Topic: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Why James Cameron and Larry Page want to mine asteroids (+video)

Google execs and filmmaker Cameron are investing in a space mining venture. The goal: create space-based refueling stations on asteroids

Photos of asteroid Vesta reveal bright, ancient rock and dark, melted stone

The new photos of Vesta from NASA's Dawn spacecraft highlight odd, shiny spots that are nearly twice as bright as other parts of the asteroid — suggesting it is original material left over from the space rock's birth 4 billion years ago, NASA officials said today.

Comet's fiery plunge may tell us how planets form

For the first time, scientists have caught a glimpse of a comet's final minutes before it was vaporized by the sun. The comet was flying at about 1.4 million miles an hour.

Mars rover gets 'engine' upgrade: Curiosity fueled by nuclear power

The next Mars rover, Curiosity, is scheduled to launch Saturday. It's the first Mars rover to jettison solar panels for nuclear power, meaning it can go places and do things others couldn't. 

New images of protoplanet Vesta reveal mountain bigger than Everest

Planetary scientists are getting an initial look at the protoplanet Vesta via NASA's Dawn mission, revealing a surprising range of features – including long parallel troughs around the equator.

Messenger's message from Mercury: Time to rewrite the textbooks

Scientists with the Messenger mission to Mercury unveiled their findings Thursday, which are answering some decades-old mysteries – but also creating new ones.

Pluto moon discovery hints at future surprises for NASA probe

Pluto moon: The tiny new moon — announced July 20 and called P4 for now — brings the number of known Pluto satellites to four.

NASA's Messenger probe beams back amazing images of Mercury

NASA's Messenger probe, the first spacecraft ever to orbit Mercury, has already taken more than 20,000 images.

How Mercury is like Saturn (and other surprises from NASA's orbiter)

NASA's Messenger craft has been orbiting Mercury for 88 days. Among its findings: a Saturn-like magnetic field, high concentrations of sulfur, and some support for the notion there is water ice in shadowed craters.

Voyager 1 encounters the unexpected at edge of the solar system

Voyager 1 has entered a place where the solar wind is no longer blowing. The finding suggests a 'doldrums' on the farthest edge of the solar system that scientists had not forecast.

First photo of Mercury from orbiting spacecraft

The first of thousands of new photos of Mercury was released by NASA Tuesday. The Messenger spacecraft is the first to orbit Mercury and has begun a one-year mission to map the planet closest to the Sun.

NASA milestone: MESSENGER spacecraft enters orbit around Mercury

Mercury had been excluded from the travels of instrument-loaded orbiters because of the difficulty of the mission – until now. On Thursday, the NASA MESSENGER started orbiting the planet.

NASA probe poised to be first to orbit Mercury

After a journey of 6 1/2 years, nearly 15 laps around the sun, NASA's Messenger spacecraft will perform its orbital insertion maneuver on Thursday, becoming the first spacecraft to enter Mercury's orbit.

Did asteroids bring water to Earth?

Water ice discovered on the surface of an asteroid orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Mars lends credibility to the theory that asteroids, not comets, brought water to Earth.

NASA's Messenger probe reveals new clues about Mercury

Mercury, the oddest of the rocky planets, has been little understood by scientists. But on a swing by the planet, NASA's Messenger sent back intriguing data about Mercury's surface minerals and volcanic activity.

Astronomers spot planetary wreckage around distant star

Comet Lulin arrives tonight - break out your telescopes

On Saturn's moons, some unexpected hints of water

Cassini flyby reveals water vapor in plume from Enceladus. A hidden ocean on Titan?