Exploring Near-Earth Asteroids

Part of the Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration exhibition.

Near Earth Asteroid
Near-Earth asteroid
NASA

Asteroids are small rocky bodies that orbit the Sun. Most do so in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. But near-Earth asteroids orbit much closer to our planet—and sometimes even crash into it.

Can humans visit these space rocks? And when will one hit us again?

Article Will Humans Go? Sending human astronauts to near-Earth asteroids is a distinct possibility. Learning more about potentially hazardous asteroids could... Article Death from the Skies? Earth has been hit by asteroids before--a giant impact 65 million years ago likely caused the extinction of large dinosaurs. The...

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