Planetary Science

Astrobiology
Curiosity (Rover)
Goddard Space Flight Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mars
Mars Exploration Program
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
Missions
NASA Centers & Facilities
NASA Directorates
Planetary Science
Planetary Science Division
Planets
Science & Research
Science Mission Directorate
The Search for Life
The Solar System
The Universe
Researchers analyzing pulverized rock onboard NASA’s Curiosity rover have found the largest organic compounds on the Red Planet to date. The finding, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests prebiotic chemistry may have advanced further on Mars than previously observed.
Posted March 24, 2025
Goddard Space Flight Center
Lucy
Missions
Planetary Science
Planetary Science Division
Although NASA’s Lucy spacecraft’s upcoming encounter with the asteroid Donaldjohanson is primarily a mission rehearsal for later asteroid encounters, a new paper suggests that this small, main belt asteroid may have some surprises of its own.
Posted March 17, 2025
Astrophysics Division
Goddard Space Flight Center
Hubble Space Telescope
Planetary Science
The Kuiper Belt
The puzzle of predicting how three gravitationally bound bodies move in space has challenged mathematicians for centuries, and has most recently been popularized in the novel and television show “3 Body Problem.” There’s no problem, however, with what a team of researchers say is likely a stable trio of icy space rocks in the solar […]
Posted March 4, 2025
Goddard Space Flight Center
Lucy
Planetary Science
The Solar System
Trojan Asteroids
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft has its next flyby target, the small main belt asteroid  Donaldjohanson, in its sights. By blinking between images captured by Lucy on Feb. 20 and 22, this animation shows the perceived motion of Donaldjohanson relative to the background stars as the spacecraft rapidly approaches the asteroid.
Posted February 25, 2025
Opportunities For Educators to Get Involved
Planetary Science
Science Activation
Out of school time (OST) educators work with youth in afterschool, community, and camp programs. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning in OST can be challenging for multiple reasons, including lack of materials and support for educators.
Posted February 25, 2025
Science Mission Directorate
Astrobiology
Europa
Europa Clipper
Planetary Science
Planetary Science Division
The Solar System
That’s a great question. And it’s a question that NASA will seek to answer with the Europa Clipper spacecraft. Europa is a moon of Jupiter. It’s about the same size as Earth’s Moon, but its surface looks very different. The surface of Europa is covered with a layer of ice, and below that ice, we […]
Posted February 25, 2025
Science Mission Directorate
Planetary Science
Planetary Science Division
The Solar System
So how long does it take to get from Earth to the Moon, to Mars or to Jupiter? As with most things in life, the answer is: it depends.
Posted February 19, 2025
Asteroids
Earth's Moon
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Planetary Defense
Planetary Defense Coordination Office
Planetary Science
Lee esta historia en español aquí. The near-Earth object was likely ejected into space after an impact thousands of years ago. Now it could contribute new insights to asteroid and lunar science.
Posted January 22, 2025
NASA+
Asteroids
Planetary Defense
Planetary Defense Coordination Office
Planetary Science
Planetary Science Division
Science Mission Directorate
Social Media
NASA is bringing the high-stakes world of planetary defense to the Sundance Film Festival, highlighting its upcoming documentary, “Planetary Defenders,” during a panel ahead of its spring 2025 premiere on the agency’s streaming service.
Posted January 17, 2025
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