Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
Asteroid tracking is an arduous and complicated job and NASA ground and space based gadgets keep an eye on all those dangerous asteroids that are known as well as identify new ones that keep coming up, just like Asteroid 2024 YR4. These telescopes along with modeling help NASA track asteroids and list then as near-Earth objects (NEOs) or potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). The biggest problems that NASA faces is finding and tracking new asteroids that pop up from behind the Sun. The glare from the sunlight means all of NASA's instruments are practically blind to them. These asteroids are caught by NASA only after they come very near to Earth.
However, getting back to Asteroid 2025 DU7, NASA has shared a number of data points about it. First of all, it is a 15-foot asteroid and it made its closest Earth approach on Feb. 28. It belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has been classified as a NEO by the Small-Body Database Lookup. The asteroid is travelling at a speed of 7175 miles per hour.
Crew 10, set to launch on March 12, includes commander Anne McClain, pilot Nichole Ayers, and mission specialists Takuya Onishi (JAXA) and Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos). Before liftoff, the crew will undergo a two-week isolation period to prevent illness and ensure a safe transition to the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:48 p.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. This marks another milestone in NASA’s partnership with SpaceX, which developed the Crew Dragon capsule with $3 billion in funding from NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Meanwhile, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who arrived at the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner last June, await their return. Technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, have delayed their journey back to Earth. NASA and Boeing are working to resolve these challenges, prioritizing safety for the astronauts’ return.
As Crew 10 prepares for their mission, the world celebrates the spirit of exploration and collaboration driving human spaceflight forward.
Lighting the way to the Moon: As @Int_Machines’ lander lifts off aboard a @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, it takes with it NASA science and tech. Its mission? To help us better understand the lunar environment in preparation for future human explorers. pic.twitter.com/KIx5vnpHRC
— NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2025
The Moon lander developed by Intuitive Machines (IM) is now cruising through space after its successful launch by SpaceX on February 26 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Shortly after liftoff, IM confirmed the lander, named Athena, is in excellent condition, with stable orientation, solar charging, and communication established with the mission control center in Houston. The team is preparing for a series of engine burns to refine its trajectory ahead of lunar orbit insertion, planned for March 3.
Athena is targeting a landing on March 6 near the Moon's Mons Mouton, a mountainous area close to the lunar south pole. The lander is carrying NASA payloads and a hopping robot designed to explore the lunar surface for up to ten days. IM also shared stunning images of Earth captured by the lander, including a "selfie" featuring the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage falling back to Earth. The mission marks another step in advancing lunar exploration.
NASA is preparing to launch its SPHEREx telescope, aiming to create the most detailed and colorful map of the universe. Using infrared spectroscopy, it will analyze light across 96 bands, far beyond human vision, to study galaxy evolution, cosmic inflation, and life-forming molecules. Unlike the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which focuses on small areas, SPHEREx will map the entire sky in months, capturing 8 million spectroscopic images.
The mission will chart 1 billion galaxies, 100 million stars, and 10,000 asteroids, providing insights into the universe’s structure and history. It will also identify biogenic molecules like water and carbon dioxide in icy dust clouds, tracing their journey to planetary surfaces.
While JWST excels in high-resolution observations of specific regions, SPHEREx offers a broader perspective, complementing JWST by identifying key areas for deeper study. Together, they promise to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos. SPHEREx’s mission is set to last two years, delivering groundbreaking data on the universe’s origins and the potential for life beyond Earth.
