Asteroid Institute

09/03/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist, Queen guitarist, cofounder of and B612 Strategic Advisor, on receiving the National Space Society’s 2020 Space Pioneer Award for promoting public awareness of space.

Dr. May joins fellow Asteroid Day and B612 cofounder astronaut , who received the Space Pioneer Award in 2009 for Historic Space Achievement. Both have spent decades bringing the science of our solar system to a wider audience.

08/24/2026

"The technology issues of planetary defense pale in comparison with the geopolitical issues." — B612 Cofounder Rusty Schweickart, on Lowell Observatory's Star Stuff podcast.

Deciding how to deflect an asteroid is a solvable technical problem. Deciding which direction to nudge it — when different countries sit along the same potential impact line — is a much harder one. Worth the full listen: https://bit.ly/4wEWygE

In this episode of Star Stuff, retired NASA astronaut and B612 Foun...

08/11/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Joe DeMartini, the first student recipient, on being honored with asteroid 20413 Josephdemartini at the 2026 Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (ACM) Conference!

Joe's 2024 Schweickart Prize-winning SUNSET proposal reflected the Prize's mission to support bold, early-career ideas that strengthen planetary defense. Today, he's continuing that work as a postdoctoral researcher studying asteroid surfaces and interiors at the University of Helsinki.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4g0Ohgz

07/23/2026

The is officially LIVE! Use your Heritage Auctions account to bid on items from Rusty Schweickart’s Personal Collection including: flown checklists used on the mission, pins, patches, flags, and more. All proceeds support the to advance planetary defense. Join the auction: https://bit.ly/4xjkBmb

07/22/2026

’s legacy reaches far beyond . As an , engineer and a pioneer in planetary defense, he spent his life exploring new frontiers and working to protect our future.

On July 23-24, the offers a rare opportunity to own a piece of that legacy through flown Apollo 9 artifacts and personal mementos that accompanied Rusty throughout his extraordinary journey.

Bidding is now open: https://bit.ly/4yiWaGL

07/22/2026

is now open.

"Protecting our planet will require ideas we have not yet imagined, from people we may not yet know."

That simple idea sits at the heart of the .

Past winners have proposed new approaches to detection, international cooperation, and protecting humanity's future in space. Tomorrow's breakthrough may come from someone we've never heard of, tackling a problem we haven't yet anticipated.

By participating in the Schweickart Auction, you're doing more than preserving a remarkable piece of space history—you're helping invest in the people and ideas that will define its future.

The Schweickart Prize turns Apollo's legacy into tomorrow's innovation by supporting bold ideas in planetary defense.

07/21/2026

The is happening this Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24. Participate LIVE and setup an account with Heritage Auctions to own a piece from ’s Private Collection. Proceeds go to support the , advancing the future of planetary defense.

https://bit.ly/4pydyD9

07/21/2026

Among the flags carried aboard mission was one that represented something larger than any single nation: a United Nations flag.

While many flown flags reflected places, partnerships, or institutions connected to the mission, this one reflected how viewed the endeavor itself.

“For me, we were representing humanity going into space.”

It’s a simple statement, but one that captures a perspective that would continue to shape Schweickart’s life long after Apollo—from international cooperation in space exploration to his later work in planetary defense.

Carried into orbit in March 1969, the flag remains a tangible reminder of a moment when humanity’s reach extended beyond Earth, and of the idea that exploration belongs to all of us. https://bit.ly/4fcWQ90

07/15/2026

Among the items in the is a flown mission patch carried aboard the mission, symbolizing the pivotal role Apollo 9 played in making the landings possible.

At first glance, the Apollo 9 mission patch looks straightforward: a Saturn V rocket, the Command Module, and the Lunar Module that would eventually carry astronauts to the Moon.

But hidden in the design is a small detail with outsized significance: The "D" in Commander Jim McDivitt's name is filled in red. This was a reference to Apollo 9's designation as the "D Mission" in NASA's original roadmap to the Moon, the first crewed mission intended to test the Lunar Module and Command Module together in flight.

Apollo 9 had the simple but critical job to prove that the hardware and procedures required for a lunar landing actually worked. Without its success, Apollo 10 and Apollo 11 could not have followed. https://bit.ly/4bq3gza

07/13/2026

How do we find asteroids before they find us? Hear researchers Alec Koumjian and Joachim Moeyens discuss AI, the future of discovery and the exciting potential of the Rubin Observatory 🔭 Watch now on The Quantum Record:

In this episode of The Quantum Feedback Loop Podcast, we speak with...