Philosophy
This is ridiculous. Would the asteroid have any effect on Earth's tides?
by
Jeff Hecht
January 2nd, 2013
New Scientist
Who says NASA has lost interest in the moon? Along with rumours of a hovering lunar base, there are reports that the agency is considering a proposal to capture an asteroid and drag it into the moon's orbit.
Researchers with the Keck Institute for Space Studies in California have confirmed that NASA is mulling over their plan to build a robotic spacecraft to grab a small asteroid and place it in high lunar orbit. The mission would cost about $2.6 billion – slightly more than NASA's Curiosity Mars rover – and could be completed by the 2020s.
For now, NASA's only official plans for human spaceflight involve sending a crewed capsule, called Orion, around the moon. The Obama administration has said it also wants to send astronauts to a near-Earth asteroid. One proposed target, chosen because of its scientific value and favourable launch windows for a rendezvous, is a space rock called 1999 AO10. The mission would take about half a year, exposing astronauts to long-term radiation beyond Earth's protective magnetic field and taking them beyond the reach of any possible rescue.
Robotically bringing an asteroid to the moon instead would be a more attractive first step, the Keck researchers conclude, because an object orbiting the moon would be in easier reach of robotic probes and maybe even humans.
Catch and release
The Keck team envisions launching a slow-moving spacecraft, propelled by solar-heated ions, on an Atlas V rocket. The craft would then propel itself out to a target asteroid, probably a small space rock about 7 metres wide. After studying it briefly, the robot would catch the asteroid in a bag measuring about 10 metres by 15 metres and head back towards the moon. Altogether it would take about six to 10 years to deliver the asteroid to lunar orbit.
The project still needs some technical and scientific fine-tuning, says co-leader Louis Friedman of the Planetary Society, but he sees it as an important boost to exploration.
For instance, NASA has also expressed interest in putting astronauts on an outpost parked in orbit at the Earth-moon Lagrange point 2. From there they could study a captured asteroid using telepresence technology, or even practise human landings on its surface.
Such work could help develop ways to use asteroid material for construction or spaceship fuels, making the captured asteroid a stepping stone for human missions to larger asteroids and eventually to Mars.
A moon-orbiting asteroid would probably also be of interest to private companies proposing human missions to the lunar surface for scientific exploration and mining studies.
- Grab Your Moderately Powerful Telescope...asteroid 2005 Yu55 Will Be Nearby
"Giant Asteroid to Buzz Earth Tuesday; When and How to See It" Space rock as big as 2005 YU55 hasn't gotten so close since 1976. by Ker Than November 7th, 2011 National Geographic An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will make a close pass...
- Earth And Asteroid 2010 Tk7
Asteroid 2010 TK7 Earth has been playing "follow the leader" with a trojan asteroid for thousands of years. The first near-Earth object other than the moon to have ever been identified, TK7 shares the same orbit as our planet but about 50 million...
- Asteroids In Nasa's Crosshairs
What an idiotic idea to spend bucks and talent to think of this now. Efforts can better be placed elsewhere. "Daunting space task -- send astronauts to asteroid" by Seth Borenstein July 23rd, 2011 Associated Press With the space shuttle now history,...
- Nutty Idea From A Nutty Administration
Not a good or feasible idea. "Obama plan to land on asteroid may be unrealistic for 2025" by Traci Watson June 21st, 2010 USA TODAY Millions of miles from Earth, two astronauts hover weightlessly next to a giant space rock, selecting pebbles for scientific...
- Obama Placates The Masses
Overall the new science budget philosophy of Obama's is sound and realistic but this nonsense of going to Mars [in his lifetime] is shallow and unrealistic...unless he lives another 500 years. "Obama Sees Manned Missions to Mars" April 15th, 2010...
Philosophy
A lunar satellite?
This is ridiculous. Would the asteroid have any effect on Earth's tides?
"NASA mulls plan to drag asteroid into moon's orbit"
by
Jeff Hecht
January 2nd, 2013
New Scientist
Who says NASA has lost interest in the moon? Along with rumours of a hovering lunar base, there are reports that the agency is considering a proposal to capture an asteroid and drag it into the moon's orbit.
Researchers with the Keck Institute for Space Studies in California have confirmed that NASA is mulling over their plan to build a robotic spacecraft to grab a small asteroid and place it in high lunar orbit. The mission would cost about $2.6 billion – slightly more than NASA's Curiosity Mars rover – and could be completed by the 2020s.
For now, NASA's only official plans for human spaceflight involve sending a crewed capsule, called Orion, around the moon. The Obama administration has said it also wants to send astronauts to a near-Earth asteroid. One proposed target, chosen because of its scientific value and favourable launch windows for a rendezvous, is a space rock called 1999 AO10. The mission would take about half a year, exposing astronauts to long-term radiation beyond Earth's protective magnetic field and taking them beyond the reach of any possible rescue.
Robotically bringing an asteroid to the moon instead would be a more attractive first step, the Keck researchers conclude, because an object orbiting the moon would be in easier reach of robotic probes and maybe even humans.
Catch and release
The Keck team envisions launching a slow-moving spacecraft, propelled by solar-heated ions, on an Atlas V rocket. The craft would then propel itself out to a target asteroid, probably a small space rock about 7 metres wide. After studying it briefly, the robot would catch the asteroid in a bag measuring about 10 metres by 15 metres and head back towards the moon. Altogether it would take about six to 10 years to deliver the asteroid to lunar orbit.
The project still needs some technical and scientific fine-tuning, says co-leader Louis Friedman of the Planetary Society, but he sees it as an important boost to exploration.
For instance, NASA has also expressed interest in putting astronauts on an outpost parked in orbit at the Earth-moon Lagrange point 2. From there they could study a captured asteroid using telepresence technology, or even practise human landings on its surface.
Such work could help develop ways to use asteroid material for construction or spaceship fuels, making the captured asteroid a stepping stone for human missions to larger asteroids and eventually to Mars.
A moon-orbiting asteroid would probably also be of interest to private companies proposing human missions to the lunar surface for scientific exploration and mining studies.
- Grab Your Moderately Powerful Telescope...asteroid 2005 Yu55 Will Be Nearby
"Giant Asteroid to Buzz Earth Tuesday; When and How to See It" Space rock as big as 2005 YU55 hasn't gotten so close since 1976. by Ker Than November 7th, 2011 National Geographic An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will make a close pass...
- Earth And Asteroid 2010 Tk7
Asteroid 2010 TK7 Earth has been playing "follow the leader" with a trojan asteroid for thousands of years. The first near-Earth object other than the moon to have ever been identified, TK7 shares the same orbit as our planet but about 50 million...
- Asteroids In Nasa's Crosshairs
What an idiotic idea to spend bucks and talent to think of this now. Efforts can better be placed elsewhere. "Daunting space task -- send astronauts to asteroid" by Seth Borenstein July 23rd, 2011 Associated Press With the space shuttle now history,...
- Nutty Idea From A Nutty Administration
Not a good or feasible idea. "Obama plan to land on asteroid may be unrealistic for 2025" by Traci Watson June 21st, 2010 USA TODAY Millions of miles from Earth, two astronauts hover weightlessly next to a giant space rock, selecting pebbles for scientific...
- Obama Placates The Masses
Overall the new science budget philosophy of Obama's is sound and realistic but this nonsense of going to Mars [in his lifetime] is shallow and unrealistic...unless he lives another 500 years. "Obama Sees Manned Missions to Mars" April 15th, 2010...