Hidden crater on asteroid Lutetia could explain its unusual surface grooves

(Lutetia in 3D – Photo Credit: ESA)

Grooves found on Lutetia, an asteroid encountered by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft on its journey to Comet 67P, indicate that a large impact crater is hiding on its dark side: a side of the asteroid not yet photographed or analysed. 

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft now operating normally following anomalies

(Artist’s concept of Dawn on its way to Dwarf Planet Ceres – Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/McREL)

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has resumed normal operations after its ion thrusters unexpectedly stopped and the spacecraft entered safe mode before a planned communication with the Deep Space Network on September 11th.

NASA identifies candidates for its ambitious asteroid capture and redirect mission

(This conceptual image shows NASA’s Orion spacecraft approaching the robotic asteroid capture vehicle – Photo Credit: NASA)

NASA has identified 6 potential candidates for their Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) – a robotic mission that will identify, capture and redirect a near-Earth asteroid into a stable orbit around the moon. The space agency hopes that astronauts will later explore the asteroid and return to Earth with samples, providing NASA with the opportunity to test and advance new technologies that are needed to take humans to Mars in the 2030s.

Meteorite believed to have crashed into Managua, the capital of Nicaragua

(Photo Credit: EL 19 Digital Website, Powered By Newslook)

A significant crater has been found near the international airport in the Nicaraguan capital Managua, and government officials believe it’s the result of a meteorite impact from the 2014 RC asteroid, which passed Earth on Sunday 7th September.

House-sized asteroid will safely pass by Earth on September 7th

(A graphic depicting the passage of asteroid 2014 RC past Earth – Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

A small asteroid, known as 2014 RC, is scheduled to pass very close to Earth on Sunday, September 7th. Although it will pose no risk, the 60-feet (20 meter) wide asteroid will fly over New Zealand during its closest approach.

NASA invites the public to submit messages for an asteroid time capsule

(An artist’s concept of OSIRIS-REx spacecraft preparing to take a sample from asteroid Bennu – Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard)

NASA is inviting the worldwide public to create messages and pictures to be placed inside a time capsule aboard the Osiris-Rex spacecraft, which will collect samples from an asteroid and return to Earth in 2023.

JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft is ready to begin its journey to asteroid 1999 JU3

(The probe being prepared for flight – Photo Credit: JAXA)

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft has finished its pre-flight operations and is now complete and ready to be shipped to its launch site. The interplanetary probe will travel to asteroid “1999 JU3” after lifting off in December on a mission to collect samples from the asteroid and later return them to Earth for analysis. 

Spitzer Space Telescope witnesses aftermath of a massive asteroid impact

(This artist’s concept shows the immediate aftermath of a large asteroid impact around NGC 2547-ID8, a 35-million-year-old sun-like star – Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has spotted an eruption of dust around a young star, believed to be the result of a colossal collision between large asteroids that could, eventually, lead to the formation of planets.

NASA confirms Space Launch System will be ready for 2018 test flight

(Space Launch System will become the most powerful rocket ever built for deep space missions – Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC)

After a thorough review, NASA managers have formally approved the development of the Space Launch System, something no other exploration class vehicle has achieved since the agency built the space shuttle, and have confirmed that the rocket will be ready for its first test flight no later than November 2018. 

Heatshield installed on NASA’s Orion spacecraft

(The heatshield during installation – Photo Credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis)

Engineers and technicians have carefully installed a heatshield onto NASA’s Orion spacecraft in preparation for its first flight in December, when the ablative shield will experience temperatures up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit when it returns to Earth from beyond space.

Images of the Day: 19/8/14

(Photo Credit: Alexander Gerst/ESA)

This is the Barringer Crater, a 50,000 year-old meteor impact crater located in the northern Arizona desert in the United States. It is about 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) in diameter and 70 meters deep (570 feet).

New research reveals early Earth was battered by giant asteroids

(Artistic conception of early Earth after a large impact – Photo Credit: Simone Marchi) 

More than four billion years ago, Earth was pummelled by giant asteroids which heavily reprocessed – melted, mixed, and buried – the surface of our planet.

NASA continue with preparations for Orion’s December test flight

(Orion preparing for water-recovery tests – Photo Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett)

The Orion spacecraft is not quite ready for its Exploration Flight Test-1, however the spacecraft believes it has already flown and completed six missions as NASA continue with extensive flight preparations and simulations.