[meteorite-list] NASA Selects Top 96 Asteroid Initiative Ideas

[Ron Baalke]

September 4, 2013

Sarah Ramsey/Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1694 / 202-358-5227
sarah.ramsey at nasa.gov / rachel.h.kraft at nasa.gov 
     
RELEASE 13-275
     
NASA Selects Top 96 Asteroid Initiative Ideas

NASA has chosen 96 ideas it regards as most promising from more than 400  
submitted in response to its June request for information (RFI) about  
protecting Earth from asteroids and finding an asteroid humans can explore.

The ideas provide the agency with fresh insight into how best to identify,  
capture and relocate a near-Earth asteroid for closer study and respond to  
asteroid threats. They include pointers on how to decrease an asteroid's  
spin, nudge it away from a path toward Earth, take samples to return to Earth  
and create activities to heighten public awareness of not only the threat  
asteroids pose, but the valuable resources and scientific benefits they may  
offer.

"This rich set of innovative ideas gathered from all over the world provides  
us with a great deal of information to factor into our plans moving  
forward, said Robert Lightfoot, Associate Administrator for NASA. "We're  
making great progress on formulating this mission, and we look forward to  
discussing further the responses we received to the RFI."

These ideas were submitted by industry, universities, international  
organizations, and the public. NASA's selection process involved agency  
scientists, engineers and mission planners who are formulating details of the  
asteroid initiative.

NASA's request for information was the first opportunity for industry and  
other potential partners to offer ideas for the asteroid initiative.

NASA plans a public workshop Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 to examine and synthesize the  
96 highly rated ideas. The workshop will feature discussions by experts from  
inside and outside NASA. The other approximately 300 ideas, which were not  
selected for examination, may be fed into planning for the asteroid  
initiative.

NASA's asteroid initiative has two parts: the mission by astronauts to  
explore an asteroid and a grand challenge to protect the planet. It is  
included in President Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget request for NASA, and  
leverages the agency's progress on its Space Launch System rocket, Orion  
spacecraft and cutting-edge technology development. The mission is a key step  
in NASA's plan to send humans to Mars in the 2030s.

To learn more about the RFI selection process and view the workshop outline,  
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/content/asteroid-initiative-idea-synthesis-workshop 

For more information about NASA's asteroid initiative, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/asteroidinitiative 

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