NASA plans for Orion trip to Asteroid 2000SG344

[Boris_Badenov]

<p><font size="2">I found this over at</font> <font size="2">NASA SpaceFlight, it's not new news, but it does answer some of the questions we had last year about the proposed asteroid mission. Of course, nothing is carved in marble yet (it could very well be canceled by a future administration) but the very small size of the target asteroid (40 meters diameter) is a damned interesting choice. This says to me they are planning on attempting to adjust the orbit of one (hopefully for mining purposes)&nbsp;in the foreseeable future. </font></p><font size="2"><p><font size="3">NASA plans for Orion trip to Asteroid 2000SG344</font></p><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/may/07/starsgalaxiesandplanets.spaceexploration" title="NASA plans for Orion trip to Asteroid 2000SG344"></p></a></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<p><font size="2"><font size="2">Orbit Diagram</font>&nbsp;from JPL.</font></p><p><font size="2">&nbsp;It&nbsp; stays in very nearly the same orbit as Earth, but the close pass isn't until something like 2029. I certainly hope they don't wait until then to launch the mission. I'll be pushing 70 by then (if I'm even still alive).</font></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<font size="2">Did everybody miss this thread?</font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[Cygnus_2112]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Did everybody miss this thread? <br /> Posted by boris1961</DIV></p><p>It is not a planned mission.&nbsp; Just a study of some of the other things that can be done with Constellation hardware </p>

 

[shuttle_guy]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Orbit Diagram&nbsp;from JPL.&nbsp;It&nbsp; stays in very nearly the same orbit as Earth, but the close pass isn't until something like 2029. I certainly hope they don't wait until then to launch the mission. I'll be pushing 70 by then (if I'm even still alive). <br />Posted by boris1961</DIV></p><p>NASA's thinking seems to be to do the mission after returning to the Moon which is planned around 2020.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[shuttle_guy]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>NASA's thinking seems to be to do the mission after returning to the Moon which is planned around 2020. <br />Posted by shuttle_guy</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I certainly agree that it would be a very exciting mission that could excite the younger generations of humans.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<font face="Helvetica" size="2"><p>INTO THE BEYOND: A CREWED MISSION TO A NEAR-EARTH OBJECT</p><p>Here's a little more in depth info.</p></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<p><font size="2"><font size="2">Into The Beyond: A Crewed Mission To A Near Earth Object</font>&nbsp;</font></p><p><font size="2">Here's another NASA presentation.</font></p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<p><font color="#333399"><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>...the very small size of the target asteroid (40 meters diameter) is a damned interesting choice. This says to me they are planning on attempting to adjust the orbit of one (hopefully for mining purposes)&nbsp;in the foreseeable future.... --&nbsp; Posted by boris1961</DIV><br /></font>To me the choice of a very small target simply means that they want to avoid the complications that the gravity of a large object would present.&nbsp; <br /> </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>To me the choice of a very small target simply means that they want to avoid the complications that the gravity of a large object would present.&nbsp; <br />Posted by centsworth_II</DIV></p><p><font size="2">I think it's more of an available target. In one of the diagrams, the craft leaves Earth orbit & essentially "slows" down to meet up with the target, then speeds up & stays with it until it passes Earth x number of days later. Delta V is probably the deciding factor here, rather than gravity.</font></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>