http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Scientists-hope-to-land-spacecraft.4511699.jp
Scientists hope to land spacecraft on asteroid Published Date: 20 September 2008 By Jenny Haworth EUROPEAN scientists are hoping to land a spacecraft on an asteroid to help research into the origins of Earth. Known as Marco Polo, the mission, run by scientists and engineers could take place in the next ten years. The aim would be to bring back material from an asteroid to learn more about how our solar system developed. A small asteroid less than a mile across would be selected near Earth. A spacecraft would land and drill for dust and rubble. Sattelite manufacturers Astrium in the UK and OHB in Germany are undertaking a study to assess the type of spacecraft that would be needed to carry out the project. Dr Ralph Cordey from Astrium said: "We've got to look at all elements of the mission how we would design the mission, how to design the trajectory to one of a number of possible asteroids, how to optimise that so we use the smallest spacecraft, the least fuel and the smallest rocket." Professor Andrew Collier Cameron, an astronomer from the University of St Andrews, said the venture could help solve the mystery of the origins of planets like Earth. "Getting samples is very, very important," said Prof Collier Cameron. "It gives us a sample of primordial material left over from the time when the solar system was formed." Asteroids are lumps of debris left over from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. They can provide pristine material to help scientists find out how planets could evolve from dust particles that built up to form gravel-like rocks. A final decision on whether to approve the mission will be made by the European Space Agency (ESA) in a few years. If approved, the mission would launch in about 2017. The mission could provide considerable challenges. If the spacecraft does not approach the asteroid correctly, it could be damaged or could bounce back off into space. It is expected that up 300g of dust and pebbles could be stored in a sealed capsule in the probe. It would release the capsule close to Earth for a re-entry. After it landed, the capsule would be opened in a clean facility to make sure there was no contamination of the samples. ESA has an exploration roadmap for the missions it wishes to conduct in the coming years. Marco Polo is being considered under its Cosmic Visions programme, and is one of a number of competing ideas in a class of missions that could cost in the region of 300 million (£238 million). Such a mission could help develop the technology needed for the more challenging task of landing on and leaving a planet that has a much bigger gravitational pull, such as Mars. BACKGROUND THE Japanese recently attempted to grab samples off the surface of Asteroid Itokawa. However, it is still not clear whether the spacecraft managed to capture any material. The probe is due to return to Earth in 2010. The Americans gathered information about Asteroid Eros with their NEAR Shoemaker probe, which orbited close to the asteroid to collect data in 2000. They have also sent the Dawn spacecraft to rendezvous with Asteroid Vesta in 2011 before going on to visit Asteroid Ceres in 2015. Europe's Rosetta probe, which is en route to a comet, took close-up pictures of Asteroid Steins during a flyby earlier this month. Ultimately, it is possible that astronauts could visit an asteroid. The US space agency is currently studying how this might be done. Also: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/09/19/europeans-lay-out-plans-to-bring-asteroid-chunks-back-to-earth/ (in honor of the date, passed through here http://www.syddware.com/cgi-bin/pirate.pl) Europeans Lay Ou' Plans t' Brin' Asteroid Chunks Aft t' Earth Th' European Space Agency (ESA) be considerin' a space voyage called Marco Polo, in which a spacecraft would land on a wee asteroid, drill into its surface t' collect samples o' rock an' dust, an' then fly aft t' Earth 'ere 't would drop its sample capsule down t' th' surface. Two satellite manufacturin' companies be currently conductin' a feasibility study; if ESA signs off on th' proposal, Marco Polo could sail off into space in 2017. Asteroids be chunks o' debris port o'er from th' chaotic mass that spun around th' young Sun durin' th' formation o' th' Solar System about 4.6 billion voyages ago. Th' rest o' th' material coalesced into planets [Th' Daily Mail]. Researchers say that studyin' th' composition o' an asteroid could give them insight into how th' solar system formed. Th' roughly $430 cargo holds o' voyage would also serve as a warm-up fer a hypothetical round-trip journey t' Mars, as 't would enable th' development o' technology needed fer gettin' up an' down from a large planetary body wi' a much bigger gravitational pull [Telegraph]. Marco Polo wouldna be th' first spacecraft t' alight on an asteroid, or t' try t' brin' aft a souvenir from one. In 2001, NASA brought th' NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft down fer a landin' on th' nearby asteroid Eros, from 'ere 't continued t' send data fer about two tides. Landin' can be tricky, tho: In 2005, Japans Hayabusa spacecraft attempted t' land briefly on th' Itokawa asteroid an' collect a rock sample, but malfunctions an' communication blackouts bedeviled th' voyage. Still, Japanese engineers b'lieve Hayabusa collected some dust that swirled up from th' asteroids surface, an' be eagerly awaitin' th' crafts return t' Earth in 2010. While robotic rovers an' probes be havin' conducted many noteworthy experiments on extraterrestrial bodies, so-called sample return missions be o' increasin' interest t' scientists. Although in-situ measurements provide remarkable insights, so much more would be learnt if materials be brought aft t' Earth laboratories, 'ere th' full panoply o' modern analytical technologies can be deployed [BBC News]. ESA an' NASA be havin' also discussed cooperatin' on a sample return voyage t' Mars, although th' $4.5 t' $8 billion price tag fer such a voyage be dauntin'. ______________________________________________ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
