U.S. space agency NASA has announced a formal proposal
worth $6 million for projects that would help robots and astronauts grab
an asteroid from deep space and bring it closer to earth for further
study.
In support of NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission
— a key part of the agency’s stepping stone path to send humans to Mars
— agency officials are seeking proposals for studies on advanced
technology development.
NASA envisages spending up to $6 million on over 25 proposals this year.
The
proposal should focus on technologies that can be used to identify
potential targets like sending robotic spacecraft to capture the
selected asteroid and put it in a stable orbit beyond the moon.
The
technology should also help astronauts get to the space rock and bring
back samples in the mid-2020s, NASA said in a statement.
“We
are reaching out to seek new and innovative ideas as we extend the
frontier of space exploration,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate
administrator for human exploration and operations.
“To
reach Mars, we would rely on new technologies and advanced capabilities
proven through the Asteroid Initiative. We are looking forward to
exciting ideas from outside NASA as well to help realise that vision,”
he added.
The proposals have to be submitted before
May 5 and the space agency would reward the winners around July 1 for
projects that would wrap up in six months.
According
to Greg Williams, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for plans and
policy, the selection process would build on a workshop that generated
hundreds of ideas for asteroid exploration last year.
NASA
is already supporting projects such as the Asteroid Data Hunter
contest, which is offering $35,000 in awards over the next six months to
citizen scientists who come up with improved algorithms for identifying
asteroids.
Next year, the space agency would review
mission concepts for redirecting an asteroid up to 10 metres wide — or
breaking off a piece of a bigger asteroid and bringing it back.
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