[meteorite-list] NASA Manned NEO Mission Need Robot Test

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:58:24 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200706151958.MAA07265_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/06/15/214603/picture-nasa-manned-neo-mission-needs-robot-test.html

NASA manned NEO mission needs robot test
By Rob Coppinger
Flightglobal.com
June 15, 2007

A manned mission to a near Earth object (NEO)
would require a robotic precursor mission for safety, according to a
NASA Constellation programme office study obtained by Flight International.

The robotic reconnaissance spacecraft could detect hazards such as
satellites of the asteroid-like NEO and help determine the local
gravitational field and the target object's composition and topography.

Many NEOs, which appear to be solid asteroids, are thought to be very
porous and often just a tumbling collection of debris left over from the
solar system's formation.

A human NEO mission would be the first beyond the orbit of the Moon and
is expected to involve two or three astronauts on a 90 to 120-day flight
that would involve two weeks of close-proximity operations at an asteroid.

The precursor reconnaissance spacecraft would have a visible camera for
surface feature characterisation, a spectrometer for investigation of
the NEO's composition and a laser altimeter for determining topography.

"A robotic mission would be required in order to maximise crew safety
and efficiency of mission operations at any candidate NEO," says the
study paper.

Astronauts would reach the NEO using the Orion crew exploration vehicle,
which currently has two variants: Block 1 for missions to the
International Space Station carrying six astronauts and the Block 2
lunar version that will carry a crew of four.

A NEO Orion variant would have a high-resolution camera for detailed
surface characterisation and optical navigation a lidar system for
hazard avoidance, close proximity operations and detailed topography
measurement and a radar for tomography to provide detailed interior
images of the object.

The Orion would also enable astronauts to conduct extra-vehicular
activity at the NEO, to take advantage of human decision-making to
rapidly select and move to sites of interest for sample collection.

The study does not specify how such spacewalks would be undertaken,
whether by tether or untethered manned manoeuvring unit.

The Orion would also deploy small scientific packages that include
autonomous or tele-operated rovers with one or two instruments each.

Other packages could include drilling and excavation equipment, surface
anchors and transponders for the long-term study of NEO orbital motion.

NASA has considered launching a NEO variant of the Orion using its
proposed Ares IV rocket, the existence of which was exclusively revealed
by Flight earlier this year.
Received on Fri 15 Jun 2007 03:58:24 PM PDT