SUNSET: 
Rosetta Update: Philae Landed in a Hole
The exact location of Philae’s landing site remains unknown, though the site’s topography might allow the lander to operate longer than planned. Meanwhile, Rosetta is detecting organics and heavy elements even when Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko is far from the Sun.
Curiosity Finds Methane, Other Organics
NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected both methane in Mars’s atmosphere and carbon-bearing organic compounds in its rocks. But it’s unclear where these molecules come from — or whether there’s any biological connection.
MAVEN Finds New Particles, Ion Plume
NASA’s MAVEN mission has discovered a new population of particles in Mars’s upper atmosphere. It’s also found a plume of particles escaping from the planet’s poles, confirming atmospheric loss is happening today.
Earth's Water Likely Not From Comets
An early outcome from Rosetta's scrutiny of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is that the isotopes in its water have distinctly different ratios than those on Earth.
Geologic Map Shows What's Where on Vesta
NASA's Dawn spacecraft spent 14 months photographing Vesta from close range. Now geologists have completed a global map of the asteroid's surface geology.
New Horizons Awakens for Pluto Encounter
Right on cue, New Horizons spacecraft has awakened from its final electronic hibernation. Seven months from now, it will make the first-ever visit to Pluto.
Test Flight Success for Orion Spacecraft
On December 5th, NASA successfully launched the first test flight of its Orion capsule. Scheduled to carry astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit in the 2020s, the spacecraft is NASA’s first deep-space people transporter since the Apollo days.
Hayabusa 2 is Asteroid Bound
Japan's second asteroid-sample mission launched successfully on December 3rd after weather delays. If successful it will reach asteroid 1999 JU3 in 2018, explore for 18 months, and then return to Earth with souvenirs.
Contact Lost with Sun-watching Stereo B
Despite rescue efforts, no one has heard from one of two NASA spacecraft on the far side of the Sun since October 1st.
Philae Wins Race to Return Comet Findings
With its battery power failing, Philae became the "little lander than could" and managed to return results from all 10 of its science instruments before slipping into hibernation.
Philae Lands on Its Comet — Three Times!
After free-falling toward Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for seven hours, ESA's Philae lander bounced on the surface twice before finally coming to rest.
Rosetta Update: The Scent of a Comet
The Rosetta spacecraft reached its objective, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, in August. Since then, one instrument has been "smelling" the mix of gases escaping from the comet's nucleus.
Chinese Chang'e Craft Loops the Moon
A Chang'e spacecraft swung around the Moon and its capsule landed safely on Earth — a dress rehearsal for a future mission to bring back lunar samples.
Spacecraft Observe Comet Siding Spring
Mars-orbiting spacecraft escaped unscathed by Comet Siding Spring's close approach to the Red Planet — and unique scientific observations are now streaming back to Earth.
India's Mars Orbiter Mission Arrives Safely
It's a historic day for India's maturing space program, as its first-ever interplanetary explorer successfully slipped into orbit around the Red Planet.
MAVEN Makes It to Mars
On September 21st, after a 33-minute-long rocket firing, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft slipped into orbit around the Red Planet.
Where Will Philae Land on Comet 67P?
European space officials have decided to drop their Philae lander on November 11th onto the small end of the already-active Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Success is hardly assured.
Curiosity Readies To Climb "Mount Sharp"
Now two years into its exploration of Mars, NASA's big rover has reached the base of the huge mound that scientists hope will reveal the Red Planet's history.
Voyager 2 at Neptune: A Silver Anniversary
On August 25, 1989, a NASA spacecraft made its fourth and final planetary encounter. What it revealed 25 years ago about the Neptunian system is still amazing and still profound.
Mars Orbiters Duck for Cover
Mission planners have devised an unusual strategy for protecting orbiting spacecraft when Comet Siding Spring passes the Red Planet in October 2014.
