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Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
A Mission to Europa Just Got a Whole Lot More Likely
Rep. John Culberson, an outspoken supporter of Europa exploration, will assume leadership of an influential congressional committee that funds NASA.
The Consequences of the 2014 Midterm Elections for NASA
A Republican Senate will not drastically change the course of the nation's space program, though it will likely see less funding for NASA and a difficult path forward for the Asteroid Retrieval Mission.
The Antares Accident: Whose Rocket Was It?
Despite some in the media declaring it a NASA rocket disaster, Antares represents a new way of doing business. It's owned by a private company providing a service to NASA to resupply the space station. How is this different from other rockets NASA uses?
Happy Fiscal Year 2015! Though NASA Still Doesn't Have a Budget
Congress passed a stopgap spending bill before taking off to campaign for re-election, keeping NASA's 2015 budget in limbo for another two months.
Planetary Society President Testifies Before Congress
Society President Dr. Jim Bell provided expert testimony at a September hearing on the state (and fate) of planetary science.
NASA Kicks Off a Private Space Race Between Boeing and SpaceX
Boeing and SpaceX have won multi-billion dollar contracts to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station.
Planetary Science Gets Its Day in Congress
Watch Planetary Society President Jim Bell testify before a congressional subcommittee on Wednesday, September 10th.
Curiosity Rover Science Plan Slammed by NASA Review Panel
Senior review recommends continuing all major planetary exploration missions, but not without some changes.
NASA’s Big Rocket a Step Closer to Reality
NASA's Space Launch System passed a critical milestone yesterday, but buried within the announcement was news that the first launch could slip by nearly a year.
[Updated]: NASA Selects 7 Science Instruments for its Next Mars Rover
Seven science instruments will help the Mars 2020 rover identify biosignatures and understand the history of the rocks it encounters on the surface of the red planet.
NASA's Budget Stalls Out
Congress has all but given up its goal of passing a budget before the end of this fiscal year in September. Instead, we will likely see a temporary extension through the elections in November.
Capitol Hill Responds to the Lure of Europa
A standing-room only crowd learned the lure of Europa, the moon of Jupiter with more liquid water than the Earth, at a special Planetary Society event on capitol hill.
The Senate's Flawed NASA Bill Hits a Bump in the Road
For the second day in a row, the Senate failed to vote on a bill that would fund NASA and other agencies in 2015. Without passage, no progress can be made addressing the flaws contained within.
[Updated] The Senate Proposes $17.9B for NASA, Matching the House's Increase
The Senate released early details about its budget for NASA in 2015. The top-line level, $17.9 billion, is an increase over the President's proposal and matches the level passed by the full House last week.
If You Propose to Take Money from NASA, We Notice
During the floor debate for the House's budget for NASA and other agencies, three members of Congress submitted amendments to shift money from NASA to other programs. We noticed.
The House Passes a $435 Million Increase to NASA's Budget
After a multi-day floor debate, the House of Representatives passed its Commerce-Justice-Science funding bill, which included a NASA budget $435 million above the President's 2015 request and an increase to planetary science.
The Planetary Society Supports NASA's Asteroid Initiative
The Planetary Society strongly supports NASA's asteroid initiative, including the goal of redirecting an asteroid to the vicinity of the Moon. But an independent cost estimate is needed, and needed soon.
No, Russia Did Not Just Kick the U.S. Out of the Space Station
A top Russian official announced a ban on Russian engines in U.S. military launches and questioned Russia's long-term commitment to the International Space Station. We cut through the hype and try to understand what was actually said and the immediate consequences facing NASA.
Wow, an Increase of $170 million for Planetary Exploration
The House revealed details of its draft NASA budget today, including an increase of $170 million to Planetary Science above the White House's request for 2015, putting it within spitting distance of our goal of $1.5 billion.
The House Proposes an Extra $435 million for NASA next year
Budget season is in full swing in Washington, D.C., and we're starting to see indications of how NASA will fare this year. I have to say, things are looking pretty promising.