A piece of asteroid may be returned to Earth by a spacecraft
If the craft is packing some space-rock bits, the mission
President Obama announced
"By 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long
If Hayabusa manages to deliver a piece of asteroid rubble to
The Japanese probe is set to complete its seven-year mission
The spacecraft visited the Itokawa asteroid in September?
If it was successful, the material would be the first bit of
"A sample that you can bring into the lab can provide
Jenniskens is principal investigator of a
Asteroids are interesting for a number of reasons. Studying
In addition to providing a wealth of new science, a human mission
"The whole point of the current Obama program is to get
Finally, asteroids might have reserves
"These could be the watering holes and fueling stations
While helping to pave the way for a manned trip wasn't a
"Hayabusa wasn?t sent out there to be a stepping stone
However, that will all depend on just what exactly the
Editor's Note: This article was corrected to reflect the fact that if Hayabusa succeeds, the material it brings back would be the first from an asteroid, not the first of any sort of rock from space (lunar rocks have been returned to Earth).
