Asteroid Impact Mission: Target Asteroid 65803 Didymos

[Rick]

Asteroid Impact Mission: Target Asteroid 65803 Didymos

The target of the AIM mission is asteroid 65803 Didymos (1996 GT), an Apollo-type near-Earth object (NEO) with a perihelion (minimum distance to the Sun) that is just below the aphelion radius (maximum distance to the Sun) of Earth orbit. Didymos is a binary asteroid; the primary body has a diameter of around 775 m and a rotation period of 2.26 hours, whereas the secondary body (informally called Didymoon) has a diameter of around 165 m and rotates around the primary at a distance of around 1.2 km in around 12 hours.

In 2015 telescopes around the globe homed in on the Didymos system to study the shape and size of the double asteroid and try to ascertain the orbital pole of Didymos and refine the shape model of the primary, among other things, to help plan ESA's AIM mission proposal, which is part of the AIDA project.

More from ESA

[Rick]

NASA Asteroid Redirect Mission Completes Design Milestone

Following a key program review, NASA approved the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) to proceed to the next phase of design and development for the mission's robotic segment. ARM is a two-part mission that will integrate robotic and crewed spacecraft operations in the proving ground of deep space to demonstrate key capabilities needed for NASA's journey to Mars.

The milestone, known as Key Decision Point-B, or KDP-B, was conducted in July and formally approved by agency management Aug. 15. It is one in a series of project lifecycle milestones that every spaceflight mission for the agency passes as it progresses toward launch. At KDP-B, NASA established the content, cost, and schedule commitments for Phase B activities.

More: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6593