Planetary Science

More Stories in Planetary Science

  1. Planetary Science

    Odysseus’ historic moon mission comes to an end

    Odysseus downloaded data from all payloads before going to sleep February 28. The cold lunar night proved fatal to efforts to reawaken the lunar lander.

    By Adam Mann
  2. Planetary Science

    NASA’s OSIRIS-REx nabbed over 120 grams of space rocks from asteroid Bennu

    After being stymied by two stuck screws, NASA finally accessed a trove of Bennu asteroid bits. Mission scientist Harold Connolly tells what’s next.

    By Adam Mann
  3. Space

    How ‘Our Moon’ shaped life on Earth and human history

    Science News reviews Rebecca Boyle’s new wide-ranging book, which tells the story of the moon and its relationship with the inhabitants of Earth.

    By Shi En Kim
  4. Planetary Science

    Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon might contain a hidden ocean

    A fresh look at Cassini data reveals slight changes in the tiny moon’s orbit that suggest the presence of a vast ocean beneath the satellite’s icy shell.

    By Adam Mann
  5. Planetary Science

    An asteroid may have exploded over Antarctica about 2.5 million years ago

    Tiny spherules of rock found in Antarctic ice may point to the oldest known “airburst,” or midair disintegration of an incoming asteroid.

    By Katherine Kornei
  6. Planetary Science

    Bacteria that can make humans sick could survive on Mars

    Experiments suggest that common illness-causing microbes could not only survive on the Red Planet but also might be able to thrive.

    By Adam Mann
  7. Planetary Science

    NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter officially ends its mission on Mars

    NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter suffered damage during a recent flight and has ended its mission on Mars after nearly three years on the Red Planet.

    By Adam Mann
  8. Planetary Science

    Salt may have carved out Mercury’s terrains, including glacierlike features

    Mercury may contain a planetwide cache of salt that has sculpted chaotic terrain and possibly even habitable niches.

    By Shi En Kim
  9. Planetary Science

    A toxic gas that could help spawn life has been found on Enceladus

    Cassini data indicate that hydrogen cyanide, a key building block for life, exists on Saturn’s icy moon. A snakelike NASA robot might test for sure.

    By Nikk Ogasa