[meteorite-list] Manned mission to asteroid

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi all - 

NASA is in a curious disconnect. The Congress told
NASA to find everything down to 140 m, and the NASA
Administrator told them he did not want to. Normally,
he'd have been fired already, but given the general
situation, it has not happened - yet.

In NASA science, comets don't hit, which is also
simply nonsense.

THE place to build the best asteroid and comet
detectors is the surface of the Moon, and for 50-75 m
carbonaceous chondrites (dead comet chunks as dark as
charcoal) it is the only practical detection location,
in my opinion, and the opinion of the NASA engineers
at Langley. Moon based telescopes would also provide 6
months more warning of Long Period Comets coming in.

But it is very important to the manned Mars
enthusiasts who run NASA and who are NASA's main
support that the public knows nothing of this. 

In the meantime, the public views spending $100
billion to fly a few men to Mars as something of a
waste of money.

In the meantime, China's manned Moon program is
focused on this like a laser.

What's wrong with this picture? 

E.P. Grondine
Man and Impact in the Americas