[umbrai_nation]

Does it make any sense to place a series of landers in solar orbit, waiting for short-lived opportunities like this? I don't think we'd save much on fuel since the orbits wouldn't be optimized for the target. However, it would require much less planning when opportunities arise, and wouldn't be as reliant on the political winds of the day.

[mLuby]

I'd guess not, as the various components that make up probes are constantly improving. While it would be nice to have a 1990's era probe on hand to investigate this asteroid, I bet we can learn a lot more from modern sensors, and the electronics and comms will be more powerful and lighter.

[kchoudhu]

Don't knock 90s technology: Hubble is still sending us gorgeous pictures of the universe...

[garmaine]

As a sibling points out it is a justification for developing in space refueling and orbital fuel depots. Then you could just launch something out of the Earth gravity well, fully refuel it, and then send it on such a trajectory.

[XorNot]

Or if we had moon/Mars colonies then we could use standby rockets from them - proximate to humans/resources so we can maintain them but much lower escape velocities.

[garmaine]

Adding 4-5km/s dv probably makes intercept and slowdown impractical at interstellar speeds.

[trafficlight]

Just wait until there is a BFR supplied gas station in orbit for such an occasion.