NASA Dawn Asteroid Mission Told to "Stand Back Up", Reinstated! Options

[dvandorn]

Just 'cause I said I would...

Hopefully, though, this whole episode has made its point -- NASA isn't afraid to tell overbudget missions to stand down.

I just *really* wish we could get the magnetometer back on the beastie, though...

-the other Doug

[Guest_Myran_*]

dvandorn said: in space, no one can hear you yell...

You havnt heard us two when we begin one argument and start yelling, its loud! So I worry that even 1 AU of vaccum would be a safe distance.

Back to being serious and re BruceMoomaw & JRehling, yes it would be interesting to have a look at avariety of asteroids and lest one of each type to see if our ideas derived from meteorites found on earth are correct or not.
Are these parts of a once larger 'moon sized' asteroid with a molten core that differentiated and broke up and gave us the various types. Yes moon sized meaning one smaller than Earths Moon, its unlikely it was larger, the total mass of the asteroid belt is to low to think a really larg object existed there.

Or was it another process in smaller asteroids like heating from impacts that caused some asteroids to be carbenous and others to have a high nickel iron content? The latter is perhaps less likely but cant be ruled out. A good survey might settle the question, so Dawn are a good start on doing that.