Space Quarterly Free Story: Making the Case for Human Missions to Asteroids

Making the Case for Human Missions to Asteroids, Space Quarterly

Marc's note: The following article is a free sample from the current issue of Space Quarterly Magazine. It is our hope that if you enjoy this article you will consider subscribing to the magazine.

"By Jeff Foust

When President George W. Bush unveiled the Vision for Space Exploration in January 2004, he outlined a series of destinations for human exploration: a return to the Moon by 2020, followed by expeditions at later, unspecified dates "to Mars and to worlds beyond". This "Moon, Mars, and beyond" concept made logical sense as a set of stepping stones for human expansion into the solar system, even if the "beyond" part was vague in terms of specific destinations and timetables."