Discovery
Asteroid to hurtle past Earth:
An asteroid as big as the Rock of Gibraltar will streak past Earth on April 19 at a safe but uncomfortably close distance, according to astronomers.
“Although there is no possibility for the asteroid to collide with our planet, this will be a very close approach for an asteroid this size,” NASA whose acting administrator is Robert Lightfoot Jr said in a statement.
Dubbed 2014-JO25 and roughly 650 metres (2,000 feet) across, the asteroid will come within 1.8 million kilometres (1.1 million miles) of Earth, less than five times the distance to the Moon.
It will pass closest to our planet after having looped around the Sun. 2014-J25’s will then continue on past Jupiter before heading back toward the centre of our Solar System.
Smaller asteroids whizz by Earth several times a week. But the last time one at least this size came as close was in 2004, when Toutatis -- five kilometres (3.1 miles) across -- passed within four lunar distances.
The next close encounter with a big rock will not happen before 2027, when the 800-metre (half-mile) wide asteroid 199AN10 will fly by at just one lunar distance, about 380,000 km (236,000 miles). (AFP)
Mars missions face delays:
NASA will probably delay the first two missions of its Orion deep-space capsule, being developed to send astronauts beyond earth’s orbit and eventually to Mars, the US space agency said on Thursday.
A report by NASA’s Office of Inspector General cited technical as well as budget challenges.
The first launch of the Orion spacecraft atop the planned Space Launch System, or SLS -- set to become the world’s most powerful rocket when it flies -- is currently scheduled for early November 2018 with no crew.
A second mission carrying astronauts is envisioned for August 2021 at the earliest.
It cites delays in the development of the Orion service module, provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) whose Director General is Johann-Dietrich
Worner, as well as technical risks from changes in the design of the capsule’s heat shield. (AFP)