NASA would like to be able to push an asteroid to the moon's surrounding orbit

[NovusBal]

Source: http://www.eteknix.com/nasa-wants-install-robot-asteroid-push-orbit-around-moon/

 

NASA has unveiled its ambitious plan to collect a massive space rock, attach a robotic space craft, and move the rock into orbit around the Earth’s moon. The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), planned for some time during the 2020s, will allow astronauts to explore the surface of the rock and return with samples.

 

 

Ok, this doesn't seem like much to some people, but this can in-fact be a small but very significant step towards many space related objectives.

 

Think about it, if you can control an asteroid and place it where need be, then you can take samples, and not only that, but possibly gather the valuable materials on that asteroid to be brought back to earth, that could even be expanded in the future to become the form of "Space gathering".

 

Although we have to see if the costs of achieving this is in-fact worth what we could receive, it's a step in the right direction in my books.

 

Incoming weaponised asteroid references...

 

Below is a video demonstrating what they intend to do:

 

 

What does everyone think? Would you be excited to see the start of space expansion and objectives within your life-time? I sure would.

[Altecice]

Its worth pointing out that the size of the planned asteroid is very small (7-10m wide). Still amazing to think about though!

[FAQBytes]

Once this is capable of being done on a large scale, Astro-mining can become a big thing.

[Aytex]

we can now play space engineers irl

[GDRRiley]

just like in KSP(kerbal space program)

[Serin]

Maybe we can finally start calling them ''only-rare-on-Earth minerals''.
Hopefully we'll learn a lot about harvesting asteroids from doing so, it'l be important to the future.

[Enderman]

Its worth pointing out that the size of the planned asteroid is very small (7-10m wide). Still amazing to think about though!

that's still large enough to make it through the atmosphere and kill someone...

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question486.htm

[NovusBal]

Quickly updated with the video for those not going off-site, it shows the process and what they intend to do.

[Altecice]

that's still large enough to make it through the atmosphere and kill someone...

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question486.htm

 

Hmm worth a lot as well considering a 45m wide asteroid would be worth roughly $195 Billion.

http://www.space.com/19758-asteroid-worth-billions-2012-da14-flyby.html

[Alurit]

Hmm worth a lot as well considering a 45m wide asteroid would be worth roughly $195 Billion.

http://www.space.com/19758-asteroid-worth-billions-2012-da14-flyby.html

a 45m wide asteroid is 91.125 times as big as a 10m wide, meaning if it has the same value per volume it only $2b

[Beskamir]

just like in KSP(kerbal space program)

Wait can you actually redirect stuff in KSP using gravitational forces? At least I think NASA would be using a gravitational tractor since landing rocket boosters on an irregular and potentially rotating object would be much more difficult than just orbiting it.

 

Edit after actually watching the video:

nvm they plan on only using gravitational tractors for protecting the planet instead of catching larger asteroids and the plans that they have for bringing an asteroid into Lunar orbit involves getting a small asteroid and basically touching it to move it to where they want it.

[zacRupnow]

The video's music is good, but way too intense for that video.

[NinjaJc01]

just like in KSP(kerbal space program)

Guess what I have running atm. Yeah, rocket science is fun.

[sof006]

Wow! This would be amazing to see happen

[NumLock21]

Yay the moon has a "moon" of its own. I heard the moon does affect our weather, not sure what might happen to our weather, when they put a asteroid into moon's orbit.

[Sauron]

Incoming weaponised asteroid references...

 

[Mbarton]

This ties in well with my post: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/508524-emergency-spacewalk-planned-for-space-station-nasa-iss/

[dalekphalm]

@NovusBal The title is very misleading. They aren't planning on capturing an Asteroid and moving it into Lunar Orbit. They're planning on landing on an Asteroid and picking up a piece of rock (boulder) from the surface, and taking that boulder into Lunar Orbit.

 

Big difference in my mind.

 

 

The launch craft would require need enough delta-v to match the target asteroid's course, and then to haul that mass of rock into lunar orbit.

 

Don't know if its even realistically achievable.

It's not - which is why they aren't trying to do that. The video clearly shows that they are going to be taking asteroid boulders off the surface of the asteroid, and that is what Astronauts are going to "Explore".

 

I envision fullscale asteroid mining operations eventually being a thing, but not by dragging them into orbit, or not for a long time.

[Mo_z_Art]

Will be handy once a big asteroid decides to visit us