NASA Proposes to Lasso Asteroid and Pull it Back to Earth

$100 million for it in the president's budget; what could go wrong?

Nasa is going on an asteroid rodeo. In plans that sound like science fiction but that are aimed at becoming science fact, the US space agency has revealed its ambitions to lasso an asteroid and drag it back to the Earth. Nasa scientists are engaged on a hunt for a suitable space rock that can be the target of the mission, which has been scheduled tentatively for 2019.

"It really is a clever concept. Go find your ideal candidate for an asteroid. Go get it robotically and bring it back," said Florida senator Bill Nelson as he unveiled the plans at a press conference.