Asteroids worth getting psyched about

Material from asteroid Ryugu may contain an RNA building block. Analysis of a small sample of the asteroid Ryugu (pictured) returned to Earth by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission in 2020 has found signs of uracil, one of the four building blocks of RNA, as well as complex organic molecules that are essential for life as we know it. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is on its way back from another asteroid with even more material, which will add to our understanding of the role asteroids may have played in the origins of life on Earth. Image credit: JAXA.

JWST has studied the atmosphere of a planet 40 light-years from Earth. The space telescope examined VHS 1256 b, a planet that orbits two stars at a distance about four times farther out than Pluto orbits our Sun. JWST found silicate dust grains in the atmosphere, as well as water, methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, the largest number of molecules ever identified all at once on a planet outside our Solar System.

A new study has mapped water near the lunar south pole. Data from the now-retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) mission allowed researchers to create a detailed map of water around the Moon's south pole. Most of it can be found as ice in the shadows of craters, where temperatures are even colder than the average lunar nightside lows.

The Artemis II rocket is coming together. Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have fully integrated the major structures of the Space Launch System rocket’s core stage for Artemis II. Scheduled for November 2024, the mission will send four astronauts around the Moon as a precursor for the next Moon landings. Next, teams will integrate the four RS-25 engines to the engine section to complete the stage.

The U.S. Department of Education wants to hear students’ ideas for advancing space science and exploration. The Your Place in Space challenge engages high school student teams from the United States to come up with innovative ideas to address challenges like orbital debris, maximize the growing space economy, apply space data to environmental efforts, and much more.

Are you psyched for Psyche? We are. NASA’s Psyche mission to explore the metallic asteroid of the same name is set to launch later this year. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the principal investigator for Psyche, joins this week’s Planetary Radio to fill listeners in on the latest from the mission, and on what she’s looking forward to discovering when the spacecraft reaches its heavy metal target. Pictured: An artist’s impression of the asteroid Psyche. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU.

When looking for alien life, there’s a lot we can learn from life on Earth. From terrestrial analogues for alien worlds to microorganisms that live on the fringes of what would be considered habitable, what happens on Earth can inform what we look for in our quest to find life beyond our planet.

NASA’s budget is facing some challenges, and you can help. The Planetary Society’s analysis of the 2024 NASA budget celebrates several wins for planetary science and exploration, but also highlights a few areas where public support is needed. If you live in the United States, you can sign two petitions right now: to encourage Congress to fund NASA adequately, and to support NASA's VERITAS mission to Venus. Wherever you live, you can also help us fight for exploration by supporting our space policy and advocacy program.

Learn about NASA, JWST, and SETI from the experts. Last week, The Planetary Society held two virtual events in our new online member community. Members got to hear firsthand from experts about NASA’s newest budget request, the science that JWST has conducted since it began operations, and a new project to train artificial intelligence to comb radio astronomy data for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. If you’re a member, log in today to find recordings of these events. Not a member? Now’s the time to join.