NASA Asteroid mission


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The decision point on this $billion project is nearing

Option A: robotic spacecraft grabs a boulder size NEO and puts it in lunar orbit.

Option B: robotic spacecraft grabs a boulder off a larger asteroid and puts it in lunar orbit.

B is preferred, but is $100m plus more expensive.

After it's in lunar orbit the Orion spaceship and a crew would visit to do research and grab samples.

ISTM Falcon Heavy lets them do B at A's price. Apparently that's on NASA's mind too,

Alan Boyle @b0yle (NBC)

NASA's Lightfoot: Looking at SLS, Delta 4 Heavy and Falcon Heavy as launch options for asteroid mission.

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Blah. Asteroid Mission nonsense again.

 

They could more easily (and far more cheaply) capture said asteroid via probe, stow it somehow inside a sample return canister (however large), and we've got the asteroid more or less in pristine condition. We don't need a manned mission to retrieve it.

 

Instead, I'm for the Second Wave of International Lunar Missions, and eventually the International Lunar Colonies. A sincere, concerted and cooperative effort between all interested nations AND companies that would bring the best and brightest together for a truly monumental task. That's what I'd like to see. Sadly, I don't think it'll ever happen.

 

The Manned Mars Missions are not practical or feasible in the current political or business climate unless some serious changes occur in either technology or humanity itself, and they won't be for at least 20 years minimum. And that's a shame.

 

Let's be ambitious -- but let's have it mean something. Asteroid in a lunar parking orbit? Nah. All it will do is set the distance record for the farthest a manned spacecraft has been away from Earth, and that's it. An Asteroid Rendezvous/Return Mission is a complete stunt, and a waste of resources.

 

And I want it clear that my complaint is NOT against, nor is it to sully or discount the fine, talented and dedicated people who actually have to perform said mission, or build the hardware, nor do the operations stuff, of course -- who WILL do the mission to the best of their abilities. I am not speaking about those people, who have NO say in planning where the missions go. No, my complaint is lodged against the NASA Management and those in Washington who thought that it was a good idea in the first place.

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