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Asteroids

Jul 15, 2014 Asteroids are rocky objects primarily found in the asteroid belt, a region of the solar system that lies more than 2 ½ times as far from the Sun as Earth does, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. These objects are sometimes called minor planets or planetoids. Sep 20, 2017 Asteroids are rocky worlds revolving around the sun that are too small to be called planets. They are also known as planetoids or minor planets. There are millions of asteroids, ranging in size. Play the classic Asteroids game online.

General Information

AsteroidsEarth

Missions to Asteroids

Current and Past Missions

  • OSIRIS-REx - Sample Return Mission to Asteroid Bennu (2016)
  • Hayabusa2 - JAXA Sample Return Mission to Asteroid Ryugu (2014)
  • PROCYON - JAXA Small Satellite Asteroid Flyby Mission (2014)
  • Dawn - NASA Orbiter of Asteroids Ceres and Vesta (2007)
  • Rosetta - ESA Comet Mission, flew by asteroids Steins and Lutetia (2004)
  • Hayabusa (Muses-C) - ISAS (Japan) Sample Return Mission to Asteroid 25143 Itokawa (2003)
  • Genesis - NASA Discovery Solar Wind Sample Return Mission (2001)
  • Stardust - NASA Comet Coma Sample Return Mission, flew by asteroid AnneFrank (1999)
  • Deep Space 1 - NASA Flyby Mission to asteroid Braille (1998)
  • Cassini - NASA/ESA Mission to Saturn through the Asteroid Belt (1997)
  • NEAR - NASA Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous with 433 Eros
  • Galileo - NASA Mission to Jupiter via asteroids Gaspra and Ida

Future Missions

  • Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) - Kinetic Impact Test Mission to Asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos (2021)
  • Lucy - Flyby Mission to Multiple Trojan Asteroids (2021)
  • NEA Scout - Flyby CubeSat Mission to Near Earth Asteroid (2021)
  • Psyche - Orbital Mission to Main Belt Asteroid 16 Psyche (2022)
  • Hera - Follow-up Mission to Asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos(2024)

Data

  • Images of Asteroids (Catalog of Spaceborne Imaging)
  • Images of Asteroids (NSSDCA Photo Gallery)
  • Asteroid Data Tables - PDS compilations of asteroid data

Comets

Press Releases

Asteroids Game

  • NASA's asteroid sample return mission moves into development - NASA Press Release, 16 May 2013
  • NASA to launch new science mission to asteroid in 2016 - NASA Press Release, 25 May 2011
  • Press briefing Dawn mission July 7 launch - NASA Press Release, 20 June 2007
  • OSIRIS asteroid sample return mission chosen for concept study - NASA Press Release, 30 October 2006
  • Arecibo radar images of asteroid 216 Kleopatra - NASA Press Release, 4 May 2000
  • Moon discovered orbiting asteroid 45 Eugenia - Announcement of discovery made in November 1998
  • Asteroid 1997 XF11 - Information on the close approach in 2028
  • New masses calculated for 3 largest asteroids - U.S. Naval Observatory press release, 7 January 1998
  • Crater on Vesta imaged by HST - Press release (4 Sept. 1997)