Saturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission RepriseSpacecraft Woken for Asteroid EncounterVolcanoes on Mercury Solve 30 year MysteryStrange Asteroid Shapes ExplainedEarth s Cries Recorded in SpaceVoyager Spacecraft Reveals Solar System EdgeScientists Eager: related news

Saturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission RepriseSpacecraft Woken for Asteroid EncounterVolcanoes on Mercury Solve 30-year MysteryStrange Asteroid Shapes ExplainedEarth's Cries Recorded in SpaceVoyager Spacecraft Reveals Solar System EdgeScientists Eager

The most detailed image ever made of Saturn and its rings was sent by the Cassini spacecraft on October 6, 2004. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Spacecraft Woken for Asteroid EncounterVolcanoes on Mercury Solve 30-year MysteryStrange Asteroid Shapes ExplainedEarth's Cries Recorded in SpaceVoyager Spacecraft Reveals Solar System EdgeScientists Eager for Hubble's FaceliftHuge Tunguska Explosion

Rosetta - the comet chaser. An artist's depiction of Rosetta's arrival at its comet destination. Credit: ESA

For Better or Worse, Sex in Space Is InevitableSaturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission RepriseSpacecraft Woken for Asteroid EncounterVolcanoes on Mercury Solve 30-year MysteryStrange Asteroid Shapes ExplainedEarth's Cries Recorded in SpaceVoyager Space

Weddings in space could be right around the corner, and experts figure the inevitable cosmic consummation will be just around the next corner.

Volcanoes on Mercury Solve 30-year MysteryStrange Asteroid Shapes ExplainedEarth's Cries Recorded in SpaceVoyager Spacecraft Reveals Solar System EdgeScientists Eager for Hubble's FaceliftHuge Tunguska Explosion Remains Mysterious 100 Years LaterOppo

This image taken by NASA's MESSENGER probe reveals a first look at uncharted terrain on the planet Mercury after a Jan. 14, 2008 flyby. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

Sunlight Splits Asteroids into PairsFor Better or Worse, Sex in Space Is InevitableSaturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission RepriseSpacecraft Woken for Asteroid EncounterVolcanoes on Mercury Solve 30-year MysteryStrange Asteroid Shapes ExplainedEarth's

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Cassini's Primary Mission Ends, Two-Year Extension Begins

wooferhound points out recent news that the Cassini probe has completed its original four-year mission and is beginning a two-year extended mission, which was authorized earlier this year. Cassini's first mission brought us a treasure trove of information about Saturn and its various moons. The new mission will target two of those moons in particular for further study: Titan and Enceladus. Quoting: "The spacecraft is extremely healthy and carries 12 instruments powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Data from Cassini's nominal and extended missions could lay the groundwork for possible future missions to Saturn, Titan or Enceladus. [The two moons] are primary targets in the two-year extended mission, dubbed the Cassini Equinox Mission.

Water Discovered in Moon SamplesSunlight Splits Asteroids into PairsFor Better or Worse, Sex in Space Is InevitableSaturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission RepriseSpacecraft Woken for Asteroid EncounterVolcanoes on Mercury Solve 30-year MysteryStrange A

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Cassini Primary Mission Complete; Ready to Tackle New Assignments

Saturn’s gorgeous rings. Geysers on Enceladus. Methane lakes on Titan. These are just a few of the images that stand out from the Cassini mission’s four year survey of Saturn and its remarkable system of rings and moons. On June 30 the Cassini spacecraft completes its primary mission at the ringed planet, and now will embark on an extended two year mission, with hopes of studying more closely the most intriguing targets, Titan and Enceladus and the interaction between Saturn’s icy moons and rings.

ESA spacecraft set for flyby of Steins asteroid

An European Space Agency image taken from the ESA's webside on Friday, Sept 5. 2008 shows an artist's impression of ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft flying by asteroid (2867) Steins on Sept. 5, 2008 at 20:58 CEST (1858 GMT), with a closest approach distance of 800 kilometers. Steins is Rosetta’s first nominal scientific target. The spacecraft encountered the asteroid in the course of its first incursion into the main asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, while on its way to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which is scheduled for 2014. An European Space Agency image taken from the ESA's webside on Friday, Sept 5. 2008 shows an artist's impression of ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft flying by asteroid (2867) Steins on Sept. 5, 2008 at 20:58 CEST (1858 GMT), with a closest approach distance of 800 kilometers.

Gravity Tractor Could Deflect Asteroids

Hugh Pickens writes "A new study at the Jet Propulsion Labs shows that weak gravitational pull of a "gravity tractor" could deflect an Earth-threatening asteroid if it was deployed when the asteroid was at least one orbit away from potential impact with Earth. First a spacecraft would be crashed directly into the asteroid, similar to the Deep Impact mission that impacted a comet in 2005. This would provide a big change of direction, but in a less controllable fashion that could push the path of the asteroid into a dangerous keyhole. But then a second spacecraft, the gravity tractor, would come into play, hovering about 150 meters away from the asteroid, to exert a gentle gravitational force, changing the asteroid's velocity by only 0.22 microns per second each day.

Binary Asteroid Glides Past Earth

A rare event has given astronomers a great view of a binary asteroid system. Tonight, asteroid 2008 BT18 passed 1.4 million miles from Earth, shining like a 13th magnitude star. Before July 7th, astronomers believed 2008 BT18 was "just another" near-Earth asteroid, but then the Arecibo radio telescope obtained a "delay-Doppler" image of the asteroid and found it in fact had a binary partner. Although binaries are fairly common in the Solar System, this was a rare opportunity for a ground-based telescope to capture such a clear view…

Low-Impact Mating System for Docking Spacecraft

A document describes a low-impact mating system suitable for both docking (mating of two free-flying spacecraft) and berthing (in which a robot arm in one spacecraft positions an object for mating with either spacecraft). The low-impact mating system is fully androgynous: it mates with a copy of itself, i.e., all spacecraft and other objects to be mated are to be equipped with identical copies of the system. This aspect of the design helps to minimize the number of unique parts and to standardize and facilitate mating operations. The system includes a closed-loop feedback control subsystem that actively accommodates misalignments between mating spacecraft, thereby attenuating spacecraft dynamics and mitigating the need for precise advance positioning of the spacecraft.

Low-Impact Mating System for Docking Spacecraft

A document describes a low-impact mating system suitable for both docking (mating of two free-flying spacecraft) and berthing (in which a robot arm in one spacecraft positions an object for mating with either spacecraft). The low-impact mating system is fully androgynous: it mates with a copy of itself, i.e., all spacecraft and other objects to be mated are to be equipped with identical copies of the system. This aspect of the design helps to minimize the number of unique parts and to standardize and facilitate mating operations. The system includes a closed-loop feedback control subsystem that actively accommodates misalignments between mating spacecraft, thereby attenuating spacecraft dynamics and mitigating the need for precise advance positioning of the spacecraft.

'Impressionist' Spacecraft to View Solar System's Invisible Frontier

(PhysOrg.com) -- At the edge of our solar system in December 2004, the Voyager 1 spacecraft encountered something never before experienced during its then 26-year cruise through the solar system — an invisible shock formed as the solar wind piles up against the gas in interstellar space. This boundary, called the termination shock, marks the beginning of our solar system's final frontier, a vast expanse of turbulent gas and twisting magnetic fields.

JPL Enters the Blogosphere

Here we are, four years after the Cassini spacecraft entered orbit around Saturn. We’re about to begin the extended mission, termed the Cassini Equinox Mission. Cassini has been a scientifically remarkable mission and a fantastic return on the investment. If you are reading this blog, then you might already know about Cassini’s discoveries at Enceladus, Titan, the other icy moons, the rings, the magnetosphere and Saturn itself. But if you’re new to following this mission, you can catch up on those discoveries by reading about them here: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features/feature20080627.cfm. This great science is accomplished by an international team of scientists and engineers. I am thrilled to be able to carry the scientific reins for Cassini as its incoming project scientist.

European spacecraft set to swing by asteroid

An artist's impression of Steins asteroid, which the ESA's Rosetta probe will encounter Friday at a distance of 800 kilometres. The asteroid is about five kilometres across.An artist's impression of Steins asteroid, which the ESA's Rosetta probe will encounter Friday at a distance of 800 kilometres. The asteroid is about five kilometres across.

Saturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission Reprise (SPACE.com)

Saturn's rings and moons turned out wilder than any scientist could have imagined, but unknowns remain as the Cassini spacecraft concludes its primary mission and embarks on a new one.

Ulysses Spacecraft Not Dead Yet

iminplaya sends in the good news that reports of the death of the Ulysses mission are premature. (We've discussed the impending shutdown of the 17-year-old mission a couple of times this year.) Ulysses is a joint NASA / ESA mission to study the sun from an orbit inclined almost 90 degrees from the ecliptic. From the Planetary Society blog post: "Ulysses is not dead yet. ESA issued a statement in February saying that, as Ulysses' radioisotope thermoelectric generators were running out of power, the spacecraft would likely die some time this year. The actual death blow to the spacecraft was likely to be the freezing of hydrazine fuel in a cold spot in a fuel line. Mission controllers found creative ways to prevent the freezing, but the solution was not a long-term one, and ESA had a ceremonial send-off and wrap-up of the mission in mid-June

Our Solar System: An Island of Calm in a Violent Universe (and it's special, too)

We humans like to think we're special, but astronomically speaking we've been shot down quite severely and humbly put in our place. We're not at the center of our solar system, nowhere near the center of our galaxy and certainly not at the center of the universe. But now comes great news for the human psyche from scientists trying to explain solar system formation. As far as solar systems go, we have thought ours was just average and that all solar systems were like ours. But in looking at the 300 plus extrasolar planets that have been discovered and the systems they are in, none so far are anything like our home solar system. In fact, say scientists at Northwestern University, we may be special after all. In a study using computer simulations (this is the week for computer simulations, see here and here), researchers ran more than a hund

Cassini spacecraft pinpoints source of geysers on Saturn's moon

This mosaic of Saturn's moon Enceladus shows the regional context for close-up views NASA's Cassini spacecraft acquired during its flyby on Aug. 11. Areas that are greenish in appearance are believed to represent deposits of coarser grained ice and solid boulders.This mosaic of Saturn's moon Enceladus shows the regional context for close-up views NASA's Cassini spacecraft acquired during its flyby on Aug. 11. Areas that are greenish in appearance are believed to represent deposits of coarser grained ice and solid boulders.

Saturn Fans Invited to 'Kiss My Astra' in Online Photo Contest

The best photo entry wins a fuel-efficient 2008 Saturn Astra XR DETROIT, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Saturn today launched the "Kiss My Astra" national photo contest, offering Saturn fans an opportunity to show just how much they would love to win a new Saturn Astra. Contestants can kiss their own Astra, a friend's Astra or drop by any Saturn retailer and kiss their Astra, and then upload a photo of the kiss at www.ImSaturn.com . The contestant with the funniest, most creative photo - as selected by the online Saturn community - will win a 2008 Saturn XR 5-door. "Saturn vehicles have always inspired feelings of passion from our owners, and the Astra is no exception," says Matt Armstrong, Saturn car marketing manager. "With the 'Kiss My Astra' photo contest, Astra fans can share their public displays of affection for this fuel-efficient, great

NASA says liquid confirmed on Saturn's moon Titan

FILE *** This true-color image taken in visible wavelengths by the Cassini spacecraft on June 10, 2004 and released by NASA on Friday, July 2, 2004, shows Titan, a moon of Saturn, enveloped in a photochemical smog. At least one of many large, lake-like features on Saturn's moon Titan studied by the international Cassini spacecraft contains liquid hydrocarbons, making it the only body in the solar system besides Earth known to have liquid on its surface, NASA said Wednesday July 30, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA, FILE)

Voyager Spacecraft Reveals Solar System Edge

Voyager 2's journey toward interstellar space has revealed surprising insights into the energy and magnetic forces at the solar system's outer edge, and confirmed the solar system's squashed shape.

NASA spacecraft reveals largest crater in solar system

New analysis of Mars' terrain using NASA spacecraft observations reveals what appears to be by far the largest impact crater ever found in the solar system.

After grazing on Saturn's rings, Cassini moves in on moons

Washington - After delivering spectacular images of Saturn's rings in recent years, NASA's Cassini spacecraft turned its focus Monday to Saturn's moons and how sunlight affects the surfaces of the gas giant and its natural satellites. Cassini got a new lease on life earlier this year, when NASA approved the programme for another 60 orbits of Saturn and several dozen flybys of the moons Titan, Enceladus, Dione, Rhea and Helene.

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