Asteroid & Comet Missions

Scientists just solved a tricky asteroid-hopping spacecraft riddle

By Keith Cooper published 19 May 26

Plotting the optimal trajectory to visit multiple asteroids is a fiendishly difficult take on the Traveling Salesperson problem, but a new mathematical approach has succeeded in solving it.

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is flying to a metal asteroid. So, why did it just visit Mars?

By Sharmila Kuthunur published 16 May 26

NASA's Psyche flyby of Mars highlights how gravity assists help spacecraft gain speed, conserve fuel and travel across the solar system.

NASA's Psyche asteroid probe will fly within 3,000 miles of Mars today: Here's what to expect

By Robert Lea last updated 15 May 26

NASA's asteroid-bound spacecraft Psyche is headed for an encounter with Mars on Friday (May 15) to get a boost from the Red Planet.

'This is going to be what makes the Earth secure.' How one California company plans to protect us from dangerous asteroids

By Leonard David published 30 April 26

Exploration Labs has proposed the first commercial deep space ride share mission, known as Apophis EX, to rendezvous with potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis.

Comet MAPS faces a make-or-break moment as it dives toward the sun on April 4 — could it shine in the daytime sky?

By Joe Rao published 31 March 26

Comet MAPS is about to face its ultimate test as it sweeps just 101,000 miles above the sun's surface.

NASA's DART planetary defense mission reveals asteroids hurling 'cosmic snowballs' at each other

By Sharmila Kuthunur published 11 March 26

New images from NASA's DART asteroid-smashing mission show space rocks exchanging material in a slow process that reshapes their surfaces over millions of years.

NASA's asteroid-smashing DART spacecraft hit so hard, it changed its target space rocks' orbit around the sun

By Keith Cooper published 10 March 26

The mission without a doubt proves that we could deflect a hazardous asteroid away from Earth — so long as we discover it in the nick of time.

NASA's Psyche asteroid probe beams home haunting view of distant Earth (photo)

By Andrew Jones published 25 August 25

NASA's Psyche spacecraft, which is headed toward a big and bizarre metal asteroid, has delivered a stunning perspective of our home planet from deep space.

Europe wants to land a tiny spacecraft on the infamous asteroid Apophis in 2029

By Andrew Jones published 30 May 25

ESA is preparing a mission to study and land on asteroid Apophis during its close encounter with Earth in 2029. NASA is also looking into a possible Apophis effort but faces funding issues.

Psyche spacecraft's sci-fi thrusters suffer glitch on way to metal-rich asteroid

By Monisha Ravisetti published 1 May 25

There's an issue with the fuel line that feeds the Psyche asteroid probe's thrusters with xenon gas. But we needn't worry yet, NASA says.