tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post4813210842984697237..comments2024-01-03T20:28:17.727-08:00Comments on Future Planetary Exploration: Next Generation Small Bodies MissionsVan Kanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227978868817989527noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-32476518126149687582009-02-10T20:01:00.000-08:002009-02-10T20:01:00.000-08:00So far as I know, the ISS has none of the laborato...So far as I know, the ISS has none of the laboratory instruments that would be wanted for analyzing a comet sample. Instruments could be built, probably for $10Ms to $100Ms, but they likely would still fall short of what the best Earth labs could do.<BR/><BR/>Delivering the samples to the ISS would also pose its own problems. The craft would have to slow down enough to enter Earth orbit and eventually match orbits with ISS. An ion engine could probably do this, but at the expense of considerable time, I suspect. <BR/><BR/>A return directly to Earth via an entry vehicle behind a heat shield seems the easiest way to me.<BR/><BR/>- vkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-6164243100690213682009-02-10T08:47:00.000-08:002009-02-10T08:47:00.000-08:00If I designed a mission with the intention to get ...If I designed a mission with the intention to get frozen samples of a comet and keep the sample frozen until it reaches the laboratory, would it be better to bring that sample back to earth or bring it to the ISS. I ask this question from a budget point of view, but I'm also wondering about the capabilities of our ISS laboratories compared to earth laboratories. Or are there other considerations that forbid analysis on the ISS, like quarantine?<BR/><BR/>Have a nice day :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com