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Asteroid Landing

Posted by michael on from the five-mph-bumpers-standard dept.

guardia writes "This is my first submit to Slashdot and the following looked cool enough to me and since I haven't seen it posted yet on Slashdot, here goes! Basically, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, ISAS, is planning to launch the M-V rocket from its Kagoshima Space Center located in Uuchinoura, Kagoshima. The rocket will contain the small craft Muses-C (also available in Japanese) which should land on Asteroid 1998SF36 (the "star prince"), leave a million names or so (you can register yours for free!) on the target marker, and come back with some surface samples."

7 of 21 comments (clear)

  1. Spam from space by misfit13b · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah great, and now that they have your name, all the ETs have to do is a Google search and you'll start getting collect telemarketing calls from outer space!

  2. you know what would rule... by tps12 · · Score: 2

    ...is to hang out on an asteroid.

    --

    Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
  3. better link / possible scam by freuddot · · Score: 3, Informative

    The real site, to me, is : www.isas.ac.jp

    The one linked looks like a scam to get a few millions address email of people interested in space/science. Here comes the sci./tech. spam ! Nowhere on the official site ( that I can see ) do they talk about leaving your name on the asteroid.

    J.

    1. Re:better link / possible scam by QuodEratDemonstratum · · Score: 2, Informative

      The owner of the link (reformatted to get past /.'s silly lameness filter)

      PLANETARY.OR.JP
      The Planetary Society of Japan
      Non Profit Organization
      AK1013JP
      AK1013JP
      GS078JP
      ns1.dns .ne.jp
      ns2.dns.ne.jp
      itc2@a1.mbn.or.jp
      jpnic-st aff@sakura.ad.jp
      Connected (2002/10/31)
      1999/10/20
      1999/11/08
      2002/04/25 12:02:18 (JST)
      gaku@sakura.ad.jp

    2. Re:better link / possible scam by President+Chimp+Toe · · Score: 2

      The one linked looks like a scam to get a few millions address email of people interested in space/science

      At first I thought you might be right - the person who submitted the story seemes a bit too excitable, and was using a brand new account. However, if it is a scam, either it is the most eloborate, well constructed plan ever (The Planetary Society of Japan is a subsidiary of the Planetary Society, who publish journals, have vast archives of material and comprehensive websites) or their websit got r00ted and someone tagged the "spoof" page on their server. Considering s' kiddies couldnt write something so coherent as that webpage, I would have to say this looks real.

    3. Re:better link / possible scam by quintessent · · Score: 2

      Even if this is legit, how do I know I'm not going to start receiving spam from space aliens who may find the list and copy it down?

      Scary.

      --
      Donate background CPU time to fight cancer.
  4. Names on Asteroids by nucal · · Score: 2

    I agree, people have been leaving their names on Asteroids for quite some time.