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Last updated 2010 February 3

SPACE MISSIONS

This page lists space missions to asteroids and comets and also those where these objects were observed but not necessarily as the prime objective of the mission.

1.0 Announcements

ESA Cosmic Vision 2015 – 2025

On 18 October 2007 candidate missions were selected for further assessment and consideration for launch in 2017/2018. Included is:

Marco Polo - a near-Earth object sample return mission

A sample-return mission to a near-Earth object (NEO), Marco Polo would characterise a NEO at multiple scales and return a sample. If approved, the mission would study the origins and evolution of the Solar System, the role of minor bodies in the process, origins and evolution of Earth and of life itself. It would consist of a mother satellite which would carry a lander, sampling devices, reentry capsule as well as instruments. If approved, the mission would be implemented in collaboration with JAXA.

More details can be found on the ESA website at

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=41438

2.0 Asteroids and Comets

Name	Launch Date	Objectives/Targets	Organisation	Mission Phase
Don Quijote		An NEO deflection test mission	ESA	Study
Osiris	2015	Sample return mission to asteroid 101955, (1999 RQ36)	NASA	Concept Study
NEOSSAT	2010	To discover Near Earth Asteroids and track high-altitude satellites	University of Calgary, Canadian Space Agency	Development
GAIA	2011	Census of one thousand million stars in our Galaxy, should identify tens of thousands of asteroids	ESA	Development
WISE	14 December 2009	WISE will study: asteroids, the coolest and dimmest stars, and the most luminous galaxies.	NASA	Operational
Dawn	27 Sep 2007	Ceres and Vesta	NASA	Operational
Hayabusa	9 May 2003	Sample return mission to 1998 SF36 (Itokawa). Scheduled to return to Earth in Jun 2010.	ISAS	Operational
Rosetta	2 Mar 2004	Comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko which it will reach in 2014. Passed by (2867) Steins in 2008 and will fly by (21) Lutetia in 2010	ESA	Operational
New Horizons	19 Jan 2006	Pluto and Charon, Kuiper Belt	NASA	Operational
Messenger	3 Aug 2004	Primary target is the planet Mercury but a search for Vulcanoid asteroids will also be conducted	NASA	Operational
EPOXI (Retargeting of Deep Impact Spacecraft)	-	Comet Hartley 2 which it is scheduled to reach on 4 Nov 2010	NASA	Operational
IUE	Jan 1978	Making ultraviolet observations, Halley’s Comet during its 1986 visit, Jupiter’s atmosphere after the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy in 1994.	ESA, NASA, PPARC	Mission completed 1996
Giotto	2 Jul 1985	Comets Halley and Grigg–Skjellerup	ESA	Mission completed 1992
Hipparcos	8 Aug 1989	To measure the positions, distances, motions, brightness and colours of stars	ESA	Mission completed Aug 1993
NEAR	17 Feb 1996	Eros	NASA	Mission completed 28 Feb 2001
Deep Space 1	24 Oct 1998	Technology test vehicle, Comet Borrelly	NASA	Mission completed 18 Dec 2001
Stardust	7 Feb 1999	Collect dust samples from Comet Wild 2	NASA	Mission completed 15 Jan 2006
Deep Impact	12 Jan 2005	Comet Tempel 1	NASA	Mission completed August 2005

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