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What's New in Lunar & Planetary Science

Asteroid 1998 QE2 flew within 5.8 million km of Earth, making its closest approach at 20:59 UT (4:59 EDT) on 31 May. The asteroid is approximately 2.7 km across, and a small moon, roughly 600 meters across, has been discovered in orbit about 1998 QE2. More.....

Results from data collected by the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) mission during its cruise show that radiation levels for human explorers to Mars could be above acceptable limits with current shielding and propulsion systems. For more, see the May 30 NASA Press Release.

The OSIRIS-REx mission has passed its latest review and is moving ahead into development and testing. The mission, to be launched in 2016, will visit the asteroid Bennu in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023. More information is available in the NASA Press Release.

This Day in Planetary and Lunar Exploration History

June 19

1963: Mars 1 becomes the first spacecraft to fly by Mars, although communications had been lost.
1976: Viking 1 reaches Mars and goes into orbit.
2003: Nozomi, Japanese Mars mission, flies by Earth.