planetary defense
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The Asteroid Dimorphos Looks Totally Different After NASA’s DART Mission Walloped It
In September 2022, a NASA spacecraft smashed into a tiny asteroid to nudge it off its orbital course. The mission was a success in testing an asteroid deflection method that may come in handy one day, but rather than leaving behind an impact crater, the orbital collision changed the shape of the target asteroid altogether,…
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NASA Finally Cracks Open Asteroid Sample Container
The space agency has been struggling with two pesky fasteners that, for months, stood in the way of the precious Bennu sample.
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It’s Been 2 Months. Why Can’t NASA Open the Asteroid Sample Container?
The space agency is having to develop new tools to crack open the canister containing bits from asteroid Bennu.
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Pieces of Asteroid Bennu Land at the Smithsonian After 200 Million Mile Voyage
After travelling through space for 200 million miles, rocky pieces from asteroid Bennu were dropped off on Earth by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in late September. Now, some of those fragments will be put on display for museum-goers to observe firsthand. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will unveil the first public display of the…