Goals for Near-Earth-Object Exploration Examined

Details Goals for Near-Earth-Object Exploration Examined Goals for Near-Earth-Object Exploration Examined

Sep 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010eostr..91..326s&link_type=abstract

Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, Volume 91, Issue 37, p. 326-327

Other

Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Asteroids, Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Instruments And Techniques, Public Issues: Science Policy (0485)

Scientific paper

With Japan's Hayabusa space probe having returned a sample of the Itokawa asteroid this past June, and with NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft impactor having successfully struck comet Tempel 1 in 2006, among other recent missions, the study of near-Earth objects (NEOs) recently has taken some major steps forward. The recent discovery of two asteroids that passed within the Moon's distance of Earth on 8 September is a reminder of the need to further understand NEOs. During NASA's Exploration of Near-Earth Objects (NEO) Objectives Workshop, held in August in Washington, D. C., scientists examined rationales and goals for studying NEOs. Several recent documents have recognized NEO research as important as a scientific precursor for a potential mission to Mars, to learn more about the origins of the solar system, for planetary defense, and for resource exploitation. The October 2009 Review of Human Space Flight Plans Committee report (known as the Augustine report), for example, recommended a “flexible path ” for human exploration, with people visiting sites in the solar system, including NEOs. The White House's National Space Policy, released in June, indicates that by 2025, there should be “crewed missions beyond the moon, including sending humans to an asteroid.” In addition, NASA's proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 calls for the agency to send robotic precursor missions to nearby asteroids and elsewhere and to increase funding for identifying and cataloging NEOs.

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