NASA Contemplating On Sending A Probe Out To The Asteroid
August 11th, 2010 - 7:45 pm ICT by Pen Men At WorkAugust 11, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): NASA Scientists have been reported as planning to send a probe out to the asteroid that is likely to pose a threat for our planet.
1999 RQ36, as the asteroid has been named has a highly unlikely chance of 1-in-1000 of colliding with the earth before 2200. However, it is expected to hit the earth on the 24th of September 2182.
An impact with the huge asteroid measuring 1800 feet across is likely to cause an explosion that will be equal in intensity to several nuclear bombs going off together. While the scientists do have time on their hands to prevent the devastation, some of them are eager to send out an exploratory probe which can land on the surface of 1999 RQ36. The samples that will be collected from the asteroid can then be studied in order to predict the path of its trajectory in the years to come.
Although NASA is facing financial problems at present, the mission if given the go ahead will be off to the asteroid in 2106 with the specific aim of mapping its surface and collecting the rock samples.
The mission has been named as Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer or OSIRIS-Rex in short. It is in direct completion with a mission to land on the Venus. The details of both the missions are currently being studied at the workshop of NASA in Washington, which begun this Tuesday. The winner among the two will be announced next year.
The asteroid has been classified as ‘potentially dangerous’ by the NASA as it will be passing within 280,000 miles of our planet.
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