Builders and boulders

Space Snapshot

These X-ray computed tomography scans of samples from asteroid Bennu helped solve a mystery that puzzled NASA for years. When NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft reached Bennu in 2018, scientists expected sandy surfaces. Earlier telescope observations had suggested Bennu's surface heated and cooled rapidly, like sand on a beach. Instead, they found a world covered in boulders, whose surfaces should heat and cool more slowly. By imaging the internal structure of the samples OSIRIS-REx brought to Earth, researchers discovered that the boulders are riddled with extensive crack networks — the missing piece that finally explained Bennu's sand-like thermal behavior. Image credit: NASA/Scott Eckley.

Fact Worth Sharing

Bennu’s boulders contain the building blocks of life. Analysis of the samples returned by OSIRIS-REx found water-bearing minerals and carbon-rich material — key ingredients for life as we know it.

Mission Briefings

NASA has begun building the Dragonfly mission. Components of the rotorcraft, which aims to launch to Saturn’s moon Titan in 2028, are now being assembled and tested. The mission will fly across Titan's diverse terrain, studying its chemistry, geology, and atmosphere. Pictured: Engineers working on a test model of Dragonfly’s rotor system. Image credit: NASA.

Construction has begun on China’s Mars sample return mission. Tianwen-3, which aims to launch in late 2028, will send a lander to Mars that can collect samples and then launch them to an orbiting spacecraft that will carry them to Earth. Hardware for the mission is now being built.

Artemis II could launch as soon as April 1. The mission to send a four-person crew around the Moon has passed a Flight Readiness Review after dealing with issues with helium flow and hydrogen fuel leaks. A six-day launch window opens on April 1.

From The Planetary Society

Europe has a critical role to play in humanity’s return to the Moon. This week, Planetary Radio brings you voices straight from the 18th European Space Conference in Brussels, Belgium, where more than 2,000 of the world’s top space leaders gathered to shape the future of European space exploration — including ambitious plans for building GPS and communications infrastructure to support a permanent human presence on the Moon. Pictured: An artist’s impression of a far-future lunar base. Image credit: ESA - P. Carril.

How did New Zealand become one of the three leading rocket-launching nations? The country’s rank — just after the United States and China — is thanks to the success of Rocket Lab and its Electron rocket. Founder Peter Beck joined the latest Planetary Society book club meeting to talk about the stories captured in “The Launch of Rocket Lab.” You can watch the recording of the live virtual event here.

The House is showing its support for NASA Science. 103 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Congressional Planetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs Don Bacon (R-NE) and Judy Chu (D-CA) signed a bipartisan letter this week calling for $9 billion for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in the fiscal year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

Want to see what it’s like to be a planetary geologist? Join our newest travel partner, Planetary Experience Consulting, for a three-day, four-night expedition to New Mexico's finest planetary geology analog sites. Learn to identify intriguing samples, get a primer on suborbital human spaceflight, visit the New Mexico Museum of Space History, and command your own mission at the Las Cruces Challenger Learning Center. Led by planetary geologist Kirby Runyon. Learn more on our travel page.

What's Up

Today is the equinox, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Around the world today, day is approximately as long as night. When night falls, look for very bright Jupiter high in the east, and super bright Venus very low in the west. On March 25, the Moon will be near Jupiter. Find out what else to look for in March’s night skies.

Join now and save space missions

If you are not one already, become a member TODAY and help shape the future of space science and exploration by fueling mission-critical advocacy efforts. Here’s just one example: The Planetary Society led efforts in Washington to Save NASA Science in 2026. Thanks to the support of our members, we were able to prevent an extinction-level budget cut to planetary exploration this year. This means more missions, more science, and exploration in our Solar System.

Will you join us and protect the future of exploration?

Wow of the Week

One hundred years ago this week, Robert Goddard launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket. Pictured here is Goddard next to the frame holding the liquid oxygen-gasoline rocket that he successfully launched on March 16, 1926. Although the rocket only flew for 2.5 seconds to an altitude of 12.5 meters (41 feet), its success built the foundation for modern space exploration. Image credit: Esther Goddard, from the Clark University archive.

Send us your artwork!

We love to feature space artwork in the Downlink. If you create any kind of space-related art, we invite you to send it to us by replying to any Downlink email or writing to [email protected]. Please let us know in your email if you’re a Planetary Society member!