Articles

Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.

'Ignition': A new series of NASA initiatives

On March 24, 2026, NASA leadership detailed new plans for the agency, involving lunar missions, Mars, and more.

The Space Advocate Newsletter, March 2026

Artemis vis-a-vis Apollo.

The Artemis II mission: What to expect

Artemis II will send humans back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, with four astronauts on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. Here’s what to expect.

Calendar of space events 2026

Space missions, rocket launches, and celestial events are coming our way in 2026.

Pete Conrad with Surveyor 3 during Apollo 12

Why send people back to the Moon?

What can an astronaut do on the Moon that a robot can’t?

Starship prior to first integrated test flight

How soon will Starship fly?

One rocket could decide how soon humanity returns to the Moon — and maybe one day sets foot on Mars.

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.

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.

To the moon together

An interview with Scott Pace about the Moon’s role in internationally cooperative human space exploration.

Hasta la vista, baby

Terminators abound this week in space, and we’ll be back to Mars if NASA gets the budget it needs.

That’s a mare

An unusual lunar feature, Saturn’s shining rings, and Mars’ complex gullies.

Would you like some salty water with your space salad?

Two new grant-winning projects, a collection of awesome space imagery, a mighty plume, and much more this week in space.

Way out there

We’re always learning more about the worlds of the outer Solar System, and even those beyond.

A mission to pull back the shroud

VERITAS would peer through Venus’ clouds to study its surface like never before, but it needs your help.

Asteroids worth getting psyched about

New discoveries from Ryugu, material heading our way from Bennu, and anticipation for a mission to Psyche.

Volcanic Venus, myriad moons, and space sonification

Learn all about the possible volcanic activity found on Venus, the facts about a hyped-up near-Earth asteroid, Jupiter’s newest moons, and what space images sound like.