Rob Landis (NASA Ames Research Center)

Title: Between the Moon and Mars:  The  NEO Facto

Abstract:
In late 2006, NASA's Constellation Program (CxP) sponsored a  study to
examine the feasibility of sending a piloted Orion spacecraft to a  near-Earth
Object (NEO). One of the significant advantages of this type of  mission is
that it strengthens and validates the foundational infrastructure of  the
United States Space Exploration Policy and is highly complementary to NASA's
planned planned return to the Moon circa 2020.  Rob Landis will discuss how
human expeditions to NEOs would not only underscore the broad utility of the
 Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Ares launch systems, but would
also be  the first human expedition to an interplanetary body beyond the
Earth-Moon  system.