Mining in space is no longer science fiction. Within a couple of decades can asteroids be a gold mine both for general research and private companies. – The research moves quickly forward, ” says Reza Emami at Luleå university of technology.
Soon a mine? There are thousands of asteroids with an orbit which is close to the earth. Here is one of them, Mathilde. It is, however, with its diameter of about 50 km, much larger than the boulders that are relevant for mining.
Move the asteroids to earth’s orbit around the earth, to extract gold, platinum, and other precious minerals on an industrial scale? The thought is staggering.
But the researchers, among other things, in Luleå, sweden, are convinced that it is fully possible. Soon.
“It’s not science fiction anymore, there are many around the world who are working with it here,” says Reza Emami, who is the professor of space systems at Luleå university of technology.
” Within five years we will see the first space journeys to asteroids to study them just for this purpose.
as the precious metals become increasingly difficult to get hold of here on earth, has its eyes turned outward to space instead. Many asteroids are believed to contain large amounts of, for example, platinum, gold, silver, and tungsten that mining is worthwhile despite the fact that it requires space travel.
A part of the research to take place right in Luleå, where a new research center focuses on the exploration of asteroids, partly how it would be able to manipulate asteroiders orbit so that they come closer to the earth.
“We have started to sketch on a project that perhaps in five–seven years would take us to a small asteroid, perhaps 10 to 15 metres in diameter, and bring it closer to earth,” says Reza Emami.
– There will be many similar to space travel in the next few years, to demonstrate the technology, that it is actually possible to implement.
The private companies, primarily in the united states, is not unexpected in the forefront and one of them, Deep Space Industries, looks to be first out. The company announced at the end of the summer to their first spacecraft is scheduled to be sent out to an asteroid already in 2020.
Also, the USA’s space agencies Nasa has far past plans in a similar space.
however, It is not only about commercial interests, or nations who want to make a killing on the rymdstenarna. Asteroids also contain, inter alia, water – in other words, hydrogen and oxygen – which can provide new opportunities for space travel and colonization of space. To extract resources in space can take place at a considerably smaller cost than to send up the corresponding resources from the earth.
To move a great big rock from space to the earth’s orbit around the earth may sound like a dangerous idea. But according to Reza Emami, it is about as small asteroids that it is not in any danger.
– This is a common question. But not at all. Målasteroiderna which we study, is classed as small asteroids, ” he says.
” that is asteroids at around 25, maybe 50, feet in diameter. There is no risk that they would cause any greater harm on earth.
the Facts: Asteroids
An asteroid is a small celestial body that goes in an orbit around the sun.
The first asteroids were discovered over 200 years ago. First off, in 1801, was the discovery of Ceres, the largest ever detected the asteroid, which, however, now considered a dwarf planet.
Asteroids are found primarily in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but scientists have also discovered and catalogued thousands of near-earth asteroids and comets.
According to Nasa, had until the 10 of november in the year 15 172 near-earth objects have been discovered. Of them has 874 a diameter of around a kilometer or more.
The largest known near-earth object, a minor Ganymed, is almost 30 kilometers in diameter. When it is about the planned mining operations, it is, however, considerably smaller asteroids.
Source: the Swedish national Encyclopedia and Nasa.
the Facts: Hold right on the rymdstenarna
An asteroid is a larger body, småplanet, which is in orbit around the sun and which belong to or have their origin in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
A comet is a small isrik body in orbit around the sun, usually residents of the Oort in the outskirts of the solar system.
A meteor is the ljusstreck that occurs in the sky when a meteorid (a small body from space) will fall with high speed into the earth’s atmosphere.
A meteorite, or meteorsten is a solid body that has fallen down on the surface of the earth.
Source: Nationalencyklopedin.
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