The Solar System is filled with small asteroids and comets, all whizzing around in varying orbits. They represent both a threat to our planet – asBut if we are to deflect or exploit these bodies, we need to know what they are made of, and ideally without having to go to the trouble of landing on them all. Fortunately, Dr Gary Hughes of California Polytechnic State University has a solution to this problem, and he has received funding from NASA to work on it.
