September 26, 2017

Newly Discovered Football Field-Sized Asteroid Passes by Earth on Monday (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
A newly detected football field-sized asteroid, designated 2017 RW1, is slated to miss our planet on Monday, September 25, 2017. The space rock, estimated to be 34–110 meters in diameter, is expected to fly by Earth at a distance of approximately 10.9 lunar distances (LD), or 4.19 million kilometers.

The Apollo-type asteroid 2017 RW1 was first spotted on September 12, 2017, using the Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) telescope at the summit of Haleakala on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) is an astronomical survey consisting of astronomical cameras, telescopes, and a computing facility, surveying the sky for moving objects on a continual basis. (9/23)

Ghost in the Machine (Source: Space Review)
A common theme in space missions is that spacecraft are able to do so much with so little computing power on board. Dwayne Day reflects on what happens when the computing power, and intelligence, of those missions shifts from the ground to future, more capable spacecraft. Click here. (9/25)
 
The Outer Space Treaty at 50: An Enduring Basis for Cooperative Security (Source: Space Review)
October marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Outer Space Treaty, but some are concerned about its long-term viability. Paul Meyer suggests some diplomatic steps that can be taken to support the treaty. Click here. (9/25)
 
Space Looks Up Down Under (Source: Space Review)
As the world’s space community meets in Australia this week for the International Astronautical Congress, the country’s government made news about plans for a national space agency. Jeff Foust reports on the agency and the limited details offered to date about what that agency will, or could, do. Click here. (9/25)
 
Moon or Mars: Why Not Both? (Source: Space Review)
Interest in redirecting NASA’s human spaceflight plans back to the Moon have some worried about another fight breaking out regarding the Moon versus Mars. Chris Carberry, Joe Cassady, and Rick Zucker argue that there’s room for both, using different approaches. Click here. (9/25)

SpaceX Gears Up for a Busy Autumn (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
October and November are lining up to be busy months for SpaceX. If everything goes according to plan, the NewSpace firm is poised to launch (and land) three Falcon 9 rockets, and it also hopes to carry out the first launch of a “Falcon Heavy” in November. These efforts promise a challenging autumn for Elon Musk’s entrepreneurial space company. (9/25)