The Planetary Society

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/the-planetary-society

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was The Planetary Society built?1980
2. How big is The Planetary Society?Planetary science, space exploration, search for extraterrestrial life, planetary defense
3. What is the founders?Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman
4. What is the current CEO?Bill Nye
5. Who started The Planetary Society?It was started in 1980 by Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman.
6. How does The Planetary Society help space missions?They ask governments to fund missions and have helped keep missions like New Horizons and VERITAS alive.

Non-governmental organization (NGO): An independent entity operating outside of government control, often focused on humanitarian or scientific objectives.
Political Advocacy: The act of supporting or recommending a specific policy or cause through public communication and engagement with decision-makers.
Solar Sailing: A method of spacecraft propulsion that uses the pressure of sunlight reflecting off a large sail to generate thrust.
Planetary Defense: The practice of detecting and mitigating the threat posed by near-Earth objects (NEOs) such as asteroids and comets.