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Tressure Asteroid

THE CHALLENGE: Asteroid Mining
Solar System

Develop an approach for characterizing the composition of asteroid for mining potential and a process for mining different compositions. Explore a possible division of labor involving different types of vehicles (e.g. sensor units, drilling units, power gathering and distribution, extracted resources handling and transferring). Consider solutions for moving said asteroids between different orbits and/or consequently make periodical adjustments to keep them in place. Analyze how your idea would cope in some of the given scenarios or outline a scheme of your own.

Explanation
  • One of the most important constraints which limit the evolution of human technology is the continuing shortfall in the rare elements of the earth, which has led to higher prices significantly. The scientists expect that after a period of time not long ago, we will reach the stage where the prices of those elements will be doubled in a year, and it is known that these vital and basic elements for the human life -such as gold and iron, cobalt and platinum, manganese and other - found in the earth's crust as a result of the many collisions that occur between the earth and the meteors, this fact confirmed that the current sources are limited

Thus, it is important to consider the future space sources - Solar Systems' asteroids- for these minerals, And replace the earth sources of non-renewable resources with the renewable ones.

Our project aims to develop a continuous system for mining the minerals of the asteroids in Kepler's Belt and bring it to the Earth for the human use.

Stage 1: Detecting the best location

In the beginning, we will determine the best location in the asteroid belt using the following Parameters:

• Historical data provided by NASA's previous studies and missions about asteroid belts.

• The Effects of Jupiter’s gravity on the distribution of the Asteroids Belts.

•Results produced by Spectrometer in satellites, telescopes and orbiters (such as MRO using its CRISM) to determine which Asteroid contains the target material (Metal).

Our spacecraft consists of three parts:

  • The main ship which contains the following:
    1-Spectrometers - to determine the best asteroid for mining.
    2-Radars - to provide us the needed information about asteroid physical properties.
    3-High and low gain antennas - for communication.
    4-Solar cells for Power.
  • The secondary two parts -catchers- contains:
    1-High resolution cameras such as: POLYCAM, MAPCAM, STOWCAM, SAMCAM.
    2-LIDARs - to measure the distance and to make up high resolution maps.
    3-Ion engine to deflect the asteroid.
    4-High and low gain antennas.

Stage 2: The way to Mars

After launching the rocket that carrying our spacecraft, we will depend on the gravitational slingshot and Kepler Orbits to send our spacecraft to the Mars orbit using Ion proportion engine, there we will use the spectrometer to determine the best asteroid for mining, the spacecraft will send the data collected to the earth and the scientists and economists will decide for mining. Note: We will use Solid-fuel rocket not liquid-fuel one to launch spacecraft into space. The reason of this that the Solid-fuel rocket has higher potential energy than the the liquid fuel and it's lighter and smaller than the liquid one.

Stage 3: Deflecting

Our next mission is to deflect the asteroid orbit and put it in the earth's orbit.

So we will launch one of the Catchers to the Asteroid to change its orbit by giving it a thrust using ion engine and the Platinum grid.

Also we can use the Solar pumped lasers as an advanced idea (In the future).


Stage 4: Receiving the Guest
In this stage we have two scenarios:

The first scenario is to redirect the asteroid orbit again to be narrower to the Earth like the Moon orbit around the Earth, Asteroid orbiting around the earth will enable us easily to do the mining for the asteroid.

The second scenario says that when we deflect the asteroid in the belts we make his orbit go throw a specific location in the Earth like a desert or a small sea considering the Earth rotation and the time the asteroid need to arrive.

Why around the Earth not in the asteroid belts ?
Pure commercial purposes.

why around the Earth not the moon ?

  1. The orbit around the earth will be more stable than the orbit around the moon according to general relativity.
  2. Commercial purposes: the asteroid will be too much more closer at some locations witch will help us to mine in lower cost.



Resources Used
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