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| Artist’s illustration of the Arkyrd 200. The spacecraft will be able collect data on the target’s shape, rotation, density, and surface composition – giving it the ability to characterize potential mining value. Credit: Planetary Resources |
Prospecting for treasure within the solar system
The current cost of space travel, on a price per mass basis, is
astronomically high. All puns aside, this is a major economic barrier
that must be overcome. If we are to send humans to Mars, or anyplace
really, we’re going to have to lower the cost of space travel. Companies
are already looking towards cutting down launch costs, but there still
exists the problem of mass. Currently we are limited only to what we can
throw up there, so our ships must carry everything with them, including
fuel. If we could build spacecraft up there, or process fuel in deep
space, we could reduce mission cost significantly.
That’s when we look up, seemingly towards the stars, but more
specifically, towards the asteroids that scatter the solar system. We’ve
known about their properties for years, with meteorites containing rare
metals and comets spewing water across the sky. They’re fragments of
our early universe, remnants of a young system that never had a chance
to harbor life. And now they’re all ours.
A closer look at these rocks shows us an astonishing amount of
diversity, and even greater potential. Their compositions spread over
the periodic table, and their sizes range from pebbles to miniature
worlds. Mining these asteroids will be an enormous challenge, but one
that humanity is willing to take on. It starts with slow steps, with
minimal funding, working towards a vision of a fully functional space
economy. However before we can mine these asteroids, we must look to
understand them.
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| Artist’s illustration of DSi Prospector-1 on the surface of an asteroid. Credit: Deep Space Industries |
NASA is where must turn to get some answers. Asteroids are very
difficult to study, and since most research has been limited to what
lands on Earth, there are still many unanswered questions. Soon, we may
finally get some answers. Launching in September of 2016, OSIRIS-REx
will begin its seven year mission to a carbonaceous asteroid to study it
in detail, and then send a sample return mission back to Earth for
further evaluation. This is a crucial first step, but its purpose is
scientific, not industrial. If we’re going to start prospecting
asteroids then the private sector needs to get involved. The good news
is, this already happened.
Two companies, Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries, are
embracing the possibilities at hand, and hope to be a part of what could
very much be the next gold rush. Each company is in the process of
designing the first generation of asteroid mining spacecraft. In the
short term, both companies are focused on mining one of the most
abundant resources in the solar system: Water.
Water is one the most versatile molecules in the solar system. While
there is obvious need of human consumption, water will be most likely
used for fuel. The basic ingredients, hydrogen and oxygen, are the basis
for many launch vehicles today, including NASA’s upcoming Space Launch
System. If we are able to manufacture rocket fuel in space, as both
companies plan on doing, we will be able to reduce the cost of
interplanetary travel. Both companies are currently moving forward with
their plans to begin asteroid mining, and are aiming to begin water
extraction by the early 2020’s.
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| Credit: Deep Space Industries |
Deep Space Industries, often shortened to DSi, is currently working
on Prospector-X. It aims to be the first commercial asteroid mining
spacecraft. This CubeSat sized craft is planned to test the basic
technologies in space, before being manufactured for prospecting and
scouting missions. The spacecraft is equipped with two cameras, deep
space avionics powered by solar cells, as well as their Comet-1
thruster. This small thruster uses water as fuel, expelling the
superheated liquid to generate thrust.
This craft, which is scheduled to launch in 2017, is a precursor to
their aptly named Prospector-1. The next generation mining craft is
scheduled to begin its mission by the end of the decade. This craft will
be larger, weighing around 50 kg when fully fueled, and won’t be
confined to the dimensions given by cubesats. The hexagonal craft will
be the first commercial interplanetary mining mission. After it
launches, it will rendezvous with a near earth asteroid to observe its
water content, map its surface, and touch down on the asteroid. This
second mission builds off Prospector-X, and will test out DSi’s
technology in deep space.
Long term, Deep Space Industries hopes to prospect and mine near
earth asteroids, and test in-space manufacturing technologies. Being
able to process and manufacture metals is the eventual goal of Deep
Space Industries, who look towards the stars with optimism. They strive
to be a key piece of the mid to late 21st century.
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The
Arkyd 6 spacecraft, with the first ever commercial thermographic
sensor, is ready for delivery to the launch pad for launch this year.
Credit: Planetary Resources
|
They are testing vital camera, telecommunication, propulsion, and electric systems with their earlier craft. Planetary Resources is also planning on establishing an economic presence on earth with their Arkyd-100, which is the first step to their Earth observation focused Ceres program. Using Infrared and Hyperspectral imaging, Planetary Resources will be able to monitor temperature and water content, as well as mineral refineries and crops.
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The
Arkyd 3R shown being deployed from the ISS Kibo Airlock in July 2015.
It successfully completed the objectives of testing core prospecting
spacecraft technologies. Credit: NASA
|
This demonstration in Earth orbit will give the engineers a chance to
test out various key systems. Their long term spacecraft, Arkyd-200 and
Arkyd-300, are aiming to rendezvous, observe, and prospect the
asteroids up close. This will allow the company to start surveying near
earth asteroids for various resources, estimating their worth by
observing their shape, size, and composition.
While a competition could be brewing between first two asteroid
mining companies, a surprising force is driving the initial investment:
Luxembourg. The small European country has been in a partnership with
both companies and has pledged almost $230 million towards space mining
companies. Currently, Luxembourg is working on a legal framework to
incentivize more countries, and hopes to be the European powerhouse of
space mining.
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| Credit: Deep Space Industries |
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| Credit: Planetary Resources |
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| Credit: Deep Space Industries |
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| Credit: Planetary Resources |
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| Credit: Deep Space Industries |
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| Credit: Deep Space Industries |
There are many challenges that we need to overcome, both technical
and legal. But one by one, those walls will be torn down, humans have
faced and overcome greater challenges before. The engineers of today are
helping to build the infrastructure for the engineers of tomorrow,
giving rise to new possibilities that today are still unimaginable. The
ground work laid our by the space mining companies will help fuel a
whole new economy in space, and could open the doors the rest of the
solar system.
Interested in more? Check out our more in-depth article on NASA’s
asteroid mission that is launching soon. Start planning your own
asteroid mission at Asterank.com,
compare the worth of asteroids and start inventing your own ideas. Look
further into these near future technologies with Deep Space Industries
and Planetary Resources, and explore the first generation of space
mining missions online.
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