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OBAMA LIX: MODERN ICARUS In Greek mythology, Icarus was a typical kid, the kid who is full of spit and vinegar, an indelicate way of saying full of himself, invincible, and cocky. Exiled to Crete with Daedalus, his father, the skilled artist Daedalus fashioned a set of wings for himself and his son so that they could fly away home. Daedalus firmly cautioned Icarus not to fly too high or get too close to the sun because the handy dandy wings he had created had a manufacturer’s defect: They were made of wax and would melt. Sure enough, young Icarus...

Probe to 'look inside' asteroids By Paul Rincon BBC News Online science staff in Paris, France Studies of asteroids would aid Earth-protection strategies A new space mission concept unveiled at a Paris conference aims to look inside asteroids to reveal how they are made. Deep Interior would use radar to probe the origin and evolution of two near-Earth objects less than 1km across. The mission, which could launch some time later this decade, would also give clues to how the planets evolved. The perceived threat of asteroids colliding with our planet has renewed interest in space missions to understand these...