*An interesting set of proposals here, kinda gets into the tall weeds of the comet interception biz.
Sometimes the mountain DOES come to Mohammed
(...)
For these reasons, a mission that could study such objects up close is very desirable. As Dr. Andreas M. Hein – the executive director of i4is’s board of directors, the chairman of its Technical Research Committee, and one of the co-authors on the recent study – told Universe Today via email:
“Investigating interstellar objects from a close distance would provide us with unique data about other star systems without actually flying to them. They might provide unique insights into the evolution and composition of other star systems and exoplanets in them. Interstellar objects are cool as it’s a bit like: If you can’t go to the mountain, let the mountain come to you. It will likely take many decades until we can send a spacecraft to another star. Hence, interstellar objects might be an intermediate solution for finding out more about other stars and their planets.”
(...)
