Orbit »NASA plans to extract asteroid fragment 2020 – Diário de Pernambuco (Signature)

NASA decided to launch in 2020 an automatic device to remove a piece of rock from an asteroid that will then be towed and placed in lunar orbit, where astronauts will explore it. – Announced on Wednesday the US space agency

NASA thus waive the towing an entire asteroid, as originally provided for in the Mission Asteroid Redirect (ARM), started three years ago.

“We approved the concept of the mission and authorize the continuation of phase A” explained Robert Lightfoot, manager of NASA, during a press conference via teleconference.

“ARM mission will provide the first demonstration of several space flight systems, will be needed to send astronauts to more distant destinations space, especially to Mars, “he said.

Automatic ARM ship, which will be equipped with an engine powered by the sun, will be launched in principle in December 2020 and would reach the asteroid in 2022.