NASA asks space industry for proposals on using the shelved Janus probes on mission to ApophisNASA has now put out a request for proposals from the space industry for refitting the two Janus planetary probes, whose asteroid mission was shelved when its launch as a secondary payload was delayed due to problems with the Psyche primary payload, as a mission to the asteroid Apophis in connection with its April 13, 2029 close approach to the Earth.
NASA has been studying this new mission goal since early 2023, but apparently had failed to come up with a plan. It is now asking the private sector for suggestions on getting it done, including finding the funding for any plans.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
NASA has now put out a request for proposals from the space industry for refitting the two Janus planetary probes, whose asteroid mission was shelved when its launch as a secondary payload was delayed due to problems with the Psyche primary payload, as a mission to the asteroid Apophis in connection with its April 13, 2029 close approach to the Earth.
NASA has been studying this new mission goal since early 2023, but apparently had failed to come up with a plan. It is now asking the private sector for suggestions on getting it done, including finding the funding for any plans.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
What mechanism can a private company possibly have for ‘finding’ funding for a science probe? There doesn’t seem to be any way for a return on investment.
Tourist flights, mining for platinum gold and unobtanium, telescope time; sure I’ll invest. Spectroscopy, pretty pictures, field measurements, particle detectors; sorry nope.
John asked: “What mechanism can a private company possibly have for ‘finding’ funding for a science probe? There doesn’t seem to be any way for a return on investment.”
Well, you may end up with valuable data and information. The very same data and information that NASA and Congress thought were worth hundreds of millions or billions of dollars to obtain. Someone may pay money for it. Maybe more than one someones, if it is not made public domain and it remains proprietary only to the company that collected the data and the companies that buy access to the data.
The Janus probes weigh 36 kg. each. A number of the smaller launch vehicles currently in development or in service could likely launch such a mission.
As for funding and a “business case,” raising the profile of one’s launch company would be worth something – maybe quite a bit.
There are also any number of other venerable money-raisers that could be applied. One that comes readily to mind is sale of naming rights. Sell the rights to name either or both of the probes.
Another is NASCAR-style sponsorships in return for sponsor logos being applied to the two probes. The probes have cameras so each can photograph the other showing all of the logos applied to each.
A third would be some sort of opportunity for the general public to participate. There are actually several ways this could work. One would be inclusion of a plate on each probe with the names of each person contributing some minimal donation – $10, say, or the rough equivalent in other currency – micro-etched on.
A second would be some sort of raffle with two winners getting to choose to put either their own photographic images, or those of some other person they want to thus honor, in a place on the side of one probe so it would be visible along with the corporate sponsor logos.
The possibilities for fund-raising all or a large part of the required funds for such a project are many and varied.