Spacecraft, what do your robot eyes see?

Sometimes we see things from orbit that we can’t explain right away. Until recently, scientists weren’t sure what caused the spider-like formations seen on Mars’ southern hemisphere by spacecraft like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Now, NASA scientists have been able to create similar patterns by recreating processes involving carbon dioxide ice, which occurs naturally on Mars. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona.

There were a record number of people in space last week. A total of 19 people were in Earth orbit between Sept. 11 and 15. This included 12 people on the International Space Station, three Chinese taikonauts on China’s Tiangong-3 space station, and four private astronauts on the Polaris Dawn mission.

NASA is evaluating proposals to keep the VIPER lunar mission alive. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover was abruptly canceled in July despite being fully built. NASA cited budget issues as the reason for the cancellation but is now reviewing proposals from companies and international partners to take over the program.

Earth is going to get a new mini-moon, but only temporarily. Observations of the recently discovered near-Earth asteroid 2024 PT5 suggest that its horseshoe-shaped orbit around the Sun will take it close enough to Earth to be captured by our gravity on Sept. 29, making it a mini-moon. It won’t enter into orbit around Earth, though, and will leave our gravitational pull on Nov. 25.

Earth may once have had a ring. Researchers examining the locations of impact craters from a period of intense bombardment 466 million years ago have found an unexpected clustering of craters in areas that would have been near the equator at the time, prior to the continents shifting to their current locations. The researchers suggest that the impactors may have come from a debris ring that could have formed around Earth following the break-up of an asteroid during a near-miss encounter.

Europa Clipper is going to see the icy moon like never before. The NASA mission, which is due to launch as early as Oct. 10, will arrive at the Jupiter system in 2030 and begin its flybys of Europa, the closest of which will take it as low as 25 kilometers (16 miles) above the surface. Learn more about what to expect from the mission and its upcoming launch. Pictured: One of the closest views we’ve had of Europa’s surface, taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft at a distance of about 412 kilometers (256 miles). Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI.

The future of space exploration is always exciting. NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program is where possible visions for that future are explored. The program funds research and technology development projects that push the boundaries of what might be possible. This week’s Planetary Radio features interviews with project leads at the recent NIAC Symposium. You can also watch a recording of a live event The Planetary Society hosted at the Symposium, covering an array of fascinating ideas.

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