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Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by LinuxBender on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @03:29PM (#18924791)
How much would it cost to go grab this thing and plonk it onto the moon for studying, in the event the object is harboring a contagious disease? Could a private company accomplish this?
Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by pjc50 on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @03:32PM (#18924824)
Nothing like that has ever been done, and the object is potentially huge and heading away from us at speed. I doubt even a photo intercept is now feasible at all.
Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by LinuxBender on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @03:35PM (#18924863)
That is unfortunate. That makes me curious about Voyager 1/2. We put drawings and objects on it for other civilizations to study. I wonder if they will have a similar dilemma; in that, it is moving too fast.
Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by isostatic on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @10:50PM (#18928206)
If you can detect voyager, you’d be advanced enough to be able to catch it, as you’d be almost on top of it.

We can barely see Ultima Thule as a pixel, which is closer, and the size of a city. Voyager is the size of a pinto.

Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by tejtm on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @03:36PM (#18924878)
Getting a probe going fast enough to catch it is currently beyond us; never mind bringing it back. But if we start burning money now we might have a chance for (at least a better peek) at the next one
Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by LinuxBender on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @03:39PM (#18924906)
Curious if any billionaires have rock collections. This should qualify as a rare rock.
Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by isostatic on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @10:56PM (#18928238)
We could get a probe to encounter it, however it would be a high speed encounter - far faster than new horizons encounters. Interception seems off the table currently.
Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by HeyLaughingBoy on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @05:29PM (#18926145)
You mean to build a spacecraft capable of getting there in the time available, and assembling a company to do the necessary operations of launching the spacecraft and managing its operations, and funding those operations, etc.?

What would be that private company's incentive?

Re:A Harvard Astronomer on the Interstellar Object ‘Oumuamua by LinuxBender on Wednesday January 16, 2019 @05:58PM (#18926391)
Honestly I am not sure. Perhaps if they suspected great mineral value, or perhaps using that as a PoC to prove they can do it for future military contracts, but I don't know.

There are many projects I can't wrap my head around due to the great costs. When I suggest we should not spend trillions on going to mars without having a specific need to do so, people reject that notion.