Asteroid & Comet Missions

China announces plan to build early-warning system for dangerous asteroids

By Andrew Jones Published 9 July 26

The country's plans include spacecraft designed to detect asteroids coming from the direction of the sun, which has long been a space-rock blind spot.

China releases 1st photo of Earth's elusive 'quasi-moon' Kamo'oalewa

By Brett Tingley Published 7 July 26

China's Tianwen-2 probe beamed home a photo of its target, asteroid 2016HO3, also known as quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa.

Chinese scientists find the best way to nuke an asteroid on its way to impact Earth

By Elizabeth Howell Published 7 July 26

While no imminent asteroid threats have been found for Earth, Chinese scientists discussed two ways to deflect a space rock in case of trouble.

Japan's Hayabusa2 probe captures remarkable photo of a two-headed asteroid 62 million miles away

By Brett Tingley Published 6 July 26

Japan's Hayabusa2 asteroid probe got up close to asteroid Torifune on July 5 and captured stunning new images of the double-lobed space rock.

Scientists just solved a tricky asteroid-hopping spacecraft riddle

By Keith Cooper Published 19 May 26

Plotting the optimal trajectory to visit multiple asteroids is a fiendishly difficult take on the Traveling Salesperson problem, but a new mathematical approach has succeeded in solving it.

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is flying to a metal asteroid. So, why did it just visit Mars?

By Sharmila Kuthunur Published 16 May 26

NASA's Psyche flyby of Mars highlights how gravity assists help spacecraft gain speed, conserve fuel and travel across the solar system.

NASA's Psyche asteroid probe will fly within 3,000 miles of Mars today: Here's what to expect

By Robert Lea Last updated 15 May 26

NASA's asteroid-bound spacecraft Psyche is headed for an encounter with Mars on Friday (May 15) to get a boost from the Red Planet.

'This is going to be what makes the Earth secure.' How one California company plans to protect us from dangerous asteroids

By Leonard David Published 30 April 26

Exploration Labs has proposed the first commercial deep space ride share mission, known as Apophis EX, to rendezvous with potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis.

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.