DLR German Aerospace Center
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in NASA, JPL, Kennedy Space Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dawn, Space Exploration, German Aerospace Center, asteroids, Solar System
Dawn Divulges Diverse Terrain in First Color Map of Ceres and North Pole View
Scientists spearheading the Dawn mission to dwarf planet Ceres have published the first color map of the mysterious world since the NASA probe successfully arrived in orbit on March 6. The color map from Dawn reveals a highly diverse body that was active in the past and may still be active today, researchers revealed when […] More
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in NASA, JPL, ESA, Space Exploration, Comets, Solar System, Rosetta
Rosetta Team Completely Rethinking Comet Close Encounter Strategy
The operations team leading Europe’s fabulously successful Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is now “rethinking” the strategy on how they will approach the spewing ice ball during future flybys, after impacts from a hail of debris strikes caused the probe to be “confused” and then enter “safe mode” and shut down the science instruments during […] More
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in NASA, Space, JPL, ESA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, German Aerospace Center, European Space Agency, Comets, Rosetta
Comet Debris Causes Significant Navigation Issues During Rosetta’s Latest Close Flyby
Impacts from cometary debris caused several significant navigation related issues for Europe’s Rosetta orbiter as it flew within 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) of the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during the probe’s most recent close encounter in late-March. The high gain antenna drifted, the star trackers were confused, and the spacecraft went into “safe mode,” which […] More
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in NASA, Space, JPL, ESA, Space Exploration, German Aerospace Center, Earth, European Space Agency, Comets, Solar System, Rosetta, Kuiper Belt
Rosetta Makes First Detection of Cometary Molecular Nitrogen, Seeks Signals From Philae Lander
Rosetta, humankind’s first spacecraft to orbit a comet, has now made the first detection of molecular nitrogen (N2) at a comet. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency (ESA) probe continues searching for signals from Philae, humankind’s first probe to land on the surface of a comet, named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The discovery of molecular nitrogen “provides important clues about […] More
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in NASA, Mars, JPL, ESA, Lockheed Martin, United Launch Alliance, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mars Science Laboratory, MSL, Mars Exploration Rovers, Atlas V, Space Exploration, Mars Phoenix Lander, ULA, German Aerospace Center, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Vandenberg AFB, CNES, Solar System, MAVEN, InSight
Landing Region Chosen for InSight at T-Minus One Year to Red Planet Launch
At T-minus one year to blastoff, the landing region for NASA’s next mission to Mars has been narrowed down to one specific site near the equator as the best place to land the InSight lander and its suite of science instruments on an unprecedented mission to investigate the Red Planet’s deep interior and sense for […] More
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in NASA, Space, JPL, Kennedy Space Center, Orbital Sciences, United Launch Alliance, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Delta II, Dawn, Space Exploration, ULA, Vesta, asteroids, Solar System
First Mission to Dwarf Planet Set for Ceres Arrival, Sees Surprising ‘Bright Spots’ Beyond Compare
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is about to become history’s first mission to visit a dwarf planet, and it’s being greeted by “bright spots” on Ceres‘ surface that truly have “no analog in the Solar System,” Prof. Chris Russell, principal investigator for the Dawn mission, based at the University of California, Los Angeles, told AmericaSpace exclusively. It […] More
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in NASA, JPL, Hubble Space Telescope, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Delta II, Dawn, Space Exploration, German Aerospace Center, Charles Bolden, Vesta, Astrobiology, asteroids, Solar System
Ceres Reveals Eye-Like Bright Spots, Mr. Spock Explains Dawn
A scientific mystery on dwarf planet Ceres—worthy of investigation by 21st century scientists and Star Trek’s 23rd century Science Officer Mr. Spock—is deepening, even as the Dawn spacecraft journeys ever closer to orbital capture one week from today! Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed the character Mr. Spock aboard the fictional Starship USS Enterprise on TV and […] More
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in NASA, JPL, Orbital Sciences, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Delta II, Dawn, Space Exploration, German Aerospace Center, Vesta, asteroids, Solar System
Ceres Shows Mystifying Faces and Perplexing White Spots to NASA’s Dawn
A fresh set of images of dwarf planet Ceres from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft shows it coming sharper into focus but still holding onto her mysterious nature rather tenaciously, especially with regard to the perplexing “white spots,” the mission’s lead scientist told AmericaSpace. Indeed for the scientists “the white spots are a source of frustration for […] More
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in NASA, JPL, United Launch Alliance, Hubble Space Telescope, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Delta II, Dawn, Space Exploration, German Aerospace Center, asteroids, Solar System, Herschel Space Observatory
Sharpest Views of Mysterious ‘Planet’ Ceres Now Better Than Hubble, Tantalize Scientists
“Planet” or “dwarf planet” … What is its nature? Those are among the questions. The sharpest views yet of mysterious “young planet” Ceres taken by NASA’s fast approaching Dawn spacecraft have just been released and are tantalizing us with an “exciting and productive adventure in orbit” soon to come, Dr. Marc Rayman and Prof. Chris […] More
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in NASA, Science, JPL, KSC, Orbital Sciences, United Launch Alliance, Hubble Space Telescope, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dawn, Space Exploration, ULA, German Aerospace Center, Vesta, Solar System
Dawn’s Greatest Glimpse Yet of Ceres Hints at Startling Revelations Soon to Come
We’ve wondered about Ceres‘ nature and true identity for over two centuries, ever since it was discovered on New Year’s Day, 1801, by Giuseppe Piazzi of Italy. It’s been alternately classified as a planet, asteroid, and more recently as a dwarf planet. Just gander in amazement at the greatest glimpse yet of the infant world […] More
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in NASA, Mars, JPL, ESA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mars Science Laboratory, MSL, Curiosity, Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Phoenix Lander, German Aerospace Center, European Space Agency, CNES, MAVEN, InSight
Final Assembly Begins for NASA’s Next Mars Lander: InSight
NASA’s next Mars lander—the InSight spacecraft—has reached the start of its critical final assembly operations phase known as ATLO, or assembly, test, and launch operations. InSight’s construction is on track for its scheduled departure from Earth to the Red Planet in March 2016. More
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Philae Detects Organic Molecules at Comet Landing Site
Europe’s intrepid and plucky Philae spacecraft has detected organic molecules on the surface of a comet, after successfully completing history’s first-ever soft landing on a comet and subsequently surviving two harrowingly unplanned bounces before finally coming to rest, barely a week ago. More
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