Oct 14 NASA set to launch a robot to explore asteroids near Jupiter By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press A plaque attached to the spacecraft includes lines from songs the Beatles wrote, along with quotes from other luminaries. From a John Lennon single: We all shine on . . . like the moon and the stars and the sun. Continue reading
Nov 27 Japan spacecraft carrying asteroid soil samples nears home By Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press A Japanese spacecraft is nearing Earth after a yearlong journey home from a distant asteroid with soil samples and data that could provide clues to the origins of the solar system. Continue reading
Oct 20 Watch 3:59 News Wrap: CDC strengthens mask guidance for transportation In our news wrap Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a stronger recommendation for passengers and employees to wear face masks on buses, planes and trains. The guidance, more specific than previous statements, comes as infections are… Continue watching
Oct 19 WATCH: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to collect sample from asteroid Bennu By Elizabeth Cantwell, The Conversation OSIRIS-REx will touch down on asteroid Bennu, collect a sample of the dust and begin its journey back to Earth, where scientists will study it, hoping to learn secrets of the solar system's origin. Continue reading
Sep 23 Bus-size asteroid to zoom by Earth, ducking below satellites By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press A newly discovered asteroid is headed our way, but NASA says the space rock will zoom safely past Earth on Thursday. Continue reading
Feb 24 In search of life’s origins, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft lands on an asteroid By Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American The mission to Asteroid Ryugu could return samples of the space rock to Earth in 2020. Continue reading
Dec 03 WATCH: NASA’s Osiris-Rex reaches Bennu, in mission to bring home asteroid dust By Nsikan Akpan Part pioneer and part dirt collector, Osiris-Rex will spend the next year or so looking for a spot to capture pieces of the asteroid before heading back to Earth. Continue reading
Nov 28 Watch 6:49 How this spacecraft will sample an asteroid’s rocks, without even landing on it By Miles O'Brien More than two years after it launched, a spacecraft called OSIRIS-REx is approaching its target, an asteroid named Bennu. Scientists hope that rock samples from Bennu will provide insight into the likelihood of life on other planets, as well as… Continue watching
Jun 27 Hayabusa2, a Japanese spacecraft, arrives at Ryugu asteroid to retrieve minerals By Jeremy Hsu, Scientific American If all goes according to plan, two spacecraft will commence close encounters with two asteroids by the end of August, in order to retrieve organic materials dating back to the solar system’s birth. Continue reading
Dec 18 ‘Oumuamua, the alien asteroid, wears an organic coat. But what’s inside? By Rashmi Shivni In the latest ‘Oumuamua update, a research team deciphers the chemical makeup of the cigar-shaped rock. Continue reading