ESA’s ‘planetary defence mission’ has startups dreaming of asteroid mining
06 Oct
Science & Technology

ESA’s ‘planetary defence mission’ has startups dreaming of asteroid mining

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NASA Space Technology Europe’s spacetech elite are making their final preparations for a groundbreaking meeting with an asteroid.A spacecraft called Hera — named after the Greek goddess of marriage — will make the rendezvous. The probe is slated for launch on October 7.If all goes well, Hera will then complete a detailed inspection of Dimorphos — a binary asteroid that’s also caught the eye of NASA.Back in 2022, the agency’s DART spacecraft deliberately smashed into Dimorphos. The collision contributed to a test of humanity’s planetary defences.NASA wants to prove that we could divert a giant space rock hurtling towards Earth — and avoid the same fate as...
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Planetary Defense: NASA Radar Captures Two Large Asteroids Zooming Past Earth
10 Jul
Science & Technology

Planetary Defense: NASA Radar Captures Two Large Asteroids Zooming Past Earth

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NASA Space Technology NASA tracked two near-Earth asteroids, capturing important data about their trajectories and physical characteristics using radar technology, which supports ongoing planetary defense efforts. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.comThe Deep Space Network’s Goldstone planetary radar had a busy few days observing asteroids 2024 MK and 2011 UL21 as they safely passed Earth.Researchers at <span aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="NASANASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is the United States government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. Established in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act, NASA has led the U.S. in space exploration efforts, including the Apollo moon-landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the Space Shuttle program." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{[{" attribute tabindex="0" role="link">NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (<span aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="JPLJPL stands for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a major research and...
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