MIT Professor Advocates Ending Asteroid Redirect Mission To Fund Asteroid Survey

MarkWhittington writes Professor Richard Binzel published a commentary in the journal Nature that called for two things. He proposed that NASA cancel the Asteroid Redirect Mission currently planned for the early 2020s. Instead, he would like the asteroid survey mandated by the George E. Brown, Jr. Near-Earth Object Survey Act of 2005, part of the 2005 NASA Authorization Act, funded at $200 million a year. Currently NASA funds the survey at $20 million a year, considered inadequate to complete the identification of 90 percent of hazardous near-Earth objects 140 meters or greater by 2020 as mandated by the law.

Comments

Maybe he should donate his time

[Overzeetop]

If he's so concerned, perhaps he should donate his time and form a non-profit organization which solicits donations to do the survey. It's how the republicans have suggested we deal with homelessness, child nutrition, mental health, and the arts. Why should his pet project/idea get a larger share of federal dollars?