#National Aeronautics and Space Administration

For years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other organisations have been scanning the skies for asteroids and comets travelling close to Earth, studying the possible hazards that such objects might entail. During special drills, they are now set to exercise what to do if the worst-case scenario becomes reality.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Coast Guard in this week has tested out the experimental Orion spacecraft’s return capsule by landing it in the Gulf of Mexico. The Orion is meant to be a modular spacecraft for use in missions as diverse as asteroid redirection and building settlements in Mars’ orbit.

A football-field size balloon with an attached telescope to examine solar flares has been recovered after spending a year on the Antarctic ice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced in a press release.