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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Crescent Earth
Just hours away from its Earth flyby, Rosetta is busily snapping images and gathering other science data.
Hayabusa stumbles on the path back to Earth
JAXA issued a press release (in Japanese) on November 9 stating that one of Hayabusa's ion thrusters, thruster D, had stopped operating. Hayabusa launched with four ion thrusters, but D was one of only two that are still functioning. So the failure of thruster D is a serious problem.
Rosetta is homing in on Earth
Heads up! ESA's Rosetta spacecraft is approaching for its last flyby of Earth, on Friday, November 13.
Dawn Journal: Taking Up Residence in the Asteroid Belt
Dawn has devoted another month to thrusting with its ion propulsion system, ever with its sights set on its rendezvous with Vesta in July 2011.
Here comes Rosetta!
Heads up! ESA's Rosetta comet-chasing mission is going to buzz by Earth again in less than a month.
Dawn Journal: Good Performance Means a Longer Stay at Vesta!
Dawn is celebrating the second anniversary of leaving its home planet by engaging in the same function it has performed most of its time in space: with the utmost patience, it is using its ion propulsion system to gradually modify its orbit around the Sun.
The "Water on the Moon" Hoopla, Part 1: There's water on the Moon!
For a couple of weeks now, I've been hearing rumors about an upcoming announcement concerning Chandrayaan-1 Moon Mineralogy Mapper (
The "Water on the Moon" Hoopla, Part 2: The murkier part of the story
How much water is there on the Moon, and is it in a form that human explorers could use? This part of the story has many more questions and many fewer definite conclusions.
Dawn Journal: Earth Catches Up
As Dawn continues its long solar system journey to match orbits with Vesta and later with Ceres, some readers may note a surprising trend in the statistics for the mission.
Dawn Journal: Quiet Cruise
Today Dawn is 220 million kilometers (137 million miles) from the star at the solar system's center.
Dawn Journal: Testing Flight Software 8.0
Dawn's mission continues to go very well, as the spacecraft nears the end of the longest coasting period of its astronomical journey.
Exciting Times Ahead: 2010 Will Sizzle, and 2011 Will Really Cook!
Today, I'm kicking the week off with a look at the unusually intense confluence of far flung planetary exploration that's just around the corner, starting the middle of next year.
Dawn Journal: Upgrades!
The upgraded Dawn spacecraft is now traveling in a new direction in its orbit around the Sun.
Dawn Journal: Safe Without Safe Mode
Perhaps what is most noteworthy and satisfying since the last log is not what Dawn did, but rather what it did not do.
Dawn Journal: Safely Past Mars
Dawn swooped close to Mars and then left it behind on a new course, having taken advantage of Mars's gravity.
Looks like the Dawn flyby of Mars went well
Looks like the Dawn flyby of Mars went well: here' a photo of Mars taken by Dawn near its closest approach to Mars during its February 17 flyby.
Dawn Journal: Mars Encounter
Dawn continues to close in on Mars, ready for the gravitational slingshot that will help it on its expedition to the asteroid belt and its quest to gain insights into the evolution of the solar system.
There's more to the Hayabusa story
After posting my brief
Hooray for Hayabusa!
According to JAXA (the Japanese space agency), poor little Hayabusa has successfully restarted its ion engine and has resumed powered flight today. Hooray! This is good news for Hayabusa's eventual return to Earth.
Dawn Journal: Just Missing the Bull's Eye at Mars
Dawn continues on course for its pas de deux with Mars on February 17. The planet's gravity will gracefully assist the spacecraft on its way to rendezvous with its intended celestial partners Vesta and Ceres in the more distant asteroid belt.