NASA to stand down further work on Janus mission to study two near-Earth binary asteroids

NASA has officially concluded the Janus mission designed to send twin small satellite spacecraft to study two near-Earth binary asteroid systems.

The Janus mission was originally scheduled to launch as a rideshare on the same rocket as the Psyche mission which missed its planned 2022 launch period and is now targeting October 2023 launch. The postponed launch made its asteroid targets inaccessible, due to which NASA decided to end the mission.

"After considering the opportunities and requirements for alternative missions using the twin spacecraft, and the expected resources available to planetary science in the next few years, NASA has decided to stand down further work on the Janus mission," the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

The project will prepare the twin spacecraft for storage, keeping them available for potential future utilization should funding become available.

Janus was part of NASA's SIMPLEx (Small, Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration) program, which provides opportunities for low-cost, high-risk science missions to ride-share with selected primary missions.

Due to a postponed launch that made its asteroid targets inaccessible, NASA has decided to conclude the Janus mission. Janus was part of our SIMPLEx program of low-cost, high risk science missions ride-sharing with primary missions. https://t.co/wZEZbxedyw

— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) July 11, 2023

While the Janus mission may have been concluded, NASA's commitment to exploring the mysteries of the universe remains steadfast. The upcoming Psyche mission will explore a metallic asteroid of the same name that lies in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The giant metal-rich world, possibly leftover core material from a planetesimal (the first building blocks of planets), could provide clues about how Earth's core came to be.

Psyche will reach its target asteroid in August 2029 following its launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A