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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Why does Jupiter spin so fast?
The gas giant is the Solar System's largest planet. Here's why it's also the fastest-spinning planet.
For parts: Lunar rover, never used
NASA has canceled VIPER, a rover designed to seek out water ice and other resources in the lunar south pole.
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 DART has taught us so far
NASA's DART mission showed that if we detect a dangerous asteroid headed toward Earth, knocking it off course with a spacecraft is a potential option.
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.
Meet the Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA’s life-seeking telescope
The observatory will directly image Earth-size exoplanets circling other stars.
Chang’e-6 launch: What to expect
China will attempt to return the first-ever samples from the far side of the Moon.
Should you be worried about solar storms?
As the Sun nears solar maximum, the odds of potentially dangerous solar storms go up. What could one do to Earth?
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.
What to look forward to in space in 2024
A total solar eclipse and the launch of Europa Clipper are on our list of cosmic events to get excited about this year.
What went wrong with Mars Sample Return
An edited transcript of an interview with Orlando Figueroa, chair of the independent review team that evaluated NASA's Mars Sample Return program.
Uranus' biggest unsolved mysteries
Distant, icy Uranus has puzzled scientists for decades. From its sideways spin to its mysterious magnetic field, the oddball world has many secrets waiting to be revealed.
Why the true colors of the planets aren't what you think
Cameras on our space probes act as proxies for our own eyes, but what they see isn't necessarily what our eyes would see.
How do we see the surface of Venus from space?
Although Venus is shrouded in a thick atmosphere, several spacecraft have been able to image its surface from space. Future missions will expand and refine the maps we already have.