Planetary Society, Focused on Space, Set To Open Earthly Headquarters in Pasadena Next Month

The Pasadena-based Planetary Society is on a roll.

Quick on the heels of  its first successful spacecraft launch, the Society is confirming that construction of its new headquarters in a former bank building on a prominent Pasadena street corner is nearing completion and should open next month.

The Society’s Earthly headquarters will be on the northeast corner of the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Green Street. There, staff will continue the Society’s mission of encouraging ordinary citizen-scientists to share in the excitement of space exploration and the search for extra-terrestrial life.

To expand its reach, the Society is building its own advanced media center. The studios for its Planetary Radio and Planetary TV stations will be built (of all places) in the former bank’s vault.

Jennifer Vaughn, the Society’s Chief Operating Officer, said the radio and TV studios will be tucked in a corner where it’s much quieter than the rest of the building.

Nearby, space will be allocated for producers to plan and edit and store equipment. An open office space not far from the lobby will house the Society’s membership, development and communication teams.

Vaughn says the central office will be dedicated to the ways they connect with the Society’s members and supporters. A large project room will be constructed for volunteer meetings and educational projects, and over the next few months, exhibit areas will be added to the lobby itself. A conference room with easy-to-access video conferencing equipment will enable headquarters people to work more effectively with Society members that are located in different countries.

Vaughn hints this will now be a more permanent location for the Society’s operation.

“Since our founding 35 years ago, we’ve been behaving like a hermit crab, making all kinds of office environments work. We’ve enjoyed the charming house and gorgeous neighborhood we’ve been in for the last five years. Still, we are all looking forward to our new home designed for The Planetary Society,” she said.

The Society’s headquarters presently occupies a building on 85 S. Grand Avenue. Construction on the new building on Los Robles is expected to be finished by July, and staff may start moving into it before a formal opening planned close to the Society’s 35th anniversary on October 24th.

“Our headquarters building is primarily a working office space, but it often shows up in many of our videos and we still want it to be a good place to visit,” says Vaughn. “If you find yourself in or near Pasadena, consider stopping by to say hello.”

For more information about the Society, visit planetary.org