Vote Now! Best Space Stories of the Week - March 18, 2012

Space Guitar Heroes, Martian Clay, and a 'Swan' Diving Comet

Analytical Graphics, Inc. (www.agi.com)

From Martian clay, a space guitar hero to a 'Swan' diving comet, it's been a busy week in space. Vote now for the week's best space story.

FIRST STOP: How a Nuclear Bomb Could Save Earth From an Asteroid

How a Nuclear Bomb Could Save Earth From an Asteroid

ESA

A well-placed nuclear explosion could save humanity from a big asteroid hurtling toward Earth, just like in the movies, a new study suggests. [Full Story]

NEXT: Hefty Asteroid 2011 AG5's Threat to Earth Should Be Studied More, Scientists Say

Hefty Asteroid 2011 AG5's Threat to Earth Should Be Studied More, Scientists Say

ESA - P.Carril

An asteroid that may have Earth’s name on it is deserving of increased scrutiny, experts warn. [Full Story]

NEXT: Mars Clays Could Preserve Signs of Life

Mars Clays Could Preserve Signs of Life

Goudge, T.A., Head, J.W., Mustard, J.F. and Fassett, C.I./MOLA/NASA

A look at the minerals contained in ancient Martian lakes reveal that some could have preserved life. [Full Story]

NEXT: Norwegian Family Finds Meteorite Crashed Through Their Roof

Norwegian Family Finds Meteorite Crashed Through Their Roof

The Open University

A Norwegian family arrived at their cabin in Oslo recently to discover that a meteorite had apparently fallen through their roof, according to media reports. [Full Story]

NEXT: Comet Takes 'Swan' Dive Into Sun

Comet Takes 'Swan' Dive Into Sun

NASA/SOHO

The newly discovered comet Swan is set to plunge into the sun, perhaps as early as this evening.[Full Story]

NEXT: Search for Dangerous Asteroids Gets NASA Funding Boost

Search for Dangerous Asteroids Gets NASA Funding Boost

ESA - P.Carril

NASA is awarding $4.1 million to the Catalina Sky Survey to upgrade its search capabilities for near-Earth objects - asteroids that might cross the Earth's path someday. [Full Story]

NEXT: Russia Aims for Manned Moon Landing by 2030

Russia Aims for Manned Moon Landing by 2030

Maxim Senin

Russia plans to land cosmonauts on the moon and send robotic spacecraft to Venus, Mars and Jupiter by 2030, according to news reports. [Full Story]

NEXT: Private Space Pioneer Elon Musk Counters Neil Armstrong, Critics on '60 Minutes'

Private Space Pioneer Elon Musk Counters Neil Armstrong, Critics on '60 Minutes'

SpaceX

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responds to high profile critics of commercial spaceflight and discusses his plans to be the first entrepreneur to launch a man into orbit in an interview with 60 Minutes that will air Sunday (March 18). [Full Story]

NEXT: Dead Russian Satellite to Fall From Space on Purpose Next Week

Dead Russian Satellite to Fall From Space on Purpose Next Week

EADS Astrium

The Russian government will guide the large Express–AM4 telecommunications satellite, which was launched into a useless orbit in August, into a controlled atmospheric descent starting March 20 so that any surviving pieces will land in the Pacific Ocean, a senior official from Russia’s state-owned satellite telecommunications operator said March 15. [Full Story]

NEXT: Space Guitar Hero: Astronaut to Record Cosmic Music in Orbit

Space Guitar Hero: Astronaut to Record Cosmic Music in Orbit

Larrivée Guitars

Canadian astronaut and future space station commander Chris Hadfield has a full load of tasks to tend to when he gets to orbit in December, but he's also planning to fit in some time with one of his passions: the guitar. A Larrivée Parlor acoustic guitar, to be exact, which Hadfield hopes to use to record space music in orbit. [Full Story]

NEXT: North Korea's Rockets and Space Program Shrouded in Uncertainty

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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.