Asteroid Redirect Mission

This article is about the proposed NASA mission. For asteroid mining and utilization, see Asteroid mining. For the impactor mission, see Double Asteroid Redirection Test.

Grippers on the end of the robotic arms are used to grasp and secure a boulder from a large asteroid. Once the boulder is secured, the legs would push off and provide an initial ascent without the use of thrusters.

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), also known as the Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization (ARU) mission and the Asteroid Initiative, was a space mission proposed by NASA in 2013; the mission was later cancelled. The Asteroid Retrieval Robotic Mission (ARRM) spacecraft would rendezvous with a large near-Earth asteroid and use robotic arms with anchoring grippers to retrieve a 4-meter boulder from the asteroid.

The spacecraft would characterize the asteroid and demonstrate at least one planetary defense technique before transporting the boulder to a stable lunar orbit, where it could be further analyzed both by robotic probes and by a future crewed mission, Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM).[1] If funded, the mission would have launched in December 2021,[2] with the additional objectives to test a number of new capabilities needed for future human expeditions to deep space, including advanced ion thrusters.[3]

The proposed 2018 NASA budget called for its cancellation,[4] the mission was given its notice of defunding in April 2017,[5] and NASA announced the "close out" on June 13, 2017.[5] Key technologies being developed for ARM have continued, especially the ion thruster propulsion system that would have been flown on the robotic mission.

  1. ^ Wall, Mike (April 10, 2013). "Inside NASA's Plan to Catch an Asteroid (Bruce Willis Not Required)". Space.com. TechMediaNetwork. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference sn-20160303 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Agle, DC (April 10, 2013). "NASA Associate Administrator on Asteroid Initiative" (Press release). Washington, DC: JPL. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference sfn-20170317 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Jeff Foust (June 14, 2017). "NASA closing out Asteroid Redirect Mission". Space News. Retrieved September 9, 2017.