Tag: asteroid
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Japanese mini-rovers send back their first images as they hop around an asteroid
An image from the Hayabusa 2 mission’s Rover-1A shows the surface of the asteroid Ryugu at left. The bright white region is due to sunlight. The image, captured at about 11:44 a.m. JST Sept. 22 (7:44 p.m. PT Sept. 21), is blurry because it was taken while the mini-rover was in the middle of a hop…
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Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe drops off rovers at an asteroid and snaps a shadowy selfie
Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe takes a picture of the asteroid Ryugu from a distance of about 135 meters (440 feet) with its own shadow seen on the surface. (JAXA Photo) Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe began the climactic phase of its mission overnight by sending out its first two rovers as it hovered less than 200…
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Amid departures, Planetary Resources is holding out hope for an asteroid mining comeback
An artist’s conception shows the Arkyd-301 spacecraft, which was destined to start blazing a trail for asteroid prospecting in 2020. (Planetary Resources Illustration) It’s been months since Planetary Resources had to scale back its asteroid aspirations because a fundraising campaign came up short — and the quest for cash is continuing as space industry leaders converge…
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Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe closes in on asteroid Ryugu – and captures close-ups
A series of pictures from Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe shows views of the asteroid Ryugu during the spacecraft’s approach. The closest views were captured from a distance of about 100 kilometers (62 miles), and reveal craters and boulders on the asteroid’s turning surface. (JAXA Photos) Look! Up in the sky! It’s a dumpling … It’s…
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White House lays out updated plan for detecting (and deflecting) killer asteroids
NASA is planning missions to study how to divert a threatening asteroid, including an experiment known as DART, or Double Asteroid Redirection Test. (NASA Illustration) The White House has issued an updated plan that lays out the roles played by NASA and other federal agencies in anticipating threats from near-Earth objects — and makes clear…
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Asteroid Institute adds Google Cloud and AGI as tech partners for asteroid tracking
The Asteroid Detection Analysis and Mapping software, or ADAM, can plot the courses of multiple asteroids and other celestial bodies, as shown in this visualization. (B612 Asteroid Institute via YouTube) Google Cloud and AGI (a.k.a. Analytical Graphics Inc.) have gotten on board with the B612 Asteroid Institute to develop a cloud-based platform for keeping track…
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Planetary Resources asteroid venture misses fundraising target, forcing cutbacks
Artwork shows Planetary Resources’ Arkyd-6 spacecraft in orbit. (Planetary Resources Illustration) Planetary Resources, a Redmond, Wash.-based venture that aims to make a fortune mining asteroids, is facing a more down-to-earth challenge: a fundraising shortfall. Just last month, the company had its Arkyd-6 prototype space telescope launched into orbit by an Indian PSLV rocket, and that spacecraft…
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Asteroid miners might need a few good applied astronomers to show them the way
An artist’s conception shows a long-range view of mining robots working on an asteroid. (Planetary Resources Illustration) AUSTIN, Texas — Mining asteroids for water and other resources could someday become a trillion-dollar business, but not without astronomers to point the way. At least that’s the view of Martin Elvis, a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for…
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Planetary Resources’ Arkyd-6 prototype imaging satellite has left the building
Workers prepare Planetary Resources’ Arkyd-6 technology demonstrator satellite for shipment at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash. (Planetary Resources via YouTube) Planetary Resources has been working on its Arkyd-6 imaging satellite for years, and today the company reported that the printer-sized spacecraft has finally begun its journey to an Indian launch pad. Arkyd-6 is considered…
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Why asteroids loom as a future space frontier for mining and manufacturing
In this artist’s conception, a mining spacecraft makes a rendezvous with an asteroid. (SpaceResources.lu) It’s been 55 years since satellite communications became the first commercial space frontier, and space tourism is looming as the next frontier. But what comes after that? Would you believe in-space mining and manufacturing? Those are the opportunities that came to…