ASTEROIDS AND SIMILAR BODIES RECENT NEWS - May 1st to 10th, 2026

[Saulo Machado]

ASTEROIDS AND SIMILAR BODIES RECENT NEWS

May 1st to 10th, 2026

 

Dear global community,

 

Here is a periodic compilation of recent news in some languages for the production of lectures, conferences, podcasts/videocasts, reading circles, conversations, and comparisons:

 

(ENG)

5/9 - Chang'e-6 Lunar Soil Reveals Changing History of Asteroid Impacts

https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/cas-in-media/202605/t20260509_1158641.shtml

 

5/8 - Asteroid Apophis will skim past Earth in 2029, and a new joint mission plans to watch every change

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-asteroid-apophis-skim-earth-joint.html

 

5/8 - NASA’s Psyche Mission to Fly by Mars for Gravity Assist

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-psyche-mission-to-fly-by-mars-for-gravity-assist/

 

5/8 - Artemis astronauts may find remnants of a 'decapitated' asteroid's impact on the moon

https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/a-bizarre-decapitated-asteroid-likely-made-the-moons-largest-impact-crater-nasas-artemis-astronauts-may-land-near-the-proof

 

5/8 - All the letters of the genetic code are found in samples from the asteroid Ryugu

https://universemagazine.com/en/all-the-letters-of-the-genetic-code-are-found-in-samples-from-the-asteroid-ryugu/

 

5/7 - The Asteroid Hunter

https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-asteroid-hunter

 

5/6 - To Build a City on Mars, We Might Need to Plunder the Asteroid Belt

https://www.universetoday.com/articles/to-build-a-city-on-mars-we-might-need-to-plunder-the-asteroid-belt

 

5/4 - Astronomers Find Atmosphere Around a Pluto-like World

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/pluto-like-object-has-an-atmosphere/

 

5/4 - Mathematical framework solves asteroid route planning exactly for first time

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mathematical-framework-asteroid-route.html

 

5/1 - A new way to plan trajectories to asteroids

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-trajectories-asteroids.html

 

 

(DUT)

5/8 - Mysterie aan de rand van ons zonnestelsel: piepklein hemellichaam heeft een atmosfeer (maar dat kan eigenlijk niet)

https://scientias.nl/mysterie-aan-de-rand-van-ons-zonnestelsel-piepklein-hemellichaam-heeft-een-atmosfeer-maar-dat-kan-eigenlijk-niet/

 

  

(ESP)  

5/8 - ESA y JAXA refuerzan su cooperación en defensa planetaria con la misión Ramses al asteroide Apophis

https://actualidadaeroespacial.com/esa-y-jaxa-refuerzan-su-cooperacion-en-defensa-planetaria-con-la-mision-ramses-al-asteroide-apophis/

 

5/6 - La NASA ultima la defensa planetaria: el NEO Surveyor entra en fase de pruebas

https://www.marca.com/tiramillas/ciencia/2026/05/06/nasa-ultima-defensa-planetaria-neo-surveyor-entra-fase-pruebas.html

 

5/6 - Un 'mini Plutón' imposible: descubren una atmósfera en un pequeño mundo que no debería tenerla

https://www.abc.es/ciencia/mini-pluton-imposible-descubren-atmosfera-pequeno-mundo-20260505010956-nt.html

 

 

(FRE)

5/6 - Les astronomes observent pour la toute première fois de l’eau sur les astéroïdes Iris et Massalia

https://amphisciences.ouest-france.fr/2026/05/les-astronomes-observent-pour-la-toute-premiere-fois-de-leau-sur-les-asteroides-iris-et-massalia/

 

5/6 - Au-delà de Pluton, un monde étrange qui semble doté d'une atmosphère

https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/espace/systeme-solaire/au-dela-de-pluton-un-monde-etrange-qui-semble-dote-d-une-atmosphere_192308

 

 

(GER)

5/9 - Dürfte eigentlich nicht existieren: Objekt neben Pluto besitzt eine Atmosphäre

https://www.focus.de/wissen/duerfte-eigentlich-nicht-existieren-objekt-neben-pluto-besitzt-eine-atmosphaere_e1298498-a962-4234-8a40-b5002991fec6.html

 

5/5 - Zwergplanet mit Atmosphäre

https://www.weltraum-aktuell.de/index.php/nachrichten2/1270-zwergplanet-mit-atmosphaere

 

 

(ITA)

5/9 - Psyche danza con Marte: spinta gravitazionale verso i segreti del Sistema Solare

https://www.meteoweb.eu/2026/05/psyche-danza-con-marte-spinta-gravitazionale-verso-i-segreti-del-sistema-solare/1001931306/

 

5/8 - Spazio, si rafforza la cooperazione tra Europa e Giappone nella difesa planetária

https://www.ansa.it/canale_scienza/notizie/spazio_astronomia/2026/05/08/spazio-si-rafforza-la-cooperazione-tra-europa-e-giappone-nella-difesa-planetaria_ee526fe8-e78a-4c57-8972-4edbc333d311.html

 

5/8 - L’asteroide “decapitato” che ha squarciato la Luna: il tesoro nascosto per gli astronauti Artemis

https://www.meteoweb.eu/2026/05/lasteroide-decapitato-che-ha-squarciato-la-luna-il-tesoro-nascosto-per-gli-astronauti-artemis/1001930972/

 

 

 

(POR)

5/8 - Esa e Jaxa firmam acordo para missão Ramses que monitorará asteroide Apophis em 2029

https://www.ocafezinho.com/2026/05/08/esa-e-jaxa-firmam-acordo-para-missao-ramses-que-monitorara-asteroide-apophis-em-2029/

 

5/8 - Este objeto do Sistema Solar exterior tem uma atmosfera, mas não deveria ter

https://www.ccvalg.pt/astronomia/noticias/2026/05/8_2002_xv93.htm

 

5/4 - Astrônomos descobrem atmosfera em pequeno mundo gelado nos 'confins' do Sistema Solar

https://g1.globo.com/ciencia/noticia/2026/05/04/astronomos-descobrem-atmosfera-em-pequeno-mundo-gelado-nos-confins-do-sistema-solar.ghtml

 

 

 

 

 

Asteroid missions schedule:

- July/26 – Tianwen arrives in Kamoʻoalewa

- July/26 – Hayabusa-2 Extended Mission - Flyby of 2001 CC21 (Torifune) - scheduled

- December/26 – Hera spacecraft arrives in Dimorphos.

- September/2027 – NEO Surveyor Telescope launch (planned)

- April/28 – Ramses launch to Apophis (planned)

- April/29 – OSIRIS-APEX arrives in Apophis

- August/29 – Psyche spacecraft arrives in Psyche

- July/31 - Hayabusa-2 Extended Mission - Rendezvous with 1998 KY26 - scheduled

 

Keep your audience informed about asteroids and planetary defense, always guarding them against misinformation and sensationalist news.

 

Register your event:

https://asteroidday.org/events/event-registration/add

 

Event report:

https://asteroidday.org/event-organizer-information/report-after-an-asteroid-day-event/

 

Best regards,

 

Saulo Machado

Global Event Coordinator