The U.S. space Agency NASA has long been nurturing plans to send expeditions to one of the asteroids. But these plans that will be implemented by 2020, year, do not receive yet sufficient support and approval. Therefore, some other organizations engaged in the development of alternative options for the study of asteroids, and one of the most feasible and promising alternative is to plan, developed by experts of Institute of space research Cesc, which is the institution that organized the California Institute of technology and the Laboratory of NASA for the study of jet propulsion.

Under the proposed mission, the implementation of which will cost approximately 2.6 billion dollars, offered to send automatic spacecraft in deep space, which would then riboxinum one of the asteroids and run it on a circular circumlunar orbit, there, where less problems and more effectively studies of the asteroid can enjoy special robots and people-researchers.

Of the reasons for the mission in the automatic mode is preferable to send the expedition people in deep space there is a great variety. Only one flight to a nearby asteroid interest for science, will take about six months time. During this time the members of the expedition will be exposed to prolonged exposure to space radiation and other adverse factors, which, as we know, are dangerous for the health of astronauts. In addition, this expedition will be extremely costly and dangerous, and most importantly, the result of this expedition can be very significant.

But the asteroid, which is on the lunar orbit, has for humanity greater scientific attractiveness due to its relative proximity to the moon, which with relatively small investments can be turned into a scientific and research human Outpost. NASA already have some plans about creating a fixed space base, hanging in one of the Lagrange points, and on the surface of the moon, you can create an inhabited space base where people with telecontrol will study how the moon and the asteroid, if any will on the lunar orbit.

The mission developed by the Institute Kesk, involves the launch of a rocket Atlas V which will be put into orbit spacecraft, slowly accelerating due to the energy of solar and ion engine of new generation. The spacecraft is approaching a small asteroid the size of 5-7 meters, started to slowly pull it to the side of the moon, adhering to the calculated trajectory. Because of the low speed flight at ion engine mission towing asteroid will take quite a long period of time, approximately six to ten years.

It should be noted that NASA is not the first organization, which seriously thinking about transportation of asteroids in the near space, where it will be convenient to have them study or mining of mineral resources. Relatively young and space company Planetary Resources, organized by several outstanding personalities and billionaires, last year, has already announced its ambitious plans of extraction of minerals and other resources from the depths of asteroids and other space objects. And start this thing they are planning to tow the asteroid in the near space, where they will be more available for processing mining space robots. Therefore, the implementation of the first attempts to tow a small asteroid could be a good start just a great event.