NASA studies sending crew to asteroid

Quick dash
Clearly, it will be first-things-first in testing the new Constellation architecture. And that means going to low-Earth orbital missions to wring out the systems and procedures. These are likely to be followed in rather quick succession by lunar orbital and landing missions.

“But a very natural, early extension of the exploration capabilities of this new vehicle architecture would be a ‘quick-dash’ near-Earth asteroid rendezvous mission,” said Dan Durda, a senior research scientist in the Department of Space Studies at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo.

“That kind of early demonstration mission might last no more than 60 or 90 days,” Durda said, “and take the crew no farther than a few lunar distances away from Earth.”

Durda said he could imagine that such a flight might be made before the first lunar landing even — perhaps after a lunar orbital mission or two — in order to try out spacecraft systems on an even longer-duration flight.

Primo science and samples
What would a space crew do once they’ve arrived at an asteroid?

There are clearly engineering and program benefits, but when you factor in the scientific investigations, the humans-to-an-asteroid idea becomes even more compelling, Durda suggested.

As NASA’s NEAR Shoemaker and Japan’s Hayabusa robotic efforts verified, good asteroid science can be done minus humans on the scene.

“But look at how having astronauts actually there on the moon improved both the quantity and quality of the science return from Apollo,” Durda responded. “People have the judgment and creativity to select the best places to explore,” he said. When coupled with the dexterity offered by on-site, no-delay use of telerobotics in the early stages, human missions can gather primo science and samples.

Access to space resources
In general, a human mission to an asteroid offers an opportunity to take lunar-capable hardware and extend its reach to deep-space much sooner than would development of a full-up Mars-capable spacecraft, advised former astronaut Tom Jones, a veteran of four shuttle flights.

Expeditionary treks to the asteroids enable NASA to grapple with many of the deep-space challenges in operations, communications and life support without committing to a multi-year Mars mission profile, Jones told Space.com.

“And we should gain immediate scientific returns, potential access to space resources like water, and familiarity with complex operations around objects that present a potential hazard to Earth,” Jones added.

Can the infrastructure coming out of the Orion crew exploration vehicle work be utilized for asteroid journeys?

The Orion system could be the nucleus of an asteroid mission, Jones said, furnishing some of the propulsion, communication, and habitation space needed, as well as the obvious re-entry capability.

“By using the low Earth orbit-rendezvous approach planned for lunar missions, a spacecraft using other Constellation or international space station components might be able to perform a multimonth mission to a near-Earth object in a favorable orbit,” Jones said.

Deep-space thoughts
A human mission to an asteroid could be viewed somewhat as a gap filler.

“After a lunar visit, we face a long interval in Earth-moon space while we build up experience and technology for a Mars mission,” Jones said. An asteroid mission “could take us immediately into deep-space, sustaining program momentum, adding public excitement, and reducing the risk of a later Mars mission,” he said.

“Near-Earth object exploration is especially important if the moon turns out to be bereft of extractable resources,” Jones pointed out. “Astronauts could collect a rich array of samples from the most scientifically interesting sites on the near-Earth object — dating back to the earliest days of the solar system — set up a pilot resource extraction experiment, demonstrate technology necessary for a future near-Earth object deflection mission, and look back at Earth from millions of miles away. The view would be breathtaking,” he said.

A human journey to an asteroid stretches our deep-space legs, Jones said, “and challenges ourselves operationally even after we return to the moon.”

The key to sustaining a long and spirited exploration program “is to keep new results coming in and our imaginations looking out … way out beyond the moon,” Jones concluded.

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