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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Dawn Journal: Earth Catches Up
As Dawn continues its long solar system journey to match orbits with Vesta and later with Ceres, some readers may note a surprising trend in the statistics for the mission.
Dawn Journal: Quiet Cruise
Today Dawn is 220 million kilometers (137 million miles) from the star at the solar system's center.
Dawn Journal: Testing Flight Software 8.0
Dawn's mission continues to go very well, as the spacecraft nears the end of the longest coasting period of its astronomical journey.
Exciting Times Ahead: 2010 Will Sizzle, and 2011 Will Really Cook!
Today, I'm kicking the week off with a look at the unusually intense confluence of far flung planetary exploration that's just around the corner, starting the middle of next year.
Dawn Journal: Upgrades!
The upgraded Dawn spacecraft is now traveling in a new direction in its orbit around the Sun.
Dawn Journal: Safe Without Safe Mode
Perhaps what is most noteworthy and satisfying since the last log is not what Dawn did, but rather what it did not do.
Dawn Journal: Safely Past Mars
Dawn swooped close to Mars and then left it behind on a new course, having taken advantage of Mars's gravity.
Looks like the Dawn flyby of Mars went well
Looks like the Dawn flyby of Mars went well: here' a photo of Mars taken by Dawn near its closest approach to Mars during its February 17 flyby.
Dawn Journal: Mars Encounter
Dawn continues to close in on Mars, ready for the gravitational slingshot that will help it on its expedition to the asteroid belt and its quest to gain insights into the evolution of the solar system.
There's more to the Hayabusa story
After posting my brief
Hooray for Hayabusa!
According to JAXA (the Japanese space agency), poor little Hayabusa has successfully restarted its ion engine and has resumed powered flight today. Hooray! This is good news for Hayabusa's eventual return to Earth.
Dawn Journal: Just Missing the Bull's Eye at Mars
Dawn continues on course for its pas de deux with Mars on February 17. The planet's gravity will gracefully assist the spacecraft on its way to rendezvous with its intended celestial partners Vesta and Ceres in the more distant asteroid belt.
Dawn Journal: Conjunction Junction
Having fulfilled all of its assignments for 2008, the Dawn spacecraft has been unusually quiescent recently.
Dawn Journal: Aiming Away From a Bull's Eye at Mars
The Dawn spacecraft is healthy and on course for its flyby of Mars early next year. The planet's gravity will help boost the probe on its way to rendezvous with Vesta.
Dawn Journal: A Pause in Thrusting
The Dawn spacecraft continues on course and on schedule for its bold campaign to unexplored worlds.
Dawn Journal: One Year Since Launch
On the first anniversary of its departure from Earth, Dawn continues with what it has been doing for most of its time in space. With the greatest patience, it is gently reshaping its orbit around the Sun with its ion propulsion system.
Dawn Journal: Some Explanations of Orbital Dynamics
The Dawn spacecraft continues to make good progress on its adventure to unlock scientific secrets hidden deep in the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter.
Dawn Journal: We Crave Power!!!
Dawn continues its flight through the solar system with all systems functioning well.
Dawn Journal: Cruising Past Mars' Orbit
Now using an ion thruster that had been powered off since October, Dawn continues to make steady progress on its journey deeper into space.
Hayabusa update
JAXA has posted a note on their website on the status of Hayabusa, which apparently reached aphelion in late May. Hayabusa is Japan's amazing ion-powered mission to asteroid Itokawa, which touched down on Itokawa to grab a sample in mid-November 2005, but suffered an injury that has left in doubt its ability to return the sample capsule to Earth.