{"id":18128,"date":"2019-03-07T10:30:39","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T15:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18128"},"modified":"2019-03-07T10:01:43","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T15:01:43","slug":"space-sciences-roundup-march-7-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18128","title":{"rendered":"Space sciences roundup &#8211; March.7.2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images related to space related sciences:<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Video shows <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp\/en\/\">Hayabusa2<\/a> landing on asteroid Ryuga<\/strong> and firing a projectile that stired up material from the surface to allow for capturing samples of the asteroid to return to earth: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.planetary.org\/blogs\/jason-davis\/hayabusa2-touchdown-video.html\">Watch Hayabusa2&#8217;s incredible touchdown on asteroid Ryugu | The Planetary Society<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The video was shot with Hayabusa2\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp\/en\/topics\/20181026e_CAM-H\/\">small monitoring camera, CAM-H<\/a>, which points downward from the side of the main spacecraft bus. Incredibly, the camera was funded by donations from the public!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-3hO58HFa1M?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>There\u2019s so much to like about the video: The reflection of Ryugu on Hayabusa2\u2019s shiny surface. The white\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.planetary.org\/blogs\/jason-davis\/hayabusa2-samples-names.html\">target marker<\/a>\u00a0containing names of Planetary Society members, visible in the lower-left corner for the first part of the video. And, of course, the incredible spray of debris when Hayabusa2 hits the surface and fires its tantalum bullet.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>With so much material flying around, the team says &#8220;the potential for sample collection is high.&#8221; That hopefully includes some larger pieces that either floated directly into the sample catcher or were caught on the inner lip of the sample horn, giving them a chance to tumble up into the catcher later. JAXA also confirmed some debris <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jasonrdavis\/status\/1098949026290921472\">stuck to the lens<\/a> of one of the optical navigation cameras.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/insight\/\"><strong>NASA&#8217;s InSight Mars lander&#8217;s<\/strong><\/a><strong> drill slowed<\/strong> by hard rock. <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/news\/8419\/mars-insight-landers-mole-pauses-digging\/?site=insight\">Mars InSight Lander&#8217;s &#8216;Mole&#8217; Pauses Digging \u2013 NASA&#8217;s InSight Mars Lander<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>NASA&#8217;s Mars InSight lander has a probe designed to dig up to 16 feet (5 meters) below the surface and measure heat coming from inside the planet. After beginning to hammer itself into the soil on Thursday, Feb. 28, the 16-inch-long (40-centimeter-long) probe \u2014 part of an instrument called the Heat and Physical Properties Package, or <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/insight\/spacecraft\/instruments\/hp3\/\">HP<sup>3<\/sup><\/a> \u2014 got about three-fourths of the way out of its housing structure before stopping. No significant progress was seen after a second bout of hammering on Saturday, March 2. Data suggests the probe, known as a &#8220;mole,&#8221; is at a 15-degree tilt.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Scientists suspect it hit a rock or some gravel. The team had hoped there would be relatively few rocks below ground, given how few appear on the surface beside the lander. Even so, the mole was designed to push small rocks aside or wend its way around them. The instrument, which was provided for InSight by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), did so repeatedly during testing before InSight launched.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;The team has decided to pause the hammering for now to allow the situation to be analyzed more closely and jointly come up with strategies for overcoming the obstacle,&#8221; HP<sup>3 <\/sup>Principal Investigator Tilman Spohn of DLR <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dlr.de\/blogs\/en\/desktopdefault.aspx\/tabid-5893\/9577_read-1090\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wrote in a blog post<\/a>. He added that the team wants to hold off from further hammering for about two weeks.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18151\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18151\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/resources\/22299\/hp3-on-the-martian-surface\/?site=insight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18151\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18151\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8419_PIA23046-web1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1024,1024\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"InSight Heat Probe\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;HP3 on the Martian Surface: NASA&amp;#8217;s InSight lander set its heat probe, called the Heat and Physical Properties Package (HP3), on the Martian surface on Feb. 12. Image Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/DLR. Full image and caption \u203a&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8419_PIA23046-web1.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-18151\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8419_PIA23046-web1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8419_PIA23046-web1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8419_PIA23046-web1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8419_PIA23046-web1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/8419_PIA23046-web1-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18151\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>HP3 on the Martian Surface: NASA&#8217;s InSight lander set its heat probe, called the Heat and Physical Properties Package (HP3), on the Martian surface on Feb. 12. Image Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/DLR. <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/resources\/22299\/hp3-on-the-martian-surface\/?site=insight\">Full image and caption \u203a<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>** <strong>Israeli <a href=\"http:\/\/www.technology.spaceil.com\/\">Beresheet lunar probe<\/a> sends selfie<\/strong> as it moves closer to the Moon: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.israel21c.org\/been-here-done-that-spaceil-sends-its-first-selfie-from-space\/\">Been here, done that: SpaceIL sends its first selfie from space &#8211; ISRAEL21c<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18157\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18157\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.israel21c.org\/been-here-done-that-spaceil-sends-its-first-selfie-from-space\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18157\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18157\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-ahandoutpict1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"768,550\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Beresheet Selfit\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The SpaceIL Beresheet lunar lander spacecraft takes a picture of itself along with the Earth in the background.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-ahandoutpict1.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-18157\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-ahandoutpict1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"358\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-ahandoutpict1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/3-ahandoutpict1-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18157\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>The SpaceIL Beresheet lunar lander spacecraft takes a picture of itself along with the Earth in the background.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>More background info on the selfie:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gsLnluZDBjU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>View the Moon in the colors of its minerals<\/strong> in this image created by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/user\/ajamesmccarthy\">A James Mccarthy (u\/ajamesmccarthy)<\/a> and posted on Reddit<\/p>\n<figure class=\"op-interactive\"><iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"reddit-card\" data-card-created=\"1551929533\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/space\/comments\/awo9ce\/i_extracted_the_color_data_from_150k_images_of\/\">I extracted the color data from 150k images of the moon so you can see where impacts &#8220;paint&#8221; the moon with different minerals. Wallpaper version and animation linked in the comments [OC]<\/a> from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/space\">r\/space<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/embed.redditmedia.com\/widgets\/platform.js\" charset=\"UTF-8\"><\/script><br \/>\nSee also:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/imgur.com\/a\/SIgEZfc\">Supermoon colors revealed &#8211; Album on Imgur<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/cosmic_background\/\">Andrew McCarthy (@cosmic_background) \u2022 Instagram photos and videos<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>**<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chang%27e_4\">The Chinese Chang&#8217;e 4 lander &amp; rover<\/a><\/strong> on the far side of the Moon is busy on its third lunar day (equal to 14 earth days):\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.planetary.org\/blogs\/jason-davis\/yutu-2-lunar-day-3.html\">Yutu-2 Rocks On into Lunar Day 3 for Chang\u2019e-4 mission | The Planetary Society<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Yutu-2 awakened for lunar day 3 of the mission at 02:51 UTC on 28 February, with the lander following later the same day at 23:52. A few days later, the rover stood down for its \u2018noon nap\u2019 to avoid heating issues from a high solar incidence angle, at 10:25 UTC on March 3. It will resume its activities early on 10 March, before entering a sleep state around 02:00 UTC on 13 March, when the Sun is low in the sky over Von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n crater in preparation for the lunar nighttime.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/mp.weixin.qq.com\/s\/tNN7uijTUCTredBppM3SEA\">release <\/a>by the China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) on 4 March, Yutu-2 has so far travelled 127 meters, adding 7 meters to the total of 120 meters driven on lunar days 1 (44.185 m) and 2 (75.815 m).<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The apparent relatively low distance is believed to be due to Yutu-2 taking time to image nearby rocks and features in the regolith. Analysis of the images from the Visible and Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS) and Panoramic camera is expected to provide insight into the origin and composition of the rocks and development of the lunar far side itself.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18149\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18149\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.planetary.org\/blogs\/jason-davis\/yutu-2-lunar-day-3.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18149\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18149\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/20190306_rock-Yutu2-20cm-1point2metre-distant-release-march4-2019-CLEP-CNSA_f8401.png\" data-orig-size=\"840,853\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Yutu-2 view\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Yutu-2 finds some rocks&lt;br \/&gt;\nAn image returned from Yutu-2 early on Lunar Day 3 of the Chang\u2019e-4 mission.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/20190306_rock-Yutu2-20cm-1point2metre-distant-release-march4-2019-CLEP-CNSA_f8401.png\" class=\"wp-image-18149\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/20190306_rock-Yutu2-20cm-1point2metre-distant-release-march4-2019-CLEP-CNSA_f8401.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/20190306_rock-Yutu2-20cm-1point2metre-distant-release-march4-2019-CLEP-CNSA_f8401.png 840w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/20190306_rock-Yutu2-20cm-1point2metre-distant-release-march4-2019-CLEP-CNSA_f8401-295x300.png 295w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/20190306_rock-Yutu2-20cm-1point2metre-distant-release-march4-2019-CLEP-CNSA_f8401-768x780.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18149\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Yutu-2 observes some Moon rocks during the rover&#8217;s third Lunar Day since landing on the far side.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>** <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/nasa-commercial-partners-key-to-sustainable-moon-presence\">NASA will pay companies with lunar spacecraft<\/a><\/strong> for delivery of scientific instruments and experiments to the Moon as soon as their spacecraft are ready to go: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-selects-experiments-for-possible-lunar-flights-in-2019\">NASA Selects Experiments for Possible Lunar Flights in 2019 &#8211; NASA<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>NASA has selected 12 science and technology demonstration payloads to fly to the Moon as early as the end of this year, dependent upon the availability of commercial landers. These selections represent an early step toward the agency\u2019s long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and, later, Mars.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>**<strong> NASA\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/lasp.colorado.edu\/home\/maven\/\">MAVEN<\/a> Mars orbiter to support communications<\/strong> with Mars 2020 rover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/03\/maven-lowers-orbit-solves-case-stolen-electrons\/\">MAVEN lowers orbit, solves case of the stolen electrons \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2019\/nasa-s-maven-spacecraft-shrinking-its-mars-orbit-to-prepare-for-mars-2020-rover\">MAVEN Spacecraft Shrinking its Orbit to Prepare for Mars 2020 Rover | NASA<\/a> &#8211;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>NASA\u2019s 4-year-old atmosphere-sniffing Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission is embarking on a new campaign today to tighten its orbit around Mars. The operation will reduce the highest point of the MAVEN spacecraft\u2019s elliptical orbit from 3,850 to 2,800 miles (6,200 to 4,500 kilometers) above the surface and prepare it to take on additional responsibility as a data-relay satellite for NASA\u2019s Mars 2020 rover, which launches next year.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cThe MAVEN spacecraft has done a phenomenal job teaching us how Mars lost its atmosphere and providing other important scientific insights on the evolution of the Martian climate,\u201d said Jim Watzin, director of NASA&#8217;s Mars Exploration Program. \u201cNow we\u2019re recruiting it to help NASA communicate with our forthcoming Mars rover and its successors.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>While MAVEN\u2019s new orbit will not be drastically shorter than its present orbit, even this small change will significantly improve its communications capabilities. \u201cIt\u2019s like using your cell phone,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/geologicalsciences\/bruce-jakosky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bruce Jakosky<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/maven\/overview\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MAVEN<\/a> principal investigator from the University of Colorado, Boulder. \u201cThe closer you are to a cell tower, the stronger your signal.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18148\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18148\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2019\/nasa-s-maven-spacecraft-shrinking-its-mars-orbit-to-prepare-for-mars-2020-rover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18148\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18148\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/mavenaerobrakingdiagram1.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"985,554\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MAVEN Aerobraking Diagram\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Aerobraking plan for MAVEN. (left) Current MAVEN orbit around Mars: 6,200 kilometers (~3,850 miles) at highest altitude, and an orbit period of about 4.5 hours. (center) Aerobraking process: MAVEN performs a series of \u201cdeep dip\u201d orbits approaching to within about 125 kilometers (~78 miles) of Mars at lowest altitude, causing drag from the atmosphere to slow down the spacecraft. Over roughly 360 orbits spanning 2.5 months, this technique reduces the spacecraft\u2019s altitude to about 4,500 kilometers (~2,800 miles) and its orbit period to about 3.5 hours. (right) Post-aerobraking orbit, with reduced altitude and shorter orbit period.&lt;br \/&gt;\nCredits: NASA\u2019s Scientific Visualization Studio\/Kel Elkins and Dan Gallagher&lt;br \/&gt;\nDownload in high resolution from the Scientific Visualization Studio&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/mavenaerobrakingdiagram1.jpeg\" class=\"wp-image-18148\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/mavenaerobrakingdiagram1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/mavenaerobrakingdiagram1.jpeg 985w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/mavenaerobrakingdiagram1-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/mavenaerobrakingdiagram1-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18148\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Aerobraking plan for MAVEN. (left) Current MAVEN orbit around Mars: 6,200 kilometers (~3,850 miles) at highest altitude, and an orbit period of about 4.5 hours. (center) Aerobraking process: MAVEN performs a series of \u201cdeep dip\u201d orbits approaching to within about 125 kilometers (~78 miles) of Mars at lowest altitude, causing drag from the atmosphere to slow down the spacecraft. Over roughly 360 orbits spanning 2.5 months, this technique reduces the spacecraft\u2019s altitude to about 4,500 kilometers (~2,800 miles) and its orbit period to about 3.5 hours. (right) Post-aerobraking orbit, with reduced altitude and shorter orbit period. Credits: NASA\u2019s Scientific Visualization Studio\/Kel Elkins and Dan Gallagher. <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/svs.gsfc.nasa.gov\/4702\"><em>Download in high resolution from the Scientific Visualization Studio<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>** <strong>More Mars caving<\/strong> via images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) camera : <a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/essays-and-commentaries\/another-batch-of-caves-pits-found-on-mars\/\">Another batch of caves\/pits found on Mars | Behind The Black<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18129\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18129\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/essays-and-commentaries\/another-batch-of-caves-pits-found-on-mars\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18129\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18129\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019FebruaryMaster1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"720,180\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Mars Pits\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Images from the MRO showing pits, located north and west of Arsia Mons. Credits Bob Zimmerman&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019FebruaryMaster1.jpg\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18129\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019FebruaryMaster1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019FebruaryMaster1.jpg 720w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019FebruaryMaster1-300x75.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18129\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Images from the MRO showing pits, located north and west of Arsia Mons. <a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/essays-and-commentaries\/another-batch-of-caves-pits-found-on-mars\/\">Credits Bob Zimmerman<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The November release imaged three pits found on the southern flanks of Arsia Mons. The January 2019 release found several north of the volcano, two of which are very close to the two middle new pits highlighted above. The February release, which is the focus of this post, included four more pits, shown above, all located north and west of Arsia Mons, as shown in the overview map [shown below in image from <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/pits2019February.jpg\">Behind the Black<\/a>].<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18130\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18130\" style=\"width: 351px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/essays-and-commentaries\/another-batch-of-caves-pits-found-on-mars\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18130\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18130\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019February1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"351,248\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MRO Image of Arsia Mons.\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;MRO images of Arsia Mons with notation by Bob Zimmerman .&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019February1.jpg\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18130\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019February1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"351\" height=\"248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019February1.jpg 351w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pits2019February1-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18130\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>MRO images of Arsia Mons with notation <a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/essays-and-commentaries\/another-batch-of-caves-pits-found-on-mars\/\">by Bob Zimmerman<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>** <strong>Our sun is spotless<\/strong> as it reaches a zero minimum in the current phase of the solar cycle. We will have to wait and see how long it remains in that state. <a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/points-of-information\/sunspot-update-february-2019-the-sun-flatlines-again\/\">Sunspot update February 2019: The Sun flatlines again | Behind The Black<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18145\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18145\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/points-of-information\/sunspot-update-february-2019-the-sun-flatlines-again\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18145\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18145\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/sunspot1903041.gif\" data-orig-size=\"720,550\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Sunspot cycle thru Feb 2019\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The number of sunspots in the current cycle since 2008. Annotated by Bob Zimmerman.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/sunspot1903041.gif\" class=\"wp-image-18145\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/sunspot1903041.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"397\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18145\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>The number of sunspots in the current cycle since 2008.<a href=\"https:\/\/behindtheblack.com\/behind-the-black\/points-of-information\/sunspot-update-february-2019-the-sun-flatlines-again\/\"> Annotated by Bob Zimmerman<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>** <strong>And our solar system is very big<\/strong>:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencemag.org\/news\/2019\/02\/astronomers-discover-solar-system-s-most-distant-object-nicknamed-farfarout\">Astronomers discover solar system\u2019s most distant object, nicknamed \u2018FarFarOut\u2019 &#8211; AAAS<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>For most people, snow days aren\u2019t very productive. Some people, though, use the time to discover the most distant object in the solar system.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>That\u2019s what Scott Sheppard, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., did this week when a snow squall shut down the city. A glitzy public talk he was due to deliver was delayed, so he hunkered down and did what he does best: sifted through telescopic views of the solar system\u2019s fringes that his team had taken last month during their search for a hypothesized<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencemag.org\/news\/2016\/01\/astronomers-say-neptune-sized-planet-lurks-beyond-pluto\"> ninth giant planet<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>That\u2019s when he saw it, a faint object at a distance 140 times farther from the sun than Earth\u2014the farthest solar system object yet known, some 3.5 times more distant than Pluto. The object, if confirmed, would break his team\u2019s own discovery, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencemag.org\/news\/2018\/12\/may-be-most-distant-object-our-solar-system\">announced in December 2018<\/a>, of a dwarf planet 120 times farther out than Earth, which they nicknamed \u201cFarout.\u201d For now, they are jokingly calling the new object \u201cFarFarOut.\u201d\u00a0\u201cThis is hot off the presses,\u201d he said during <a href=\"https:\/\/carnegiescience.edu\/planetx\">his rescheduled talk <\/a>on 21 February.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.missionjuno.swri.edu\/\">Juno&#8217;s<\/a> Jupiter images<\/strong> never get old: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/jpl\/dramatic-jupiter\">Dramatic Jupiter | NASA<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18152\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18152\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/thumbnails\/image\/pia22944.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18152\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18152\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pia229441.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1041,586\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1550520200&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Jupiter\u2019s northern hemisphere\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Jupiter\u2019s northern hemisphere as seen by Jupiter and image enhanced by citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pia229441-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18152\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pia229441-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pia229441-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pia229441-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pia229441-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pia229441.jpg 1041w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18152\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Jupiter\u2019s northern hemisphere as seen by Jupiter in an image enhanced by citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1250098963\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1250098963&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=hobbyspace&amp;linkId=55ed9e509e63ce1415500f5d234d1636\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1250098963\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=hobbyspace&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1250098963&amp;asins=1250098963&amp;linkId=06b5268baad8fe2fe8d39baba17fb36c&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"> <\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images related to space related sciences: ** Video shows Hayabusa2 landing on asteroid Ryuga and firing a projectile that stired up material from the surface to allow for capturing samples of the asteroid to return to earth: Watch Hayabusa2&#8217;s incredible touchdown on asteroid Ryugu | The Planetary Society &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18128\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space sciences roundup &#8211; March.7.2019<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,31,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asteroids","category-solar-science","category-space-science"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-4Io","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17993,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17993","url_meta":{"origin":18128,"position":0},"title":"Japan&#8217;s Hayabusa-2 grabs sample of asteroid Ryuga","author":"TopSpacer","date":"February 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"On Friday, Japan's Hayabusa 2 spacecraft maneuvered down to the surface of the small asteroid Ryugu and landed just long enough to extract a sample of surface material. Japanese probe lands on asteroid to capture sample \u2013 Spaceflight Now Hayabusa2 conducts touchdown on Asteroid Ryugu \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com Hayabusa2 has touched\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Asteroids &amp; Comets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Asteroids &amp; Comets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=75"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/2019022122021.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16299,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16299","url_meta":{"origin":18128,"position":1},"title":"Asteroid Day to include live webcast from Luxembourg + Hayabusa2 arrives at asteroid Ryugu","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Asteroid Day is this Saturday, June 30th. See the earlier posting here\u00a0about this global campaign to raise awareness of the threat of asteroid impacts. Check if one of the many events planned for Asteroid day around the world is near where you live. See also updates at\u00a0Asteroid Day \u2604 (@AsteroidDay)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Asteroids &amp; Comets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Asteroids &amp; Comets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=75"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/20180627_hayabusa2_011.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16783,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16783","url_meta":{"origin":18128,"position":2},"title":"The Japanese Hayabusa-2 spacecraft deployed two rovers onto the asteroid Ryugu","author":"TopSpacer","date":"September 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"On Friday the Japanese spacecraft\u00a0Hayabusa-2\u00a0has successfully placed two mini-rovers named MINERVA-II1A and MINERVA-II1B onto the near earth\u00a0asteroid Ryugu, which is about 1 kilometer (0.6\u00a0mi) in diameter:\u00a0\u00a0They Made It! Japan's Two Hopping Rovers Successfully Land on Asteroid Ryugu. Hayabusa-2 came within 55 meters of the surface of the asteroid to release\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Asteroids &amp; Comets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Asteroids &amp; Comets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=75"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/wAB-hv1S5N4\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16843,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16843","url_meta":{"origin":18128,"position":3},"title":"Video: Hayabusa-2 deploys MASCOT lander onto asteroid Ryuga","author":"TopSpacer","date":"October 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Japanese Hayabusa-2 spacecraft continues its deployment of remote-control systems onto the asteroid Ryuga (see earlier posting here about deployment of two micro-rovers). On Wednesday the spacecraft released the MASCOT (Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout) lander, which was built by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the French Space Agency (CNES).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Asteroids &amp; Comets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Asteroids &amp; Comets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=75"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Fig31-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19006,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19006","url_meta":{"origin":18128,"position":4},"title":"Space sciences roundup &#8211; June.13.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images from space-related science news items: ** ESA-led Heracles mission will return samples of the lunar surface to Earth: Landing on the Moon and returning home: Heracles - ESA The Heracles lander will target a previously unexplored region near the lunar South Pole\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Asteroids &amp; Comets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Asteroids &amp; Comets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=75"},"img":{"alt_text":"Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/tdm_dsoc1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18925,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18925","url_meta":{"origin":18128,"position":5},"title":"Space sciences roundup &#8211; June.5.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images from space-related science news items: [ Update: The InSight Mars lander team has come up with a plan for diagnosing and then testing a possible fix for the ground temperature probe that is stuck at a depth that is too shallow to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Asteroids &amp; Comets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Asteroids &amp; Comets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=75"},"img":{"alt_text":"Side by side observation and artist's impression of Asteroid 199","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Side_by_side_observation_and_artist_s_impression_of_Asteroid_1999_KW4_large1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Side_by_side_observation_and_artist_s_impression_of_Asteroid_1999_KW4_large1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Side_by_side_observation_and_artist_s_impression_of_Asteroid_1999_KW4_large1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18128"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18159,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18128\/revisions\/18159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}