TESMANIAN by Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo 8/3/2023
NASA researchers propose using SpaceX Starship for a Crewed Near-Earth Asteroid Exploration Mission
A team of NASA researchers and experts in planetary defense unveiled an exciting proposal for exploring near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) using SpaceX's Starship. The proposal was made during the 8th IAA Planetary Defense Conference held in Vienna, Austria, a couple months ago in early April. TESMANIAN recently found a document at NASA's Technical Reports Server repository with information outlining their proposal.
The team behind the proposal consists of distinguished individuals from various fields: Lindley Johnson, NASA's inaugural Planetary Defense Officer, renowned for his previous role as Near Earth Object Programs Executive in the Planetary Sciences Division; Rob Landis, currently serving as a program executive in NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO); Paul Abell, the esteemed Chief Scientist for Small Body Exploration in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at the Johnson Space Center; Dan Mazanek, a seasoned Senior Space Systems Engineer based at NASA Langley Research; Brent W. Barbee, an accomplished Aerospace Engineer within NASA's Navigation and Mission Design Branch; and Daniel R. Adamo, a recognized authority in human space flight trajectory design and operations with extensive experience in associated operations concept formulation, training, documentation, and software development.
They shared their insights on "Prospects for Future Human Space Flight Missions to Near-Earth Asteroids," with a presentation that outlined a groundbreaking plan for asteroid exploration. At the core of their proposal lies the upcoming NASA Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor space telescope. This advanced tool is designed to fulfill NASA's mission of cataloging at least 90% of NEOs larger than 140 meters, helping us better understand and mitigate potential Earth impactors. Additionally, NEO Surveyor plays a crucial role in identifying accessible NEAs suitable for both robotic and human missions. The massive telescope could be launched by SpaceX's Starship in the future, however, the agency is still developing the Surveyor and has not officially announced launch provider. It's estimated to be ready for launch by late-2027.
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https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/astro
