I read people disappointed there was not more science done on the flight around the Moon.

There was a plan to combine asteroid science, asteroid deflection, and space resources work with Orion spacecraft tests in lunar orbit.

Donald Trump & Republicans then in Congress canceled that plan in 2017.

I here refer to the Asteroid Redirect Mission plan.

It would have cost an additional few billion dollars.

But I still like the idea of demonstrating gravity-tractor asteroid deflection.

I forgot about how cool the journey to Mars plans were during Obama's term IIRC. Building the hugest-ass rocket, lassoing an asteroid to the moon.

Then I stopped thinking about it when Trump happened and I expected it's never gonna happen.

@mk_rexx

For accuracy:

The Asteroid Redirect Mission proposed to enclose the rock it would have picked up inside a large bag - otherwise, it would have fragmented and drifted away.

There were jokes about getting endorsements from trash bag manufacturers, but the reference design was a coated Vectran weave similar to Mars lander airbags. Known material, good radiation tolerance, heat stable, etc.

Something like ARM could come back. But not with the current management.

@michael_w_busch @mk_rexx
Personally, this leads me to the idea of people like Elon Musk privatizing the ability to launch asteroids towards targets on the moon or the Earth
@michael_w_busch Conservatism is basically based on demonstrations of in-group vs out-group power and loyalties. That’s why the only thing that matters to them is a show.