NASA Spacecraft Reactivated to Hunt for Asteroids, NASA “A NASA spacecraft that discovered and characterized tens of thousands of asteroids throughout the solar system before being placed in hibernation will return to service for three more years starting in September, assisting the agency in its effort to identify the population of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects, as well as those suitable for asteroid exploration missions. The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) […]

NASA Asteroid Initiative Idea Synthesis Workshop, NASA “The purpose of this conference is to publicly examine and synthesize highly rated responses to the NASA’s Asteroid Initiative RFI. Findings will be developed and provided as inputs to NASA’s planning activities. Dates: (12 p.m. CDT) Monday, September 30, 2013-(5 p.m. CDT) Wednesday October 2, 2013 Address: Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058.”

NASA and Korean Space Agency Discuss Space Cooperation, NASA “NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and the president of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), Seung Jo Kim, met in Washington Monday to discuss collaboration in aeronautics research and space exploration, including KARI’s robotic lunar mission and NASA’s asteroid initiative. Bolden and Kim also discussed NASA’s plans for a new asteroid initiative, previously announced in President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget proposal. […]

NASA Sees Enthusiastic Response to Asteroid Call for Ideas, NASA “NASA has received more than 400 responses to its request for information (RFI) on the agency’s asteroid initiative, Deputy Administrator Lori Garver announced Friday. “Under our plan, we’re increasing the identification, tracking and exploration of asteroids, and the response to this initiative has been gratifying,” said Garver, speaking at the Space Frontier Foundation’s NewSpace 2013 conference in San Jose, Calif. […]

Asteroid retrieval is costly and uninspiring, Lamar Smith Op-ed, The Hill “The proposed asteroid retrieval mission would contribute very little to planetary defense efforts. The size of the target asteroid for this mission is only 7-10 meters in diameter, too small to cause any damage to Earth. Any insight gained by such a mission would have little relevance to protecting against larger “city-killer” asteroids. Congress directed NASA in 2005 to […]

The asteroid mission: Why we choose to go, The Hill But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?” — John F. Kennedy “Fifty-one years ago, a young president asked a question that cut to the heart of the American explorer spirit. For me, NASA’s […]

NASA Google+ Hangout Answering Questions about the Asteroid RFI [Watch], NASA “NASA invites all interested parties to participate in a Google+ Hangout on June 27 at 2 p.m. EDT. During the session, NASA experts will answer your questions about the recently released Asteroid Initiative Request for Information (RFI).”

Draft House NASA Authorization Bill Would Create 6-Year Term for NASA Administrator, No Funds for ARM, Space Policy Online “The draft NASA Authorization Act of 2013 penned by the House Science, Space and Technology Committee would make the NASA Administrator a 6-year term appointment and authorize no funds for the proposed Asteroid Return Mission (ARM). A hearing on the draft bill is scheduled for Wednesday. – Authorizes $16,825,200,000, which is […]