I Was Fortunate Enough To See The Full-size Model Of This Craft At @nasagoddard And Was Given A Description

I was fortunate enough to see the full-size model of this craft at @nasagoddard and was given a description & full explanation of the ambitious mission. Thanks, NASA Social!

Mission Possible: Redirecting an Asteroid

As part of our Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), we plan to send a robotic spacecraft to an asteroid tens of millions of miles away from Earth, capture a multi-ton boulder and bring it to an orbit near the moon for future crew exploration.

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This mission to visit a large near-Earth asteroid is part of our plan to advance the new technologies and spaceflight experience needed for a human mission to the Martian system in the 2030s.

How exactly will it work?

The robotic spacecraft, powered by the most advanced solar electric propulsion system, will travel for about 18 months to the target asteroid.

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After the spacecraft arrives and the multi-ton boulder is collected from the surface, the spacecraft will hover near the asteroid to create a gravitational attraction that will slightly change the asteroid’s trajectory.

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After the deflection is verified, the robotic vehicle will deliver the boulder into a stable orbit near the moon. During the transit, the boulder will be further imaged and studied by the spacecraft.

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Astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will launch on the Space Launch System rocket to explore the returned boulder.

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Orion will dock with the robotic vehicle that still has the boulder in its grasp. 

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While docked, two crew members on spacewalks will explore the boulder and collect samples to bring back to Earth for further study.

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The astronauts and collected samples will return to Earth in the Orion spacecraft.

How will ARM help us send humans to Mars in the 2030s?

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This mission will demonstrate future Mars-level exploration missions closer to home and will fly a mission with technologies and real life operational constraints that we’ll encounter on the way to the Red Planet. A few of the capabilities it will help us test include: 

Solar Electric Propulsion – Using advanced Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) technologies is an important part of future missions to send larger payloads into deep space and to the Mars system. Unlike chemical propulsion, which uses combustion and a nozzle to generate thrust, SEP uses electricity from solar arrays to create electromagnetic fields to accelerate and expel charged atoms (ions) to create a very low thrust with a very efficient use of propellant.

Trajectory and Navigation – When we move the massive asteroid boulder using low-thrust propulsion and leveraging the gravity fields of Earth and the moon, we’ll validate critical technologies for the future Mars missions. 

Advances in Spacesuits – Spacesuits designed to operate in deep space and for the Mars surface will require upgrades to the portable life support system (PLSS). We are working on advanced PLSS that will protect astronauts on Mars or in deep space by improving carbon dioxide removal, humidity control and oxygen regulation. We are also improving mobility by evaluating advances in gloves to improve thermal capacity and dexterity. 

Sample Collection and Containment Techniques – This experience will help us prepare to return samples from Mars through the development of new techniques for safe sample collection and containment. These techniques will ensure that humans do not contaminate the samples with microbes from Earth, while protecting our planet from any potential hazards in the samples that are returned. 

Rendezvous and Docking Capabilities – Future human missions to Mars will require new capabilities to rendezvous and dock spacecraft in deep space. We will advance the current system we’ve developed with the international partners aboard the International Space Station. 

Moving from spaceflight a couple hundred miles off Earth to the proving ground environment (40,000 miles beyond the moon) will allow us to start accumulating experience farther than humans have ever traveled in space.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

More Posts from Scistrike-blog and Others

8 years ago

SDHoS Attends Fundraiser for The Jeremy Fund

SDHoS Attends Fundraiser for The Jeremy Fund

Tonight we are not debunking anything. This will come as a surprise to our regular readers, since we normally spend our time refuting the claims of flat-earthers, conspiracy theorists, science deniers and such.

On Tuesday, June 28th, two representatives from Science Denier Hall of Shame attended a pasta dinner fundraiser for The Jeremy Fund.

I would urge all of our readers to take a look at their…

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9 years ago

ISS Expedition 47 Success!

We hope the flat-earthers are paying attention. Humanity has one again passed your imaginary ‘firmament’.

Today, humanity once again left this tiny fragile world. Photo at right shows Soyuz spacecraft on final approach to the International Space Station carrying Jeff Williams, Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka. Let us wish them well as they begin their adventure on the ISS.

The following is a…

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8 years ago

Let’s All Look at the Moon!

Celebrating Earth’s Nearest Neighbor

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Humanity has observed the nighttime sky for millennia, eyeing celestial bodies with wonder. Until the last 50 years or so, telescopes provided our best views of the sky at night. That is, until the Ranger mission broadcast the craft’s descent onto the moon live on March 24, 1965.

+Learn more about Ranger 9

+Watch the video

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Our fascination with the moon continues, and since 2010 the organizers of International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) have turned it into a worldwide, public celebration of lunar science and exploration held annually. One day each year, they invite everyone, everywhere to learn about the moon and to celebrate the cultural and personal connections. We’ll all invited and anyone can host an InOMN event. 

+Locations of InOMN Events Around the World

+ Visit International Observe the Moon Night’s site

And, we’re doing our part to let the public know more about our moon. This month’s “What’s up” video is very moon-centric.

+View JPL’s What’s Up for October

Let’s All Look At The Moon!

Our Night Sky Network at JPL, which bills itself as “astronomy clubs bringing the wonders of the universe to the public,” has a list of astronomy clubs and events across by area, as well as a monthly calendar.

+Learn more 

Organizations in our Museum Alliance across the country are also hosting activities. The Museum Alliance was created to be the “front door” to NASA for the world of informal education. The Alliance is a NASA-centric STEAM "community of practice" that includes informal educational organizations, namely, all those outside of the traditional K-12 school system. Our STEAM–Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math–communities include more than 1,400 professionals at more than 700 U.S. museums, science centers, planetariums, NASA Visitor Centers, Challenger Centers, observatories, parks, libraries, camps, and youth-serving organizations as partners in the Museum Alliance.  

+Learn more about the Museum Alliance

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All us Earth-dwellers can tour the moon via our Moon Tours app that lets you explore the lunar surface from your mobile device. The app includes imagery from lunar orbiters and Apollo missions and is a free download for iOS and Android.

+iOS

+Android

+Check out a full range of NASA apps

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

9 years ago
You’ll be given full credit for the find when the post is published, of course.
scistrike-blog - Science Denier Hall of Shame

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8 years ago

In this video, we examine a rant by youtuber Jeranism against Stephen Hawking. Jeranism spends no time refuting any of Hawking's theories, but spends an inordinate amount of time criticizing Mr. Hawking for having and displaying symptoms of advanced ALS. At one point he even laughs at the fact that Mr. Hawking cannot speak.


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8 years ago

Dr. Lauri Grossman, Homeopath

Meet Dr. Lauri Grossman, homeopath. Let’s first take a look at ‘Dr.’ Grossman’s educational background, shall we? Teleosis Institute: Berkeley, California; Leadership in Green Heath Care, Certified Green Health Care Provider, 2008 Hahnemann College of Homeopathy: Point Richmond, California; Diploma Recipient, 1999 New England School of Homeopathy: Amherst, Massachusetts: Completion of Course for…

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8 years ago

State of NASA

Over his tenure, President Obama has now invested $147 billion in America’s space program. Our elected leaders, on a bipartisan basis, have chosen to make this investment in our Agency, because they believe in our Journey to Mars and recognize that investments in NASA’s present are investments in America’s future.

Because the State of our NASA is strong, President Obama is recommending a $19 billion budget for the next year to carry out our ambitious exploration and scientific discovery plans. Here are the areas in which we’ll continue to invest:

Solar System and Beyond

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As we explore our solar system and search for new worlds, we look to answer key questions about our home planet, neighboring planets in our solar system and the universe beyond.

Journey to Mars

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We’re developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars in the 2030s. Mars is a rich destination for scientific discovery and robotic and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet’s history and future.

International Space Station

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Earth Right Now

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We use the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives and safeguard our future. Our Earth science work also makes a difference in people’s lives around the world every day.

Technology Drives Exploration

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Sustained investments in our technology advance space exploration, science and aeronautics capabilities. We seek to improve our ability to access and travel through space; land more mass in more locations throughout our solar system; live and work in deep space and on planetary bodies; build next generation air vehicles, and transform the ability to observe the universe and answer profound questions in Earth and space sciences.

Aeronautics

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Thanks to advancements in aeronautics developed by NASA, today’s aviation industry is better equipped than ever to safely and efficiently transport all those passengers to their destinations. 

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The President’s FY 2017 budget provides $790 million to our Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. This investment will accelerate aviation energy efficiency, advance propulsion system transformation and enable major improvements in aviation safety and mobility. The future of flight will: utilize greener energy, be half as loud, use half the fuel and will create quieter sonic booms.

State of NASA Social

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Today, we have opened our doors and invited social media followers and news media to an in-person event, at one of our 10 field centers. Guests will go on a tour and see highlights of the work we’re doing. You can follow along digitally on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NASASocial/lists/state-of-nasa-all1. 

Check our Twitter Moment HERE.

Did you miss NASA Administrator Bolden’s remarks? You can watch a full recap HERE. 

For all budget related items, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/index.html

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

9 years ago
Formaldehyde in Vaccines? Say It Isn’t So!
Interesting claim, but is it true? As it turns out, yes. It’s quite true. And we should all be very happy that it is. Formaldehyde is used to deactivate a virus so that it can be used as a va…

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8 years ago

Nonreligious Americans to Storm Capitol Hill

Press Release: Nonreligious Americans to Storm Capitol Hill

          Washington, D.C.­­

Hundreds of nontheists are expected to converge on Capitol Hill today and Friday as part of the Reason Rally Advocacy Days.

Hosted by the Secular Coalition for America, the Advocacy Days will bring nonreligious Americans from across the country to our nation’s capitol to lobby for secular and science­based public policy. (more…)

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8 years ago

Solar System: Things to Know This Week

There’s even more to Mars.

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1. Batten Down the Hatches

Good news for future astronauts: scientists are closer to being able to predict when global dust storms will strike the Red Planet. The winds there don’t carry nearly the same force that was shown in the movie “The Martian,” but the dust lofted by storms can still wreak havoc on people and machines, as well as reduce available solar energy. Recent studies indicate a big storm may be brewing during the next few months.

+ Get the full forecast

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2. Where No Rover Has Gone Before

Our Opportunity Mars rover will drive down an ancient gully that may have been carved by liquid water. Several spacecraft at Mars have observed such channels from a distance, but this will be the first up-close exploration. Opportunity will also, for the first time, enter the interior of Endeavour Crater, where it has worked for the last five years. All this is part of a two-year extended mission that began Oct. 1, the latest in a series of extensions going back to the end of Opportunity’s prime mission in April 2004. Opportunity landed on Mars in January of that year, on a mission planned to last 90 Martian days (92.4 Earth days). More than 12 Earth years later, it’s still rolling.

+ Follow along + See other recent pictures from Endeavour Crater

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3. An Uphill Climb

Opportunity isn’t the only NASA Mars rover getting a mission extension. On the other side of the planet, the Curiosity rover is driving and collecting samples amid some of the most scenic landscapes ever visited on Mars. Curiosity’s two-year mission extension also began Oct. 1. It’s driving toward uphill destinations, including a ridge capped with material rich in the iron-oxide mineral hematite, about a mile-and-a-half (two-and-a-half kilometers) ahead. Beyond that, there’s an exposure of clay-rich bedrock. These are key exploration sites on lower Mount Sharp, which is a layered, Mount-Rainier-size mound where Curiosity is investigating evidence of ancient, water-rich environments that contrast with the harsh, dry conditions on the surface of Mars today.

+ Learn more

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4. Keep a Sharp Lookout

Meanwhile, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter continues its watch on the Red Planet from above. The mission team has just released a massive new collection of super-high-resolution images of the Martian surface.

+ Take a look

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5. 20/20 Vision for the 2020 Rover

In the year 2020, Opportunity and Curiosity will be joined by a new mobile laboratory on Mars. In the past week, we tested new “eyes” for that mission. The Mars 2020 rover’s Lander Vision System helped guide the rocket to a precise landing at a predesignated target. The system can direct the craft toward a safe landing at its primary target site or divert touchdown toward better terrain if there are hazards in the approaching target area.

+ Get details

Discover the full list of 10 things to know about our solar system this week HERE.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

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scistrike-blog - Science Denier Hall of Shame
Science Denier Hall of Shame

Exposing the misinformation of science-deniers, moon-hoaxers, flat-earthers and the rest of the tinfoil hat wearing crowd at www.sciencedenierhallofshame.com

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