How It Works: NASA Asteroid-Capture Mission in Pictures

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Orion Docking Approach

Credit: NASA

This newly released concept art shows NASA’s Orion spacecraft approaching the robotic asteroid capture vehicle. The trip from Earth to the captured asteroid will take Orion and its two-person crew an estimated nine days. Image released Aug. 22, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

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Asteroid Sample Retrieval

Credit: NASA

This concept image shows an astronaut retrieving a sample from the captured asteroid. Image released Aug. 22, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

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Asteroid Sample Storage

Credit: NASA

This concept image shows an astronaut storing a sample that was collected from the captured asteroid. Image released Aug. 22, 2013.[Read the Full Story Here]

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Robotic Asteroid Redirect Vehicle with Orion

Credit: NASA

This conceptual image shows NASA’s Orion spacecraft approaching the robotic asteroid capture vehicle. The trip from Earth to the captured asteroid will take Orion and its two-person crew an estimated nine days. Image released Aug. 22, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

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Asteroid Redirect Mission Spacewalk with Translation Boom

Credit: NASA

In this conceptual image, the two-person crew uses a translation boom to travel from the Orion spacecraft to the captured asteroid during a spacewalk. Image released Aug. 22, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

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Asteroid Redirect Vehicle with Capture Bag and EVA

Credit: NASA

This concept image shows an astronaut preparing to take samples from the captured asteroid after it has been relocated to a stable orbit in the Earth-moon system. Hundreds of rings are affixed to the asteroid capture bag, helping the astronaut carefully navigate the surface. Image released Aug. 22, 2013. [Read the Full Story Here]

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The Engine Burns Blue

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This image shows a cutting-edge solar-electric propulsion thruster in development at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., that uses xenon ions for propulsion. An earlier version of this solar-electric propulsion engine has been flying on NASA's Dawn mission to the asteroid belt. This engine is being considered as part of the Asteroid Initiative, a proposal to robotically capture a small near-Earth asteroid and redirect it safely to a stable orbit in the Earth-moon system where astronauts can visit and explore it. This image was taken through a porthole in a vacuum chamber at JPL where the ion engine is being tested. [Read the Full Story Here]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Initiative

Credit: NASA

NASA's new Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization Mission seeks to capture a small asteroid and park it in a high orbit near the moon, possibly by 2021, in order for astronauts to explore its surface. [Full Story]

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Solar Electric Propulsion for Asteroid-Capture Probe

Credit: Analytical Mechanics Associates

NASA's proposed asteroid-retrieval mission will utilize advanced solar electric propulsion technologies, as depicted in this artist's concept of the spacecraft. [Full Story]

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How NASA's Asteroid Capture and Return Mission Works (Infographic)

Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Infographics Artist

See how NASA's ambitious asteroid capture plan would work here in this SPACE.com infographic. [Full Story]

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NASA's Asteroid-Capture Spacecraft

Credit: NASA/Advanced Concepts Laboratory

NASA aims to park a near-Earth asteroid near the moon, where astronauts could visit it by 2025. Here, an artist's depiction shows a notional spacecraft with its asteroid capture mechanism stowed. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Notional Concept

Credit: NASA

This still from a NASA video shows a notional concept of an asteroid rendezvous mission, in which a robotic spacecraft approaches a small asteroid in order to capture it and return it to a point near the moon for exploration. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Bag Deployment

Credit: NASA

To capture an asteroid, a NASA spacecraft would deploy a bag-like snare that would completely enshroud the space rock. This still from a mission video animation shows the bag's first stages of deployment. [Full Story]

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Bag Deployment for Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

To capture an asteroid, a NASA spacecraft would deploy a bag-like snare that would completely enshroud the space rock. This still from a mission video animation shows the bag's first stages of deployment. [Full Story]

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Asteroid-Capture in Progress

Credit: NASA/Advanced Concepts Laboratory

This artist's concept shows an unmanned NASA spacecraft approaching a near-Earth asteroid for capture and transport to a location near the moon. [Full Story]

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Capturing an Asteroid

Credit: NASA/Advanced Concepts Laboratory

This artist's concept shows a notional unmanned NASA spacecraft with its asteroid-capture mechanism deployed. [Full Story]

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Swallowing an Asteroid During Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

In this still from a NASA video, a robotic spacecraft's capture bag swallows an asteroid in order to return it to Earth. NASA plans to retrieve an asteroid and park it near the moon by 2025, possibly even by 2021, so astronauts can explore it. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Retrieval

Credit: NASA

This still from a NASA video shows a spacecraft's-eye view as a capture bag swallows an asteroid in order to return it to Earth. NASA plans to retrieve an asteroid and park it near the moon by 2025, possibly even by 2021, so astronauts can explore it. [Full Story]

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Snaring an Asteroid on Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

After snaring an asteroid, NASA plans to cinch up its capture bag in order to secure the space rock for delivery to cis-lunar space near the moon. This still is from a NASA animation depicting the agency's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization Mission. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Return

Credit: NASA

After snaring an asteroid, NASA's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization would use its ion propulsion engine to return cis-lunar space near the moon. This still is from a NASA animation depicting the agency's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization Mission. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Crew Launch

Credit: NASA

After robotically capturing an asteroid and parking it in cis-lunar space, NASA plans to launch a manned mission to the space rock to collect samples up close. This still from a NASA video shows that launch blasting off atop the huge Space Launch System mega-rocket. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Crew Path

Credit: NASA

An Orion space capsule carrying at least two astronauts would chase down an asteroid parked in orbit around the moon as part of NASA's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission. A potential path for the deep-space rendezvous is shown here. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Trip

Credit: NASA

An Orion space capsule carrying at least two astronauts is seen en route to an asteroid parked in orbit around the moon as part of NASA's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission in this NASA still. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Parked on the Moon

Credit: NASA

After arriving at an asteroid parked around the moon, a NASA Orion spacecraft would latch onto a robotic counterpart using a robotic arm in order to explore the asteroid, according to this still from a NASA video. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Crew Docking

Credit: NASA

After arriving at an asteroid parked around the moon, a NASA Orion spacecraft docks with the asteroid's robotic nanny ahead of a spacewalk to investigate the space rock in this still image from a video animation. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capture Mission Spacewalk

Credit: NASA

Once docked to their asteroid target, astronauts aboard a NASA Orion spacecraft venture on a spacewalk to explore the asteroid's surface and collect samples in this still from a video depicting the agency's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission. [Full Story]

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Two Astronauts on Spacewalk During Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

Two astronauts from a NASA Orion spacecraft venture on a spacewalk to explore an asteroid's surface and collect samples in this still from a video depicting the agency's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission. [Full Story]

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Sample Taken During Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

Astronauts collect samples from an asteroid while orbiting high above the moon in this still image from a video NASA's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission. [Full Story]

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Astronauts Return Samples from Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

Astronauts return samples from an asteroid into their Orion spacecraft while orbiting high above the moon in this still image from a video NASA's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission. [Full Story]

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Exploring Shrink-Wrapped Asteroid During Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

After exploring a shrink-wrapped asteroid orbiting the moon, astronauts aboard a NASA Orion spacecraft depart the area to return samples back to Earth in this still from a video depicting the agency's Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission. [Full Story]

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Orion Spacecraft Re-entry After Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

This still from a NASA video shows an Orion spacecraft about to re-enter Earth's atmosphere after visiting an asteroid parked in orbit around the moon during the Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission. [Full Story]

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Orion Spacecraft Splashdown After Asteroid Capture Mission

Credit: NASA

This still from a NASA video shows an Orion spacecraft about splashing down after visiting an asteroid parked in orbit around the moon during the Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization mission. [Full Story]

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Asteroid Capturing Spacecraft Concept

Credit: NASA

A notional NASA concept of a solar-electric-powered spacecraft, designed to capture a small near-Earth asteroid and relocate it safely close to the Earth-moon system so astronauts can explore it.

How It Works: NASA Asteroid-Capture Mission in Pictures

Orion Docking Approach

Asteroid Sample Retrieval

Asteroid Sample Storage

Robotic Asteroid Redirect Vehicle with Orion

Asteroid Redirect Mission Spacewalk with Translation Boom

Asteroid Redirect Vehicle with Capture Bag and EVA

The Engine Burns Blue

Asteroid Capture Mission Initiative

Solar Electric Propulsion for Asteroid-Capture Probe

How NASA's Asteroid Capture and Return Mission Works (Infographic)

NASA's Asteroid-Capture Spacecraft

Asteroid Capture Mission Notional Concept

Asteroid Capture Mission Bag Deployment

Bag Deployment for Asteroid Capture Mission

Asteroid-Capture in Progress

Capturing an Asteroid

Swallowing an Asteroid During Asteroid Capture Mission

Asteroid Capture Mission Retrieval

Snaring an Asteroid on Asteroid Capture Mission

Asteroid Capture Mission Return

Asteroid Capture Mission Crew Launch

Asteroid Capture Mission Crew Path

Asteroid Capture Mission Trip

Asteroid Capture Mission Parked on the Moon

Asteroid Capture Mission Crew Docking

Asteroid Capture Mission Spacewalk

Two Astronauts on Spacewalk During Asteroid Capture Mission

Sample Taken During Asteroid Capture Mission

Astronauts Return Samples from Asteroid Capture Mission

Exploring Shrink-Wrapped Asteroid During Asteroid Capture Mission

Orion Spacecraft Re-entry After Asteroid Capture Mission

Orion Spacecraft Splashdown After Asteroid Capture Mission

Asteroid Capturing Spacecraft Concept

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