Hayabusa returns from asteroid Itokawa 2010

Hayabusa (not to be confused with Hayabusa 2) returned to Earth after visiting the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa, June 13, 2010.  Launched in 2003, it was the first spacecraft designed to land on an asteroid and then take off again.  

Scientists at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) studied particles taken from Itokawa, most of which were about 10 micrometers in size.  They determined that the grains were extraterrestrial in origin, meaning they resembled meteorites and asteroids, rather than known rocks from Earth. 

OSIRIS-REx returns to Earth with samples from asteroid Bennu

NASA's first asteroid retrieval mission has been successfully completed with the sample return capsule from OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security - Regolith Explorer), which landed in the Utah desert near Salt Lake City yesterday.

The craft returned about 250 g of asteroid material, collected from asteroid Bennu in October 2020.  The capsule and its contents have been secured in a cleanroom facility, awaiting analysis.  Although a small amount, it will provide material for years of research to come.

After releasing its sample capsule, OSIRIS-REx became OSIRIS-APEX (APophis Explorer) and will go on a mission to observe 99942 Apophis, a near-Earth asteroid and potentially dangerous object in April 2029, when the asteroid makes a very close pass to Earth on the 13th.

What happened to NASA's tractor beam?

Eight years ago, I posted a link about NASA entering into a partnership with Arx Pax, inventor of hover engine technology, to develop a tractor beam, which have been a part of science fiction for decades.  It seemed as if it was to become reality.  I wanted to see how far they have come along, but the original link I posted to Arx Pax's website does not work any more. A search of NASA's website yields no results for 'Arx Pax'. 

NASA is now starting a program Planetary Defense Strategy and Action Plan, to deal with the threat of near Earth objects (NEO).  The program includes tasks for identifying NEOs and determining which ones might pose a danger to Earth.  Its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) last year demonstrated that NASA can alter the trajectory of an asteroid.  They plan to develop 'gravity tractors' but I haven't been able to find any research on this.

I did find an article on-line about a group at University of Colorado at Boulder that is working on a tractor beam in an effort to clean up space debris.  There is a lot of space junk in orbit up there and collisions create more junk.  They are basing their research on the Coulombe force, where objects of opposite charges attract each other, and objects with the same charge repel each other.  

Read more about their research below:

https://www.universetoday.com/161783/researchers-are-working-on-a-tractor-beam-system-for-space/

OSIRIS-REx, spacecraft to asteroid Bennu, launched 2016

One of the first of its kind, OSIRIS-REx, Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is a NASA spacecraft sent to study the asteroid Bennu and return a sample to Earth.

It was launched September 8, 2016 and landed on Bennu in October 2020. It lifted off from the asteroid's surface in early April 2021 and in May, began its journey back to Earth.  It is expected the storage container of samples of Bennu will touchdown September 23 of this year. 

Hayabusa 2 capsule returns to Earth 2020

The surface of Ryugu

Hayabusa 2, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) probe launched in 2014, returned to Earth with samples from near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 5, 2020.  After its sampling mission was completed in November 2019, Hayabusa 2 fired its ion engines and returned to Earth.

It released the sample capsule on December 5, 2020 and the capsule landed at the Woomera Test Range in Australia.  JAXA has shared a portion of the samples with NASA and NASA will share samples from asteroid Bennu, when OSIRIS-REx returns in 2023.

Hayabusa lands on the asteroid Itokawa

Hayabusa, the Japanese spacecraft launched in May 2003, landed on the asteroid Itokawa November 19, 2005.  It had arrived at the asteroid just two months before.  Just as it landed, Hayabusa fired tiny projectiles at the surface and collected the spray.  Small specks were collected to be sent back to Earth for analysis. 

Hayabusa returned to Earth June 13, 2010 in Australia.  

Remembering Astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg (1932-2022)

Our heroes seem to be dropping all around us.  First Angela Lansbury, then Apollo astronaut James McDivitt, and now, first Dutch-born astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg passed away October 16 at the age of 90. He was born March 24, 1932 in the Netherlands, but was a naturalized American citizen when he went into space and no longer a Dutch citizen.

He went into space aboard Challenger (STS-51-B) in April-May 1985 as a payload specialist.  He was responsible for the Vapor Crystal Growth System experiment.  After returning to Earth, he continued work on crystal growth, even when he was 72.

An asteroid was named after him and is known as 11430 Lodewijkberg.  He passed away in Florida, but no cause of death has been cited.

Lucy (spacecraft) launched 2021

Lucy

Lucy mission patch

Lucy, a spacecraft launched October 16, 2021, will eventually pass by and photograph eight asteroids.  Today and in two years time, it will swing by Earth and pick up speed to help it reach asteroid Donaldjohanson, named after the scientist who discovered the Lucy hominin fossils in Ethiopia, in 2025.

In 2027, Lucy will arrive in the L4 Trojan cloud, a cluster of asteroids that orbit ahead of Jupiter in the same path.  Lucy will visit four Trojans, Eurybates and its moon Queta, Polymele, Leucus, and Orus.

Lucy will return to Earth in 2031 for another gravity boost and in 2023, will visit Patroclus and its satellite Menoetius in the L5 Trojan cloud, which follows Jupiter. After that, NASA will decide whether or not to extend Lucy's mission.

NASA confirms DART Mission Successful!

A little over two weeks ago, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impacted Dimorphos, a small asteroid moon of the larger asteroid Didymos, in an attempt to deflect its orbit.  Yesterday, NASA confirmed that the impact changed Dimorphos's orbit from 11 h 55 min to 11 h 23 min, a total of 32 minutes.  The director of NASA said the result of the impact slowed Dimorphos's orbit, but NASA press release states that its orbit has been shortened, i.e. faster.

This confirms that NASA has the ability to change the course of an asteroid should one threaten Earth in the future.  act 

MASCOT Rover deployed from Hayabusa 2 onto Ryugu 2018

The massively successful Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hayabusa 2 deployed one of its four rovers, Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) onto the surface of asteroid Ryugu, October 3, 2018.  The German Aerospace Center (DLR) developed MASCOT in cooperation with National Centre for Space Studies in France.  It weights only about 21 lbs and is about 11.6"x10.8"x7.7".  It ran for about 16 hours on a non-rechargeable battery and completed its mission successfully.  

Three papers have been published discussing the results from MASCOT in Nature Astronomy, Science, and Journal of Geophysical Research.

NASA's DART's Impacts with asteroid Dimorphos

Yesterday evening, September 26, 2022, NASA successfully crashed its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) with Dimorphos, a moon of the minor-planet asteroid Didymos. The test is designed to determine if a spacecraft can deflect an asteroid via a transfer of momentum, as part of a planetary defense against near-Earth objects.  Dimorphos was chosen since it does not pose a threat to Earth. 

The project began as a collaboration between NASA and ESA, named Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) involving two separate spacecraft.  The ESA spacecraft AIM was to have launched in December 2020 but the project was cancelled.  It has been replaced by Hera to study the results of DART's impact on Dimorphos. Hera is expected to arrive in the Didymos system in 2026.

Dimorphos has a diameter of about 560 feet and was discovered in 2003.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Ellison Onizuka, first Asian-American astronaut

Ellison Onizuka, born June 24, 1946 in Kealakekua, Hawaii (which was not even part of the US then), is the first Asian-American in space and the first person of Japanese origin to reach space.  He went into space twice, first on Discovery (STS-51-C) in January 1985 and then Challenger (STS-51-L) in January 1986.  He perished when Challenger blew up shortly after launch.

Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale, California is dedicated to him.  He has an asteroid and a crater on the moon named after him.  The airport in Kona, Hawaii has been renamed Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, and he even has a shuttlecraft, which has appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, named after him. 

Happy birthday, Chinese astronaut Fei Julong!

Fei Julong, born May 5, 1965 in China, went into space aboard Shenzhou 6, the second manned spaceflight of the Chinese National Space Administration.  He spent over four days in space.  

An asteroid, 9512 Feijulong, is named after him.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Santiago Ramón y Cajal, first person of Spanish origin to win a scientific Nobel Prize

Santiago Ramon y Cajal, born May 1, 1852 in Navarre, Spain, is the first person of Spanish origin to win a scientific Nobel Prize.  His work with Italian scientist Camillo Golgi on the structure of the nervous system was recognized in 1906 when they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

He won many awards, prizes and distinctions throughout his career.  He passed away in October 1934.  

An asteroid 117413 Ramonycajal has been named in his honor.

Hayabusa, spacecraft to Itokawa, launched 2003

Hayabusa, launched May 9, 2003, was a spacecraft developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency to the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa.  It arrived at Itokawa in September 2005.  It studied the asteroid for two months, landing in November.    It collected a few grains from the asteroid's surface and returned to Earth in June 2010.

NEAR-Shoemaker, spacecraft to Eros, launched 1996

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezous-Shoemaker (NEAR Shoemaker), launched February 17, 1996, is the first spacecraft to touchdown on an asteroid. On its way to the near-Earth object Eros, the spacecraft passed by Mathilde, an asteroid approximately 50 km in diameter, and took pictures of nearly 60% of its surface.

Orbital insertion above Eros occurred in February 2000, after a near-catastrophic event back in December 1998, during which the spacecraft was nearly lost. Starting January 2001, the spacecraft began a series of close passes to the surface and then made a slow, controlled descent to the surface, landing on February 12, 2001 near the saddle-shaped feature Himeros. 

NASA scientists were amazed to discover NEAR Shoemaker had survived the landing and was operational.  The craft continued to send signals until February 28, when it was shut down.  A final attempt to contact the probe on December 10, 2002 was unsuccessful.

Leonid Kadenyuk, first Ukranian astronaut, born 1951

Leonid Kadenyuk, born January 28, 1951, is the first astronaut from Ukraine.  He was selected for the Soviet space program to be a test pilot for the Soviet Buran program, but that didn't last.

He flew on Columbia (STS-87) as a payload specialist in November-December 1997. He did not return to space.

Asteroid 399673 Kadenyuk was named in his honor in 2004

He passed away in January 2018. .

Hayabusa 2, spacecraft to asteroid Ryugu, launched 2014

Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency launched the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft to the near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 3, 2014.  It rendezvoused with the asteroid in June 2018 and ejected two rovers to the surface in September 2018. It departed Ryugu in November 2019 and expected to return to Earth with samples in late 2020.

Deep Space 1 encounters Comet 19P/Borrelly 2001

Deep Space 1, a NASA probe launched October 1998, made a close encounter of Comet 19P/Borrelly September 22, 2001.  The spacecraft's main purpose was a flyby of asteroid 9969 Braille, which it completed in July 1999.

The original mission was to visit comet 76P/West-Kohoutek-Ikemura and asteroid 3352 McAuliffe, but its launch was delayed so its targets were changed to Braille and comet 107P/Wilson-Harrington.  Due to a malfunction with Deep Space 1's star tracker, the encounter with Wilson-Harrington was  cancelled and set to rendezvous with Comet Borrelly.

The comet was discovered by Alphonse Borrelly in December 1904 from Marseilles, France during a routine search for comets.  Deep Space 1 discovered its nucleus to be shaped like a bowling pin.

Celebrating Black History Month: Jesse Owens, African-American athlete extraordinaire

Jesse Owens, born September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama, is recognized as one of the greatest track and field athletes in history.  He set three world records in the span of forty five minutes during the Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1935.

He won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany: 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and 4 x 100 meter relay.  His achievements made him the most successful athlete at the games. 

The street outside the Olympic Stadium in Berlin has been named Jesse Owens Boulevard and the dormitory where he stayed during the games has been restored into a living museum with pictures of his accomplishments.

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford, the Living Legend Award by President Jimmy Carter, has an asteroid named after him (6758 Jesseowens), and inducted into the inaugural class of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

Owens died in March 1980 from an agressive, drug-resistant type of lung cancer.