Tag Archives: moon orbit

NASA Twin Spacecraft on Final Approach for Moon Orbit

By Guest PostDecember 29, 2011Scienceevolution of moon, grail mission, grail spacecraft, long duration trajectory, lunar orbit, moon orbit, twin spacecraft

PASADENA, Calif. — NASA’s twin spacecraft to study the moon from crust to core are nearing their New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day main-engine burns to place the duo in lunar orbit. (more…)

NASA Captures New Images of Large Asteroid Passing Earth

By Guest PostNovember 8, 2011Science2005 yu55, aircraft carrier sized asteroid, asteroid, asteroid 2005 yu55, deep space network antenna, earth, flyby, goldstone, hazardous to planet, jet propulsion laboratory, moon orbit, NASA, radar images, spaceguard, trajectory of asteroid, venus and mars

PASADENA, Calif. –– NASA’s Deep Space Network antenna in Goldstone, Calif. has captured new radar images of Asteroid 2005 YU55 passing close to Earth.

The asteroid safely will safely fly past our planet slightly closer than the moon’s orbit on Nov. 8. The last time a space rock this large came as close to Earth was in 1976, although astronomers did not know about the flyby at the time. The next known approach of an asteroid this size will be in 2028. (more…)