 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Houston TX (SPX) May 10, 2011 To determine how best to explore asteroids in the future, NASA scientists and engineers are taking their experiments underwater in the 15th expedition of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO. This year's NEEMO expedition, which will include the usual compliment of astronauts and engineers, is slated for October. Since this is the first mission to simulate a trip to an asteroid, there's a lot of work to do before the mission can start. To prepare, engineers have journeyed to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Aquarius Underwater Laboratory near Key Largo, Fla., to work through some of the concepts that will be tested in the fall. "Even experts don't know what the surface of an asteroid is going to be like," said NEEMO Project Manager Bill Todd. "There may be asteroids that we don't even know about yet that we'll be visiting. So we're figuring out the best way to do that." NEEMO 15 will investigate three aspects of a mission to an asteroid: how to anchor to the surface; how to move around; and how best to collect data. Unlike the moon or Mars, an asteroid would have little, if any, gravity to hold astronauts or vehicles, so an anchor would be necessary. NEEMO 15 will evaluate different anchoring methods and how to connect the multiple anchors to form pathways. The aquanauts and engineers will study whether it's more efficient to join the anchors in a straight line or set them up similar to the spokes of a wagon wheel. Starting Tuesday, May 10, engineers and scientists will begin work to ensure they're prepared for rigorous testing of these concepts in October. During these preliminary tests, they will work on the ocean floor, but will not stay inside the Aquarius. This allows participants to come to the surface and retool equipment if necessary.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links NEEMO Asteroid and Comet Mission News, Science and Technology
Large asteroid to pass close by EarthPasadena, Calif. (UPI) May 3, 2011 Astronomers say they're readying their instruments to observe an aircraft carrier-sized asteroid that will come closer to Earth than our own moon does. It will be a spectacular research opportunity, they say, but won't pose any threat to Earth, SPACE.com reported Tuesday. There's no danger of a possible impact when the asteroid 2005 YU55 makes its closest approach Nov. 8, coming ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
