Why do some planets have rings and others don’t? Our latest article answers that question, exploring what planetary rings are made of, how they form, and why only some planets (and even smaller bodies) are adorned with them. Pictured: Saturn and its rings imaged by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. Image credit: NASA/JPL/SSI/Alson Wong.

This week on Planetary Radio: An interview with a space legend. After nearly five decades at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Gentry Lee has worked on every Mars landing mission, helped Carl Sagan create Cosmos, and served as Chief Engineer for Solar System Exploration. One day into retirement, he joined us to reflect on his career and the question that always motivated him: Is there life beyond Earth?

Is the United States really in a new space race with China? In the latest episode of Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition, Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, speaks with Patrick Besha, former NASA strategic advisor on China, to explore the realities behind China’s rapidly advancing space program.

Members, meet your new CEO! On March 10, members joined Jennifer Vaughn, The Planetary Society’s new CEO, and Bill Nye, outgoing CEO and newly minted Chief Ambassador, for a live virtual Q&A. Watch the recording of the event to learn more about these new roles, the Society’s evolving mission, and how members will continue to be central to our effectiveness.