NASA IDs Potential Target for Asteroid Mission

NASA is considering relocating a small asteroid that buzzed Earth three years ago into a high orbit around the moon when it returns in 2024, officials said on Thursday.   The asteroid, known as 2011 MD, is among nine candidates on NASA's potential relocation list. Once an asteroid is robotically repositioned about 75,000 km (46,600 miles) above the lunar surface, NASA wants to send astronauts to visit it and collect samples. The initiative is intended to test technologies and...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - jeudi 19 juin 2014