Asteroids
“Pulverize It”: The plan to slice and dice space rocks
To prevent asteroid impacts, UCSB physicists suggest we slice up the space rocks using arrays of “penetrator rods.”
Nuking an asteroid heading to Earth really could protect us
Blowing up an asteroid heading to Earth with a nuclear bomb could save the planet, according to new planetary defense simulations.
Astronomers discover solar system’s fastest-orbiting asteroid
Astronomers have discovered an asteroid that orbits the sun in just 113 days, making it the fastest-orbiting asteroid in our solar system.
NASA updates the odds on Bennu asteroid hitting Earth
Using data from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, NASA has updated its predictions about the Bennu asteroid impacting Earth.
Psyche asteroid might not be a planetary core after all
The first high-res heat emissions map of the Psyche asteroid suggests the hunk of metal might not be the core of a developing planet.
Is NASA ready for an asteroid impact?
NASA is staging a week-long asteroid impact simulation during which participants will need to respond to a hypothetical impact scenario.
Can Japan’s asteroid samples show us how life began?
JAXA’s Hayabusa2 has successfully returned asteroid samples to Earth. Its next mission? Gather information that could help prevent an asteroid impact.
Bacteria could make space mining 400% more efficient
Using a bioreactor packed with bacteria could make space mining more efficient by speeding up the extraction of elements from rock.
Why NASA just landed a spacecraft on the asteroid Bennu
NASA has collected samples from the asteroid Bennu that could yield insights into everything from the origin of life to avoiding an asteroid impact on Earth.
MIT unveils simulation to help stop an asteroid impact
MIT has developed a simulation to determine the most appropriate way to stop an asteroid impact if one of the space rocks is headed toward the Earth.