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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
China's plans for outer Solar System exploration
A Callisto impactor, a Uranus flyby, and a dedicated ice giant orbiter could be on China’s planetary exploration horizon.
Tianwen-2: China’s Near-Earth asteroid and comet double-header
China is gearing up for an ambitious combined mission to collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid, deliver the material to Earth, and then head off back into deep space to study a comet.
VOICE: Will this Chinese candidate mission to Venus fly?
Inside the Venus Volcano Imaging and Climate Explorer (VOICE) proposal, which appears to be gaining momentum.
Tianwen-3: China’s Mars sample return mission
China's Tianwen-3 aims to be the first to collect samples from Mars and deliver them to Earth, potentially landing back home two years ahead of the NASA and the European Space Agency MSR project
China looks to outer Solar System with nuclear Neptune orbiter
The mission proposal calls for nuclear fission power. Breakthroughs would boost China’s overall exploration capabilities.
China is getting serious about planetary defense
Here is what we know about the capabilities and technologies China is considering developing in the near future for near-Earth object monitoring, cataloging, early warning and response.
Jupiter Mission by China Could Include Callisto Landing
China plans to select one of two Jupiter mission concepts that would launch in 2029 and arrive in 2035.
China Considers Voyager-like Mission to Interstellar Space
The mission includes a flyby of Neptune and measurements of the heliosphere, the electrically charged gas bubble surrounding our solar system
Lunar Orbiter Longjiang-2 Smashes into Moon
Don’t worry, this was a planned end for a tiny satellite that has been a huge success.
Hayabusa2 makes second touchdown on asteroid Ryugu
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has touched down on Ryugu for a second time, bagging samples which hopefully contain material from the subsurface of the asteroid.
Chang’e-4 may have discovered material from the Moon’s mantle
The first science results from the unprecedented Chang’e-4 lunar far side mission are in. The mission’s Yutu-2 rover, deployed from the lander shortly after the Chang’e-4 landing on 3 January, has, with the help of the Queqiao relay satellite, returned data which suggests it has discovered material derived from the Moon’s mantle.
Chang’e-4 Updates: Yutu-2 Roves into Overtime, Returns More Images
China’s Chang’e-4 lander and Yutu-2 rover are continuing to function well and have completed their fourth lunar day.
Yutu-2 Rocks On into Lunar Day 3 for Chang’e-4 mission
China’s Yutu-2 rover is continuing to make tracks on the lunar far side.
Stunning new images show what the Chang'e-4 mission has been up to
Chang’e-4 is sending home brilliant footage from its various spacecraft, while also being snapped by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
What’s next for China in lunar exploration?
China has big plans for the future, including lunar sample return, a robotic research base, and potentially human missions.
Here's where China is looking to land its 2020 Mars rover
NASA's Mars 2020 rover isn't the only spacecraft heading to Mars in two years.
China's mission to the far side of the Moon will launch in December
The Chang'e-4 spacecraft will launch on December 7 toward a farside landing, making use of a relay satellite to stay in touch with Earth.
A closer look at China's audacious Mars sample return plans
China is making steady progress on a proposed mission to bring a piece of Mars back to Earth in the late 2020s.
China's lunar sample return mission will pave way for future ambitions
Later this year, China is launching the Change'5 spacecraft to return a sample from the Moon. The mission will pave the way for future ambitions, including crewed trips to the lunar surface.
China outlines its space exploration ambitions
China released a new white paper on its policy and activities in space, outlining ambitious deep space exploration, human spaceflight and space science projects as major priorities for the years up to 2020 and beyond.