Apollo Applications Program “asteroid mission” “NASA Halley Mission” [further Shuttle-era cancellations] Piazzi Vesta CRAF (Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby) Clementine (…technically) Clementine II NEAP/NEAF (Near-Earth Asteroid Prospector/Flyby) CONTOUR (Comet Nucleus Tour- yes, I know the case doesn’t work out) SOCCER (initial… Read More »Numquam Obliviscendi
Just last Friday (…happy Friday…): some books from the University of Arizona Press‘ Space Science series are now open access. To an extent, this is great: Asteroids and Asteroids IIThe Galaxy and the Solar SystemMeteorites and the Early Solar SystemResources… Read More »Book Bonus-Gratis
The ASCE’s 19th Earth & Space Conference just happened in Miami, Florida (FIU). The highlights: Broslav, T. Dreyer, C. Sercel, J. Volatile Production Model from Optically Spalled CI/CM Asteroid Sim… 9662 Ellery, A. Trials & Tribulations of Asteroid Mining 8087 Witness… Read More »Earth & Space 2024 Meeting
A new paper in Meteoritics & Planetary Science brings up a key issue: Michalik, T. Maturilli, A. Cloutis, E. A. et al. 05 April 2024 Laboratory VIS-NIR reflectance measurements of heated Vesta regolith… 14156 Water on Vesta. Water on the… Read More »Moat Paper: Vesta’s Water
Icarus, the Solar System Astronomy journal, has some worthy papers as you might expect. First, a holdover from the “March” Icarus issue (vol. 410- not like months are even relevant any more for a virtual “issue”): Kamada, A. Kuroda, T.… Read More »Note, Paper: Icarus and the water
Water has been reported, with high confidence, on two more asteroids. Water is notable as the first objective of asteroid mining: obtaining propellant for the trip back, among other (later) uses. Arredondo, A., McAdam, M. M. Honniball, C. I. et.al. 2024… Read More »Pay Dirt: Confirmed (7) Iris, (20) Massalia Water
Happy weekend. The January issue of Photonics Spectra happens to touch upon two aspects of small-body science; we’re becoming inescapable. Jérémy Picot-Clémente (Photonics Paves a Path to the Emerging New Space Sector, p. 80), notes how, in multiple photonic-relevant ways,… Read More »On The Rocks: See Spot Orbit. Spot Likes to Orbit!