senate threatens to cancel Mars Sample Return
The House has yet to weigh in. And much can still happen before this threat is realized.
Speedy spacecraft and pretty pics
Take a look at some of our favorite recent space images and learn about an express mission to Mars.
The Space Advocate Newsletter, July 2023
What's going on with Mars Sample Return?
Searching the skies to keep us all alive
Astronomers around the world are working to protect the Earth from asteroid impacts, with the help of Planetary Society members and donors.
What’s going on with Mars Sample Return?
NASA's biggest science project is undergoing an unprecedented second independent review amidst growing cost estimates and daunting technical and managerial challenges.
Day and night, it’s all about starlight
This week in space: Mars days almost match up with ours, and light and molecules are created by distant stars.
Why did we need OSIRIS-REx?
How OSIRIS-REx’s samples build upon our knowledge of asteroids and the early Solar System.
Asteroid samples from another world
The OSIRIS-REx team explains the journey home.
The scientific truth is out there
The real science of aliens, the policy implications of ET, and new views of worlds beyond our own.
Would you like some salty water with your space salad?
Two new grant-winning projects, a collection of awesome space imagery, a mighty plume, and much more this week in space.
Way out there
We’re always learning more about the worlds of the outer Solar System, and even those beyond.
Moon-spying missions and a planetary evil twin
Whether they’re dedicated to it or not, planetary missions can get beautiful and informative glimpses at distant moons. And who’s the evil twin: Venus or Earth?
Hard-working spacecraft and even harder-working microbes
The Soyuz spacecraft have been helping humans get to and from space for decades, but that’s nothing compared to the billions of years that microorganisms have been making life on Earth possible.
Moonshadow, Moonshadow
The Moon casts shadows on itself and on Earth, environmental concerns overshadow a test launch’s success, and exoplanets are awesome (beyond a shadow of a doubt).
What happened with Psyche?
When the Psyche mission missed its launch date in 2022, it caused a ripple-effect of delays and budget woes for other JPL-led missions. Dr. Laurie Leshin, JPL's new director, shares her insights into the unique challenges facing her team and what she's doing to change JPL for the better.