Planetary Science

Launching in 2028, China’s Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission could bring Red Planet rocks back to Earth as early as 2031—years ahead of competing U.S.-European efforts

To achieve its ambitious plans for missions to the moon and beyond, Russia needs other spacefaring nations as partners. But the war in Ukraine is making that help increasingly hard to find

Close stellar encounters could change the structure of our planetary system, potentially dooming Earth or other worlds to oblivion

Recent observations have revealed carbon monoxide venting from the largest comet ever seen, providing clues about its origins in the mysterious depths of the outer solar system

Scientists are rallying to reverse ruinous proposed cuts to both NASA and the National Science Foundation

Since 1966 NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies has been at the forefront of Earth and planetary science from its location in upper Manhattan. Now a Trump administration directive is ejecting its scientists to parts unknown

NASA’s astrobiology ambitions are at risk of collapsing under the White House’s proposed budget. But your voice can make a difference

A reappraisal of decades-old data suggests that strange circular formations on Venus could be volcanic “rings of fire” created by ongoing geological activity

After billions of dollars in spending and decades of planning, NASA may be forced to abandon precious samples of air, rock and soil on the Martian surface. Experts are furious

Leaked budget documents indicate that key NASA and NOAA research projects, such as crucial climate research and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, are at risk of being defunded in 2026

A group of comets with unexplained movements presents a quandary

A new way to measure the length of Uranus’s day could also help determine the rotation rates of other celestial objects—including exoplanets