A Valentine’s Day gift from space – that’s what scientists are looking for as NASA’s Stardust-NExT spacecraft zooms by comet Tempel 1.
The craft is on track for an 8:37 p.m. PST (11:37 p.m. EST) close look at the celestial wanderer on February 14.
But take note: The Stardust-NExT– or New Exploration of Tempel 1 mission – kick-starts a busy agenda for space exploration!
Among the NASA robotic missions to keep an eye on:
- MESSENGER: Spacecraft begins orbiting Mercury on March 17 – the first probe to circle that planet in history, this probe will provide scientists a new perspective on the planet’s atmosphere and evolution.
- Dawn: This ion propulsion pushed probe is set to arrive at asteroid Vesta for a yearlong visit starting in July. Vesta is one of the largest asteroids in the solar system.
- Juno: Slated for launch in early August, this spacecraft begins a five-year cruise to Jupiter to conduct in-depth studies of that gas giant – its origin and evolution.
- GRAIL: This Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory is a twin spacecraft mission focused on Earth’s Moon. To be launched in early September, the three-month mission of the dual probes in tandem orbits around the Moon will measure its gravity field in unprecedented detail.
- Curiosity: This huge Mars Science Laboratory takes off for the red planet on a scheduled late November booster launch. Curiosity is a wheeled robotic rover that will explore Mars after in arrives in August 2012.
Indeed, 2011 is an exciting year for space exploration, opening up the solar system to science discoveries…and new surprises!
By Leonard David