Asteroid sampler mission proposed

A University of Arkansas-led team is proposing a mission for NASA's Discovery programme that will collect samples from three asteroids.

The Hera mission would be launched on a Delta II in January 2006, reaching asteroid A010 seven months later. Hera will go on to asteroid 2000 AG6, arriving in November 2006, followed by asteroid 1989 UQ in March 2009.

The spacecraft will return to Earth in November 2010 with asteroid samples collected by a high speed drill.

Source: Flight International