Asteroid & Comet Missions

Comet MAPS faces a make-or-break moment as it dives toward the sun on April 4 — could it shine in the daytime sky?

By Joe Rao published 31 March 26

Comet MAPS is about to face its ultimate test as it sweeps just 101,000 miles above the sun's surface.

NASA's DART planetary defense mission reveals asteroids hurling 'cosmic snowballs' at each other

By Sharmila Kuthunur published 11 March 26

New images from NASA's DART asteroid-smashing mission show space rocks exchanging material in a slow process that reshapes their surfaces over millions of years.

NASA's asteroid-smashing DART spacecraft hit so hard, it changed its target space rocks' orbit around the sun

By Keith Cooper published 10 March 26

The mission without a doubt proves that we could deflect a hazardous asteroid away from Earth — so long as we discover it in the nick of time.

NASA's Psyche asteroid probe beams home haunting view of distant Earth (photo)

By Andrew Jones published 25 August 25

NASA's Psyche spacecraft, which is headed toward a big and bizarre metal asteroid, has delivered a stunning perspective of our home planet from deep space.

Europe wants to land a tiny spacecraft on the infamous asteroid Apophis in 2029

By Andrew Jones published 30 May 25

ESA is preparing a mission to study and land on asteroid Apophis during its close encounter with Earth in 2029. NASA is also looking into a possible Apophis effort but faces funding issues.

Psyche spacecraft's sci-fi thrusters suffer glitch on way to metal-rich asteroid

By Monisha Ravisetti published 1 May 25

There's an issue with the fuel line that feeds the Psyche asteroid probe's thrusters with xenon gas. But we needn't worry yet, NASA says.

Meteorites and asteroids tracked back to their place of origin in the solar system

By Victoria Corless published 24 March 25

Astronomers have tracked several meteorites that dropped in on Earth back to their origin, space rocks in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

NASA's asteroid-hopping Lucy probe takes 1st images of its next target: Donaldjohanson

By Keith Cooper published 26 February 25

The Lucy mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids is currently cruising through the Asteroid Belt, and will fly close to asteroid Donaldjohanson in April.

Behold! These gorgeous never-before-seen space images are from a NASA space telescope that should have died long ago

By Conor Feehly published 4 December 24

NEOWISE team members have unveiled six images from the spacecraft's archives to celebrate the late space telescope's long and productive scientific life.

Earth's 'second moon' is just visiting its cosmic parents for Thanksgiving

By Robert Lea published 22 November 24

The asteroid 2024 PT5 will leave Earth on Nov. 25 after visiting, but new analysis shows this temporary "second moon" may come from our original moon and, thus, from Earth itself.