# Wanna Go To The Asteroids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-go-to-the-asteroids/114453 "2002-06-17T03:01:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-go-to-the-asteroids/114453/1 "2002-06-17T03:01:09Z")
Well, how about just your name? The [Japanese Planetary Society](http://www.planetary.or.jp/muses-c/pc/en/) is going to be landing a probe on an asteroid in 2005 and returning with a sample of it. Before landing the probe will drop a ball with an aluminum foil sheet inside of it, etched with the names of spaceflight fanatics, on to the asteroid. The ball will help the probe land and will remain there when the probe leaves. More info can be found [here](http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/06/14/japan.asteroid/index.html) as well. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-go-to-the-asteroids/114453/2 "2002-06-17T11:48:58Z")
Actually it’s [ISAS](http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/index.html) who is launching the satellite. The Japanese Planetary Society is just organizing the name collection. They did the same thing with their Mars probe. (Which, incidentally, is taking 4 extra years to get to Mars because they screwed up the course correction early in the flight.) ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanna-go-to-the-asteroids/114453/3 "2002-06-17T12:23:34Z")
And just remember folks, if you want to avoid getting shot by the saucers, you can always hide behind the score at the top of the screen.