Perseverance just set the record for the most distance driven on another world. We revisit Mat Kaplan’s 2021 conversation with Vandi Verma, JPL principal engineer and chief engineer of robotic operations for Perseverance, about how the rover drives itself across Mars.
Oct 21
Meet the Winners of The Planetary Society’s 2026 STEP Grants
Every two years, The Planetary Society funds research through our STEP Grants (Science and Technology Empowered by the Public). This year, all three winning projects focus on small bodies in our Solar System, like asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects. Each one tackles a differen ... Show More
1h 6m
Oct 16
Book Club Edition: Dinner With an Astronaut by Leroy Chiao
Leroy Chiao was one of the youngest astronauts ever selected. He would spend 229 days in low-Earth orbit, command the International Space Station, and perform three spacewalks. His book, “Dinner with an Astronaut,” chronicles his journey from Chinese American kid born in Milwauke ... Show More
1h 14m
Oct 14
From the Mojave to Phobos: PlanetVac rides with MMX
Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration mission, MMX, is about to set out for Phobos and Deimos, the two small moons of Mars. If all goes well, it will bring the first-ever sample from the Martian system back to Earth. Asa Stahl, public outreach astronomer at The Planetary Society, exp ... Show More
1h 4m