planetary society

NASA will test a new spacecraft solar sail using a NanoAvionics satellite

NASA is going to test a new solar sail system to determine if it’s a viable alternative to propellant-based thrusters for maneuvering small satellites, and potentially for low-cost transportatio

Rocket Lab to acquire satellite hardware maker Sinclair Interplanetary

Rocket Lab is acquiring Sinclair Interplanetary, a manufacturer of spacecraft hardware based in Toronto that has provided hardware for more than 90 satellites sent to orbit to date, including for Astr

Crowdfunded LightSail 2 spacecraft succeeds in flying on sunlight alone

Space exploration nonprofit The Planetary Society is celebrating a stack of wins today, after announcing that its LightSail 2 spacecraft, which was funded in part through a crowdfunding campaign, has

Crowdfunded spacecraft LightSail 2 delivers amazing images of its deployed solar sail

We got word yesterday that the crowdfunded LightSail 2 spacecraft had successfully deployed its Mylar solar sail, a large sheet of reflective material that will harness the minute power of photons bou

The Planetary Society’s crowdfunded LightSail 2 deploys its solar sail in orbit

Crowdfunded spacecraft LightSail 2 is making good on its name, after successfully unfurling its solar sail in orbit so that it can begin propelling itself using the force of light alone. The sail&#821

Watch crowdfunded spacecraft LightSail 2 unfurl its solar sail live

The Planetary Society’s pioneering spacecraft LightSail 2 is getting ready for its big moment — deploying the solar sail it carries on board, which should be able to propel the spacecraft

Crowdfunded spacecraft LightSail 2 snaps amazing photos ahead of solar sail deployment

LightSail 2 may still have at least a few days to go before it begins its primary purpose, by unfurling the solar sail it has on board and finding out more about propelling a spacecraft using only the

New LightSail 2 mission dashboard lets anyone check in on solar sail spacecraft’s progress

The Planetary Society has launched a new mission control dashboard for LightSail 2, a crowdfunded spacecraft currently in orbit that’s going to test the performance of a true solar sail that&#82

Crowdfunded solar sail spacecraft moves closer to flying on light alone

The Planetary Society’s crowdfunded LightSail 2 spacecraft reported back some good news today: It’s officially orbiting on its own after being delivered to space via rocket rideshare aboar

AI services startup Hypergiant brings on Bill Nye as an advisor

Hypergiant, a startup launched last year to address the execution gap in bringing applied AI and machine learning technologies to bear for large companies, has signed on a high-profile new advisor to

SpaceX successfully launches Falcon Heavy rocket with two flight-proven booster cores

SpaceX has succeeded in launching its third mission with the Falcon Heavy high-capacity rocket it first launched successfully last year. The rocket’s STP-2 mission took off from Kennedy Space Ce