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Perseverance has recorded “mini-lightning” in Martian dust devils. The rover captured audio and electromagnetic data confirming that dust devils on Mars produce electrical sparks and mini-sonic booms. Research results like these are why The Planetary Society led a 25-year campaign to send microphones to Mars. Pictured: A dust devil captured by another Mars rover, Curiosity, in 2020. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI.

ESA has identified Enceladus as its top target for a future mission. The European Space Agency’s long-range plan has selected Saturn’s icy, potentially habitable moon as the highest-priority “large-class” mission target in the next decades. An Enceladus mission would include flybys and possibly sampling of plume material.

Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead NASA has cleared the Senate Commerce Committee. The billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut’s nomination was approved by a vote of 18-10. The final step will be for the full Senate to vote on the nomination.

NASA has lost contact with the MAVEN Mars orbiter. The spacecraft, which has been in Mars orbit since 2014, studies the loss of the Martian atmosphere to space and serves as a communications relay station for rovers on the Martian surface. NASA announced this week that ground stations lost contact with MAVEN on Dec. 6 and are working to understand the issue.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published a vision for the first humans on Mars. A committee of expert scientists recently published its consensus report on the science priorities and technological capabilities required for a series of human missions to Mars. The report emphasizes the search for life, accessing Martian resources for a sustained human presence, and the complementary roles of humans and robots in conducting science from the surface.

The December issue of The Planetary Report is here. Our year-end issue looks back on 2025 through the lens of images. We share the images that defined the last year in space exploration, and reflect on the possible impact that proposed NASA budget cuts could have on the future of space imaging. There’s much more to explore in this issue, which you can read online right now. Pictured: This composite image of Mars passing behind the Moon is part of the extended online collection of images from the past year. Image credit: IAC/Daniel López/Carmelo González.

Step inside the 2025 Mars Society Convention. This annual event brought together experts in science, policy, technology, AI, and beyond to discuss humanity’s future on the red planet. This week’s Planetary Radio brings you conversations with speakers and guests at the convention, which took place in October.

Are we alone? Astrophysicist and "science evangelist" Adam Frank believes we are finally nearing the answer to this question. He joined this month’s Planetary Society virtual book club meeting to discuss his book “The Little Book of Aliens,” which explores every facet of the search and how a discovery would rock our world.

Let’s finish the year strong and help save NASA science! Together, we are a community of explorers working for a better future for humankind. Your support is vital as we head into 2026 and beyond! Your gift of any amount today will go a long way in helping us close out the year strong and maintain our momentum in 2026. Please show your commitment to the future of independently funded space exploration and research, and save NASA science with your donation today.