ZIP, PPTX1,725 views

Design and Assembly of an Economically-viable Near-Earth Asteroid Mining Robot

The document discusses the economic challenges and potential of space development, focusing on low-cost solutions such as reusable launch vehicles and asteroid mining. It details the design and propulsion challenges faced in creating spacecraft, including various propulsion types like chemical rockets and nuclear thermal rockets. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of developing inexpensive space structures and habitats to facilitate further exploration and utilization of space resources.

Editor's Notes

#3 Throughout history, economics has been the premier driving force behind the design, development, and implementation of new technologies. Because space travel is so expensive and, at this time, dangerous, progress made towards exploring and exploiting outer space has been stunted at best.
#4 Launch costs are still extremely high, despite many NASA and corporate attempts to find alternate, cheaper methods of reaching outer space. For a large payload, like that of a space station or interplanetary rocket, upwards of $500,000,000 could be spent on launches alone.
#5 Asteroids- Because they’re already *in* space, there is no need to fight earth’s gravity well. Comets- Comets are somewhat trickier to manipulate--they’re generally fussier than asteroids due to their high volatile material content. Moon- The moon has long been an object of Man’s envy. However, in mining the moon, one would be subject to being constrained to only the minerals that are on the Moon--there is little diversity. Also, fighting the Moon’s gravity well becomes an issue.
#6 Asteroids are the best choice for a primary mining operation 1. Proximity-- Many come close to the Earth in predictable orbits 2. No gravity-- No gravity means no launch costs, which in turn means cheaper spacecraft 3. Diversity--Several types of asteroids exist--some metallic, some carbonaceous, some made almost entirely of ammonia 4. sheer numbers--NASA scientists think that most asteroids in the solar system are the remains of a planet never formed.
#7 As of 1996, about 20,000 asteroids were known and tracked. 203 of them were found found to be Near-Earth Asteroids, or NEAs According to more recent research, the number of near-earth asteroids exceeds 50,000, when asteroids 100m in diameter or larger are counted. As you can see, there are quite a healthy number of asteroids for the taking.
#8 This chart shows the total number of asteroids that exist, plotted against their diameters, given in kilometers. Notice the power-law nature of this chart-- there are many *many* more small asteroids than larger ones.
#9 You might say, getting to asteroids is hard! Well, the recent NEAR-Shoemaker mission, funded by NASA, proved in 2001 that reaching asteroids is indeed possible--NEAR-Shoemaker actually “touched down” on the asteroid Eros.
#10 The best, principal choice for an asteroid mining operation is one that comes close to earth two times in a five-year period, one that will yield both fuel and construction materials, and one that has a relatively small mass. Type C, Apollo-class asteroids generally fulfill all of these requirements.
#11 THis data is curtsy of the NeoDys databank. NeoDys is maintained by the University of Pisa, in Italy. Each piece of asteroid data that has been accumulated by nationally-funded and amateur astronomers has been faithfully entered into the database, which is accessible through the internet. Although many asteroids fulfill our requirements, asteroid 1988TA does it best--it has the most optimal combination of size and orbital approaches. Finding 1988 TA was very much a chore.
#12 Here is an orbital diagram of asteroid 1988 TA. This snapshot was taken on 13 July 2011, as the the asteroid begins to approach earth. The two dates of closest approach are given on the right. As you can see, the duration of the mining operation on 1988 TA will be approximately two years in length. I will now hand the presentation over to my associate, Michael.
#15 Factors considered: endurance, expense, thrust. Nuclear Thermal are the ideal choice. Their reusability and greater thrust decreases the cost and the amount of mission time expended traveling to and from an asteroid.
#16 The Triton rocket is a type of Nuclear thermal rocket, developed by Pratt and Whitney. It uses a fast spectrum nuclear reactor. It has the unique ability to adapt to different situations, and can be used for at least 15 missions before the propulsion system needs to be replaced. *Note: v= {Fast spectrum alludes to higher energy neutrons (.1Mev)}
#17 Besides it main thrust mode, which produces a large amount of thrust over a one hour time period, the Triton rocket can operate in a low power mode which generates electricity once the rocket is heading towards its destination. The Triton also can be switched to a thrust augmentation mode to increase its thrust for heavier loads.
#18 The main propulsion system uses a CERMET fuel form, an advanced fuel based on a uranium dioxide-tungsten matrix. During operation of the TRITON engine, hydrogen is pumped through the gaps in the matrix, causing the hydrogen to become heated. The hot hydrogen gas is then ejected out of the craft producing 71,000N.
#19 The low-power mode operates by replacing the hydrogen with a mixture of helium and xenon. This mixture is heated and is then used to simultaneously produce electricity for the ship and cool the reactor. When the reactor is being used in this fashion, it uses less then 1 percent of its maximum power, and produces anywhere from 25-50 kilowatts of electricity.
#20 The thrust augmentation system operates by pumping liquid oxygen from an onboard tank directly into the hydrogen ejection system to allow the oxygen to interact with the extremely hot hydrogen gas. Because the oxygen hydrogen reaction is extremely exothermic the thrust increases by 200%
#21 The TRITON rocket is only one part the Intrepid.
#22 As the Intrepid descends to dock with the asteroid, the orbiter has been deployed, and the bow of the vessel splits apart, folding up against the sides of the craft. Once docked the mining procedure begins. The mining modual is entirely enclosed within the intrepid.
#23 Intrepid’s mining module is equipped with a 41-blade, flat-disk mining implement, to penetrate the asteroid. Intrepid will actually be able to use the essentially nonexistent gravitational environment to its advantage: the minerals mined will be free to enter the Intrepid, due to the rotational nature of the mining saws. A conveyor system, placed along the long axis of Intrepid, is made up of multiple scoops attached to a belt, allowing it to fill a portion of the interior of the craft to contain and move the materials. These minerals are then emptied into the pressure vessel.
#25 By mining 1988 TA one time, over 1.5 billion dollars worth of materials could be brought to earth orbit. These new resources would allow NASA to construct other Intrepid-class vessels in outer space, reducing costs dramatically. Eventually, large space stations and habitats will be constructed. Man can then begin to proliferate through the Solar system and the stars.

Design and Assembly of an Economically-viable Near-Earth Asteroid Mining Robot

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Design and Assembly of an Economically-viable Near-Earth Asteroid Mining Robot

Editor's Notes