Asteroid Redirect Mission to bring an Asteroid close to Earth for Study could Save Earth from Deadly Asteroid Impact

NASA announced last week that it has completed the first step toward a mission aimed at finding and capturing a near-Earth asteroid and then redirecting it to a stable lunar where humans could easily be sent to study it.

Among the scientific benefits of the mission, would be gaining an understanding of the dynamics involved in redirecting an asteroid which could pose a deadly impact threat for the Earth.

NASA leaders from all over the country joined together to review a number of proposals, concepts and alternatives for each phase of the asteroid mission. In addition to internal documents, there were over 400 proposals from industry, universities, and the public.

“At this meeting, we engaged in the critically important work of examining initial concepts to meet the goal of asteroid retrieval and exploration,” said NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot, who chaired the review at the agency’s headquarters in Washington.

“The agency’s science, technology and human exploration teams are working together to better understand near Earth asteroids, including ones potentially hazardous to our planet; demonstrate new technologies; and to send humans farther from home than ever before. I was extremely proud of the teams and the progress they have made so far. I look forward to integrating the inputs as we develop the mission concept further.”

More information about NASA’s asteroid initiative can be found online at: http://www.nasa.gov/asteroidinitiative