Author

All

Keyword

All

Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.

What are competed planetary missions?

A critical part of a balanced exploration program, competed missions are scientist-led projects that cost less and occur more frequently than large, flagship-class missions.

Breaking new ground

Whether it’s a mission, a policy decision, or an individual person, sometimes all it takes is one thing to change the way we explore.

First steps and big leaps

Technological innovation is a big part of the fun of space exploration, and you can help make it happen.

A new map of Mars from some pretty old data

The United States Geological Survey recently issued an improved version of the Viking color map of Mars. This 40-year-old data set still provides the prettiest global-scale map of the planet.

Book Review: The International Atlas of Mars Exploration, by Phil Stooke

I've been waiting for the publication of this book for years. Phil Stooke's International Atlas of Mars Exploration, just published by Cambridge University Press, is an exhaustively awesome labor of love, chronicling the first five decades of Mars exploration in pictures, maps, and facts.