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38 results for "asteroids"

Scientists Crack Code for Faster Asteroid Missions
InnovationMay 19

Scientists Crack Code for Faster Asteroid Missions

Researchers just solved a 300-year-old math puzzle that could make spacecraft missions 20% more efficient. The breakthrough helps space agencies plan better routes when visiting multiple moving asteroids.

Space.com2 min read
New Rubin Observatory Spots 1,500 Asteroids in First Images
InnovationMay 16

New Rubin Observatory Spots 1,500 Asteroids in First Images

The world's most powerful space survey telescope just started collecting data, and it's already discovering asteroids at a mind-blowing pace. In its very first images, the Rubin Observatory found 1,500 new asteroids, including some spinning faster than scientists thought possible.

Google News - Science3 min read
Scientists Track 34,000 Asteroids to Keep Earth Safe
Planet WinsMay 15

Scientists Track 34,000 Asteroids to Keep Earth Safe

Space agencies have discovered 95% of large asteroids that could threaten Earth, and none are heading our way. New telescopes launching soon will help scientists find and track the smaller ones even faster.

DW News2 min read
Scientist's Accidental Find Could Cut Mars Trip to 5 Months
InnovationMay 5

Scientist's Accidental Find Could Cut Mars Trip to 5 Months

A Brazilian cosmologist studying asteroids stumbled upon a geometric shortcut that could slash Mars mission times from three years to just five months. The discovery transforms old asteroid data into a potential roadmap for faster space travel.

Live Science3 min read
Scientists Chart Space Mining Route to Build Mars Colony
InnovationApr 27

Scientists Chart Space Mining Route to Build Mars Colony

Researchers have mapped out a realistic plan to mine asteroids and deliver metals directly to Mars, turning science fiction into an achievable engineering challenge. The breakthrough shows we could build a self-sustaining colony without shipping everything from Earth.

Google News - Science2 min read
NASA's Roman Telescope Launches Early and Under Budget
InnovationApr 23

NASA's Roman Telescope Launches Early and Under Budget

NASA's newest space telescope is ready to launch eight months ahead of schedule and under budget, a rare feat in space exploration. The Roman Space Telescope will capture massive infrared images of the universe, revolutionizing how we study everything from distant galaxies to nearby asteroids.

Google News - Science3 min read
Space Station Microbes Mine Precious Metals From Asteroids
InnovationApr 17

Space Station Microbes Mine Precious Metals From Asteroids

Scientists aboard the International Space Station successfully used bacteria and fungi to extract platinum and other valuable metals from asteroid samples in microgravity. This breakthrough could help future space explorers build habitats and life support systems without shipping materials from Earth.

New Atlas2 min read
New Telescope Finds 11,000 Asteroids in Just Days
InnovationApr 5

New Telescope Finds 11,000 Asteroids in Just Days

The Rubin Observatory discovered more than 11,000 previously unknown asteroids during early test runs, offering a preview of how it will revolutionize our understanding of the solar system. What used to take years to find now happens in days.

Google News - Science3 min read
New Observatory Finds 11,000 Asteroids in Early Test Run
InnovationApr 5

New Observatory Finds 11,000 Asteroids in Early Test Run

A powerful new telescope has discovered 11,000 previously unknown asteroids in just its first test observations, revealing what scientists say will revolutionize our understanding of the solar system. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory accomplished in days what used to take years, offering a glimpse of discoveries to come.

Space.com3 min read
Scientists Ready to Pulverize Asteroids Using Existing Tech
InnovationApr 1

Scientists Ready to Pulverize Asteroids Using Existing Tech

A team at UC Santa Barbara has designed a system to blast dangerous asteroids into harmless bits using rockets and technology we already have. Unlike asteroid deflection methods, this "Pulverize It" program could work even with short warning times.

Scientific American3 min read
UN Woman Leads Earth's First Real Asteroid Alert System
Community HeroesMar 30

UN Woman Leads Earth's First Real Asteroid Alert System

When a building-sized asteroid set Earth in its crosshairs last year, one British lawyer had to alert every government on the planet. Aarti Holla-Maini successfully activated the UN's planetary defense system for the first time ever.

Google News - Science2 min read
Giant Magnet Could Save Earth From Asteroid Collisions
Planet WinsMar 28

Giant Magnet Could Save Earth From Asteroid Collisions

Scientists have designed a spacecraft using a powerful magnet to safely redirect dangerous asteroids without breaking them apart. This gentler approach could protect Earth while avoiding the risks of traditional methods that smash into space rocks.

New Scientist2 min read
Europe's Hera Probe On Track for Asteroid History in 2026
InnovationMar 25

Europe's Hera Probe On Track for Asteroid History in 2026

A spacecraft just completed a supersonic speed boost in deep space, setting itself up to visit the asteroid that humanity deliberately smashed two years ago. The mission will help turn planetary defense from a one-time experiment into a repeatable safety system.

Space.com3 min read
NASA Films Reveal How Eclipses Unlock Universe's Secrets
InnovationMar 23

NASA Films Reveal How Eclipses Unlock Universe's Secrets

NASA just released seven free films showing how shadows from eclipses and asteroids help scientists make discoveries about our solar system. The videos, available in English and Spanish, turn complex space science into inspiring stories anyone can understand.

NASA2 min read
All 5 DNA Building Blocks Found on Space Rock Ryugu
Planet WinsMar 20

All 5 DNA Building Blocks Found on Space Rock Ryugu

Scientists discovered all five building blocks of DNA on asteroid Ryugu, suggesting the ingredients for life might be common throughout our solar system. The findings support the possibility that life's essential components could have arrived on Earth from space.

Google News - Science3 min read
NASA Finds Asteroid Cracks That Explain Space Mystery
Planet WinsMar 20

NASA Finds Asteroid Cracks That Explain Space Mystery

Scientists peering inside rocks from asteroid Bennu discovered something unexpected: tiny crack networks that solve a puzzle about how asteroids behave in space. The discovery came from samples that traveled 4 billion miles to reach Earth.

Space.com2 min read
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Planet WinsMar 19

China Targets 2027 Launch for Asteroid Defense Mission

China is preparing to launch its first planetary defense mission in December 2027, aiming a spacecraft at asteroid 2016 WP8 to test humanity's ability to protect Earth from space threats. The mission marks another nation joining the effort to keep our planet safe from asteroids.

SpaceNews3 min read
Blue Origin Teams Up With NASA to Defend Earth From Asteroids
InnovationMar 18

Blue Origin Teams Up With NASA to Defend Earth From Asteroids

Blue Origin is partnering with NASA to protect Earth from dangerous asteroids using ion beams and high-speed impacts. The NEO Hunter mission will scan, deflect, and divert space rocks before they can threaten our planet.

Space.com2 min read
NASA Solves Asteroid Bennu's Boulder Mystery
Planet WinsMar 17

NASA Solves Asteroid Bennu's Boulder Mystery

Scientists finally cracked the puzzle of why asteroid Bennu looked so unexpectedly rocky when NASA's spacecraft arrived. The answer hiding inside samples brought back to Earth reveals a fractured world that changes how we understand asteroids.

NASA3 min read
New Observatory Detects 800K Sky Events in One Night
InnovationMar 14

New Observatory Detects 800K Sky Events in One Night

A powerful new telescope just sent out 800,000 alerts in a single night, spotting exploding stars, new asteroids, and cosmic changes as they happen. This marks the beginning of what scientists call a revolutionary way to watch the universe unfold in real time.

Google: scientific discovery2 min read

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