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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
A new paper recaps mission events, discusses solar sail performance, and describes how the spacecraft's orbit has changed.
The Center for Solar System Studies, a perennial Planetary Society Shoemaker NEO Grant winner, is a small observatory that makes big contributions to near-Earth asteroid research.
Thanks to our members and donors, The Planetary Society participated in several activities at the 2019 International Astronautical Conference.
More than 50,000 people supported LightSail 2. But only one person can talk to the spacecraft at a time, and it's often a student.
The yet-to-be-named telescope would launch as soon as 2024, as part of NASA's new, multi-pronged approach to planetary defense.
When LightSail 2 recently flew south of The Planetary Society's headquarters, CEO Bill Nye and other staff members stepped outside to listen.
Astrophysicist Karl Battams tells us what we can learn by studying objects from outside our solar system.
We've got 2 fish-eye pictures of the spacecraft's solar sail from opposite cameras, and we're hoping they can be combined.
Communications were lost with the lander, which was carrying a small rover named Pragyan to the lunar surface.
Japan's sample return spacecraft only has about 3 months left at asteroid Ryugu. Its next action will be to drop more stuff on the surface.
LightSail 2's orbital high point around the Earth has raised by 7.2 kilometers, without any conventional fuel.
Last week, technicians installed the carousel that holds the tools and drill bits that will be used to collect samples for future return to Earth.
The combination lander, rover, and orbiter fired its main engine to enter orbit around the Moon at 09:02 IST (03:32 UTC) on 20 August.
The sites each have unique characteristics that would advance the field of asteroid science.
If your latitude is within 42 degrees of the equator, there's a chance you may be able to spot LightSail 2's reflective solar sail.
At 02:21 IST (20:51 UTC), the spacecraft fired its main engine, changing its orbit to intersect with the Moon.
JAXA's sample collection spacecraft touched down just 60 centimeters away from its aimpoint.
The high point of the spacecraft's orbit around the Earth on Monday was 729 kilometers, an increase of 3.2 kilometers since sail deployment.
In the past 4 days, the spacecraft has raised its orbital high point, or apogee, by about 2 kilometers.
Images from The Planetary Society's spacecraft confirm the solar sails deployed on 23 July 2019 at 11:47 PDT (18:47 UTC).
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