Astronaut Wants Asteroid Mission (1)

1 Name: Sling!XD/uSlingU 2005-05-25 15:02 ID:VbTgmaJ/

http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,67630,00.html
"A former Apollo astronaut is calling on Congress to authorize a space mission to monitor an asteroid that has a narrow chance of hitting Earth in 2035 or 2036."

"The proposal calls for a $300 million mission to land a transponder on the asteroid, a 1,050-foot-wide body known as 2004 MN4. Signals from the transponder would be used to pinpoint the asteroid's trajectory and determine whether it will strike Earth or simply zoom past."

"To date, scientists at NASA's Near Earth Object program have maintained that the likelihood of a strike is miniscule."

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