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Marsquakes may help reveal whether liquid water exists underground on red planet – September 2024

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Penn State astrophysicist to lead $5.8 million NASA CubeSat mission – August 2024

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NASA selects Penn State engineering team to develop technology for spacecraft – August 2024

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Discovery of planet too big for its sun throws off solar system formation models – November 2023

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Window to the past: New microfossils suggest earlier rise in complex life – November 2023

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Q&A: What is the space between Earth and the moon and why does it matter? – November 2023

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Many planets beyond our solar system follow nearly circular orbital paths – November 2023

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Strange New Worlds: Penn State a Key Player in a new NASA ICAR – September 2023

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Penn State faculty join NASA mission to study samples from asteroid Bennu – December 2022

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Penn State alumni make mark on NASA Mars missions – November 2022

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Ancient life may be just one possible explanation for Mars rover’s latest discovery – January 2022

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‘Unusual’ carbon found on Mars could have come from past life on red planet, Nasa study suggests – January 2022

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Mars rover detects carbon signature that hints at past life source – January 2022

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NASA’s Curiosity Rover Measures Intriguing Carbon Signature on Mars – January 2022

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Newly discovered carbon may yield clues to ancient Mars – January 2022

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Penn State alum makes tracks on Mars as Perseverance rover springs to life – March 2021

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To boldly go: Penn State launches planetary science consortium – October 2020

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Lasting work: Penn State engineers help NASA go to Titan for mission ‘Dragonfly’ – September 2019

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The Obelisk: Monument to the building stones of Pa. stands the test of time – June 2015

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Founded in 2020, Penn State planetary is an initiative of the Center for Planetary and Exoplanetary Science and Technology aimed to bring together the Penn State Community in exploration of space. Through its centers, Penn State planetary promotes interdisciplinary research in the exciting and rapidly developing fields of Planetary Science, Exoplanetary Science, and Space Technology. Within Penn State planetary, there are six centers: the Astrobiology Research Center, the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, the Center for Space Research Programs, the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, the Planetary System Science Center, and the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center. While the Center for Planetary and Exoplanetary Science and Technology is an intercollege project involving the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, College of Engineering, and the Eberly College of Sciences, all are welcome.

PSETI

PSETI

Hosted by the Eberly College of Science Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center (PSETI) focuses on the search for technosignatures, and is dedicated to advancing the search for extraterrestrial, technological life in the universe.

ARC

ARC

The Astrobiology Research Center (ARC) supports and engages astrobiologists across Penn State University and works to expand the involvement of Penn State faculty and students in astrobiology research.

CEHW

CEHW

The Center for Exoplanets & Habitable Worlds (CEHW) seeks to discover planets beyond our solar system, to characterize planetary systems and their host stars, and to understand the implications of the abundance of potentially habitable planets for the possibility of life beyond Earth and the origins of our own solar system.

PSSC

PSSC

The Planetary System Science Center (PSSC) seeks to enable the Penn State community to explore the solar system and expand the involvement of the Penn State community in Planetary Science missions and research.

Gannon pi106 Solar Eclipse -- Image header for PSGC center

PSGC

Being 1 of 52 members of “NASA Space Grant,” The Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium (PSGC), supported by NASA, seeks to expand opportunities for Pennsylvanians to learn about and participate in NASA’s aeronautics and space programs by supporting STEM education, research, and outreach programs.

CSRP

CSRP

The Center for Space Research Programs (CSRP) is a Penn State mission-oriented science and technology center catalyzing the conceptualization, formulation, and implementation of advanced space missions.

Christopher House
CPEST co-director

Christopher H. House
Email: chh10@psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-8802

Suvrath Mahadevan (Photo)
CPEST co-director

Suvrath Mahadevan
Email: sqm107@psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-0261

*Here we use “planetary” with a lowercase “p” to denote all non-stellar celestial bodies both within and outside our solar system. “Planetary” with a capital “P” is sometimes used to specifically relate to the eight major planetary bodies orbiting our Sun.