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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Launching and descending
Artemis I is on its way to the Moon, Planetary Academy is here to inspire your kids, and LightSail 2 has come down.
LightSail 2 completes mission with atmospheric reentry
The three-and-a-half-year solar sailing mission showed LightSail 2 could change its orbit with sunlight alone.
LightSail 2 is about to burn up
After 3.5 years, 18,000 orbits of the Earth, and 8 million kilometers (5 million miles) traveled, The Planetary Society’s successful LightSail 2 solar sail spacecraft will burn up as it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere in the next few days.
Best space pictures of the month: October 2022
Stunning views of Europa and the Eagle Nebula headline our roundup of space images released last month.
Sights beyond the visible
See images your eyes wouldn’t normally be able to see, and learn about what these images can teach you.
LightSail 2 getting lower as it completes third year in space
An update on The Planetary Society's LightSail 2 mission, which launched in 2015.
The value of knowledge
Space exploration comes at a cost, but the investment is always worthwhile.
Optimism, ethics and pride
The values that have driven space exploration since its beginnings are still going strong today.
Craters are great but we’ve had enough, thank you
Take a look at some of Earth’s epic impact craters, and learn what we’re doing to ensure they’re our last.
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.
Mind-blowing space volcanoes
Taking a look at volcanic worlds in our solar system and exoplanets that might crack under pressure.
Rocky worlds rock
This week we're all about the rocky planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
Looking forward to looking into deep space
The newest issue of The Planetary Report takes a look at the James Webb Space Telescope and what it will teach us about the cosmos.
For every world, there is a season
When we explore space we see familiar things: seasons, ice caps, and maybe someday even plants.
Dunes and doppelgangers
What can we learn from patterns in the Martian sands? And what’s that Earth-like planet over there?
Proximity and distance
Looking at planets and moons from near and far, and figuring out how to get all the way out there.
LightSail 2 Sails On!
The Planetary Society’s crowdfunded LightSail 2 spacecraft is going strong and still making history.
We Love to Buggy
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo mission that introduced Moon buggies to the world, and catch up on this week’s space news.
The Icy Intrigue of Enceladus
Saturn’s icy moon invites further study, and The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 spacecraft celebrates an anniversary.