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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
ESCAPADE launch: What to expect
NASA's ESCAPADE mission will send a pair of twin probes to Mars to study how the solar wind has stripped away the planet’s atmosphere, leaving behind the desolate surface we see today.
Our best proof of life on Mars yet? A deep dive into Cheyava Falls
A strange rock on Mars is different from anything we’ve seen before in the search for life.
A biosignature on Mars? Unpacking Perseverance's Cheyava Falls find
An interview with Joel Hurowitz of Stony Brook University, New York, one of the lead scientists involved in the discovery of possible biosignatures on Mars.
NASA: Perseverance found possible biosignatures in Martian rock
NASA’s Perseverance rover has identified a potential sign of past life on Mars — not a definitive detection, but perhaps the most compelling hint yet.
Scientists behind threatened NASA missions explain what’s at stake
Here is what they have to say, in their own words.
New NASA budget would shut down 41 space missions
Proposed NASA cuts would cancel dozens of space missions — including spacecraft already paid for, launched, and making discoveries.
The year in pictures
The sights of space from the past 12 months.
Mars’ enduring role in the search for life
New discoveries underscore why we must keep exploring the red planet.
Mars may host oceans’ worth of water deep underground
The tentative discovery hints at an habitat where life could potentially thrive.
Eureka? Scientists’ first hints of life on other planets may not be so obvious
Knowing that you've found signs of life beyond Earth may not be as clear-cut and simple as one might think.
NASA discovers Mars rock with ancient potential for life
A single 3.5 billion-year-old rock shows signs of all the conditions life needs to thrive.
Europe goes to Mars
NASA and ESA have signed a partnership agreement to get the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover down to the surface of Mars, getting the mission back on track after geopolitical factors delayed it.
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.
NASA's FY 2025 budget request is not enough
Federal spending caps and inflation take a bite out of NASA's ambitions.
Red Rover Goes to Mars, 20 years later
Twenty years ago, a Planetary Society program sent students to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to work on the Mars Exploration Rovers program.
The science value of Mars Sample Return
The project has the potential to transform our understanding of the Solar System and provide evidence of life beyond Earth.
Can SpaceX’s Starship save Mars Sample Return?
Though promising conceptually, Starship presents more questions than answers for NASA's Mars Sample Return needs.
The path forward for Mars Sample Return
A brief summary of The Planetary Society's policy principles and recommendations for Mars Sample Return.
The history and motivations behind India's growing space program
Gurbir Singh joined us on Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition to discuss the history and motivations behind India’s space program.
How layoffs at JPL can be traced to a stalemate in Congress
A battle over the future of Mars Sample Return is taking a toll on NASA’s workforce.