NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission, Asteroid Initiative, Grand Challenge, Science, Deflection and Human Exploration Plans, Crew Systems, Solar Electric Propulsion, NEO Campaign

This unique ebook provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the ambitious and controversial proposal by NASA to redirect a small asteroid into lunar orbit for later exploration by a human crew. NASA's Asteroid Initiative consists of two separate but related activities: the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), and the Asteroid Grand Challenge (AGC). NASA is developing concepts for the ARM, which would use a robotic spacecraft to capture a small near-Earth asteroid (7 to 10 meters), or remove a boulder (1 to 10 meters) from the surface of a larger asteroid, and redirect it into a stable orbit around the moon. Astronauts launched aboard the Orion spacecraft would rendezvous with the captured asteroid material in lunar orbit, and collect samples for return to Earth. The AGC is seeking the best ideas to find all asteroid threats to human populations, and to accelerate the work that NASA is already doing for planetary defense. The Asteroid Initiative will leverage and integrate NASA's activities in human exploration, space technology, and space science to advance the technologies and capabilities needed for future human and robotic exploration, to enable the first human mission to interact with asteroid material, and to accelerate efforts to detect, track, characterize, and mitigate the threat of potentially hazardous asteroids.

NASA's Small Bodies Assessment Group has stated that the ARM project should not be supported by planetary science resources and is of limited relevance to planetary defense.

Contents - Asteroid Initiative Ideas Synthesis Workshop Final Report * Asteroid Initiative Idea Synthesis Workshop * Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) * Asteroid Redirect Mission Reference Concept * NASA's FY2014 Asteroid Strategy * Asteroid Redirect Mission Solar Electric Propulsion * Asteroid Redirect Mission and Human Exploration * Asteroid Redirect Mission and Science * Asteroid Grand Challenge * Asteroid Redirect Mission and Human Space Flight Briefing to National Research Council * Asteroid Initiative Idea Synthesis * Asteroid Redirect Mission and The Future of Human Spaceflight * Asteroid Deflection Demonstrations * Asteroid Capture Systems * Capture Mechanism and Capture Process * NASA NEO Observation Program * Crew Systems for Asteroid Exploration * Summary of Asteroid Initiative RFI * Partnerships & Participatory Engagement * NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission * Asteroid Redirect Mission Alternate Approach Trade Study * Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM) Reference Concept * ARRM Capture System Trade Study Summary * Asteroid Redirect Mission Crewed Mission (ARCM) Concept Study * Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) Reference Mission Concept Study Public Information Package * Observation Campaign Status * A Grand Challenge: Find and Plan for All Asteroid Threats * ARRM Alternate Approach Mid-Term Status Briefing * ARRM Reference Mission Status Briefing * Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM): Observation Campaign Study