News About Asteroids And Comets 20-NOV-09 en-us Pasadena CA (SPX) Nov 16, 2009 - NASA's Dawn spacecraft re-entered our solar system's asteroid belt on Nov. 13, and this time it will stay there. Dawn first entered the belt (whose lower boundary may be defined as the greatest distance Mars gets from the sun (249,230,000 kilometers, or 154,864,000 miles) in June 2008.]]> Paris, France (ESA) Nov 16, 2009 - Mission controllers have confirmed that ESA's comet chaser Rosetta swung by Earth as planned, skimming past our planet to pick up a gravitational boost for an epic journey to rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014.]]> Paris, France (ESA) Nov 12, 2009 - Rosetta's third Earth swingby on 13 November 2009 provides an important opportunity to obtain calibration measurements for the science instruments and to perform science observations of both the Earth and the Moon from a unique vantage point.]]> Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 12, 2009 - On November 4th (Wed., Japan Standard Time), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency identified that one of the main ion engines (Thruster D) aboard the Asteroid Explorer "HAYABUSA" had autonomously stopped detecting a high neutralizer voltage owing to degradation.]]> Paris, France (ESA) Nov 05, 2009 - ESA's comet chaser Rosetta will swing by Earth for the last time on 13 November to pick up energy and begin the final leg of its 10-year journey to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ESA's European Space Operations Centre will host a media briefing on that day.]]> Washington DC (SPX) Nov 03, 2009 - Dust samples collected by high-flying aircraft in the upper atmosphere have yielded an unexpectedly rich trove of relicts from the ancient cosmos, report scientists from the Carnegie Institution.]]> Pasadena CA (SPX) Nov 03, 2009 - Dawn continues to make steady progress on its journey through the solar system. The spacecraft has devoted another month to thrusting with its ion propulsion system, ever with its sights set on its rendezvous with Vesta in July 2011.]]> Paris, France (ESA) Nov 02, 2009 - On 13 November 2009 Rosetta will swing by Earth and pass within 2500 km of Earth's surface. The manoeuvre is the fourth and last in a series of gravity assists and will provide the spacecraft with the required orbital boost to set course for the mission's final destination: comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.]]> Paris, France (ESA) Oct 29, 2009 - Following the first and primary trajectory correction manoeuvre 22 October, Rosetta is lined up nicely for the approach to Earth. The manoeuvre provided an 8.8 cm/s change in orbital velocity and the thruster performance was accurate. Closest approach to Earth is now scheduled for 08:45 CET on 13 November.]]> Paris, France (ESA) Oct 21, 2009 - ESA's Rosetta comet chaser will swing by Earth on 13 November to pick up orbital energy and begin the final leg of its 10-year journey to the outer Solar System. Several observations of the Earth-Moon system are planned before the spacecraft heads out to study comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko.]]>