How to make a comet
The primary mandate of NASA is the study of the nature and origin of the solar system. The study of the comets provide information about conditions and processes at the beginning of the solar system. Short period comets and their relatives, the near Earth asteroids may prove to be second only to the sun in importance to the long term survival of civilization for two reasons. The short period comets and the near Earth asteroids are a possible candidate for the cause of mass extinctions of life on Earth; and they may provide the material means for the expansion of civilization into the solar system and beyond. The comets and near Earth asteroids almost certainly represent the most primitive material of the solar system, still tantalizingly unavailable until spacecraft bring first-hand information. In the meantime comets must be studied by remote means. Laboratory investigations using synthetic cometary materials may add to the knowledge of these interesting objects. Experimentation on comet synthesis is briefly discussed.