Surprising Phosphate Finding in NASA's Osiris-Rex Asteroid Sample

Re:Surprising Phosphate Finding in NASA's Osiris-Rex Asteroi... by mathsmath on Monday July 01, 2024 @08:56AM (#40845407)

I wonder if a one-way trip with an impactor would be useful. It would at least be easier than a roundtrip journey to and from solar escape velocity.

Also, it seems like the space base weapons treaty is being ignored now (https://spacenews.com/russia-vetoes-u-n-resolution-on-nuclea..., https://www.npr.org/2024/05/30/nx-s1-4975741/what-to-know-ru...). I wonder if there is an opportunity to do some science with space-based lasers and spectroscopy. The energy would be small, but then again we can learn a lot just from the off-gassing created by the sun’s photons as well.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Surprising Phosphate Finding in NASA's Osiris-Rex Asteroi... by pavel_lishin on Monday July 01, 2024 @09:58AM (#40845908)

Oh yeah, I don't think we're anywhere near "sample return" capability for an extra-solar object.

I doubt we're even near "impactor" capability, tbh. I think our best bet might be "catch up with something in the Oort somewhere around 2070, if we see something coming a decade ahead of time".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Surprising Phosphate Finding in NASA's Osiris-Rex Asteroi... by mathsmath on Monday July 01, 2024 @05:27PM (#40850897)

Never underestimate the ability of humans to throw something really hard ;)

I actually think if the object was on the right trajectory and we had enough time, that you could pretty much park an impactor in its path. You could probably do a lot of science based on the spectra of the resulting cloud.

I agree that gently landing and return a sample with that much delta V is out of our reach at this point. Maybe with enough shielding, you could park a second sample return vehicle in the path of debris.

[ Parent | on HN ]