NASA’s NEOWISE mission, which has been instrumental in tracking asteroids and comets that could potentially threaten Earth, has officially come to an end after more than a decade of groundbreaking work. Engineers on the mission recently commanded the spacecraft to shut down its transmitter for the final time, marking the conclusion of a successful planetary defense mission.
The final command was issued from the Earth Orbiting Missions Operation Center at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, with past and present mission members in attendance alongside officials from the agency’s headquarters in Washington. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System then relayed the signal to NEOWISE, officially decommissioning the spacecraft. NASA had previously announced that the spacecraft’s science survey had concluded on July 31, with all remaining data being downlinked from the spacecraft.
Nicola Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, reflected on the success of the NEOWISE mission, stating, “The NEOWISE mission has been an extraordinary success story as it helped us better understand our place in the universe by tracking asteroids and comets that could be hazardous for us on Earth. While we are sad to see this brave mission come to an end, we are excited for the future scientific discoveries it has opened by setting the foundation for the next generation planetary defense telescope.”
The decision to end the NEOWISE mission was driven by the spacecraft’s impending drop in orbit around Earth, making it unable to provide usable science data. Increased solar activity has been heating the upper atmosphere, causing it to expand and create drag on the spacecraft. Without a propulsion system to maintain its orbit, NEOWISE is expected to safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere by late 2024.
NEOWISE’s journey began with the WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission, which launched in December 2009 with a seven-month mission to scan the entire infrared sky. Despite running out of coolant that kept heat interference at bay, WISE surpassed its objectives with remarkable sensitivity. The mission was extended as NEOWISE until February 2011 to complete a survey of main belt asteroids before being put into hibernation.
In 2013, NEOWISE was brought out of hibernation under the Near-Earth Object Observations Program, continuing its survey of asteroids and comets for planetary defense purposes. The mission has been instrumental in mapping the skies and understanding the near-Earth environment, making significant discoveries along the way.
By observing the sky from low Earth orbit, NEOWISE created all-sky maps with over 1.45 million infrared measurements of more than 44,000 solar system objects. It detected over 3,000 near-Earth objects, with 215 being first spotted by NEOWISE. Additionally, the mission discovered 25 new comets, including the widely known comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE that graced the night sky in the summer of 2020.
Amy Mainzer, principal investigator for both NEOWISE and the upcoming NEO Surveyor mission at the University of California, Los Angeles, emphasized the lasting impact of the NEOWISE mission. She stated, “The NEOWISE mission has provided a unique, long-duration data set of the infrared sky that will be used by scientists for decades to come. But its additional legacy is that it has helped lay the groundwork for NASA’s next planetary defense infrared space telescope.”
Looking ahead, NASA is actively developing NEO Surveyor, its first purpose-built infrared space telescope for detecting near-Earth objects. Managed by JPL, NEO Surveyor will enhance the capabilities of the international planetary defense community, with a launch date set for no earlier than 2027.
Subheadings:
NEOWISE Mission: A Decade of Discovery
The NEOWISE mission has been a pivotal player in tracking potentially hazardous asteroids and comets for over a decade, providing valuable insights into our understanding of the universe.
Legacy of NEOWISE and Future Endeavors
As NEOWISE concludes its mission, its legacy lives on in the data it has collected and the groundwork it has laid for future planetary defense efforts through missions like NEO Surveyor.
Impact on Planetary Defense and Scientific Exploration
NEOWISE’s contributions to planetary defense and scientific exploration have been significant, paving the way for continued advancements in understanding near-Earth objects and potential threats to our planet.