Ben Hammack Professor Wolcott ENC1102 11/12/13 The Second Space Race A review of Asteroid Mining literature Asteroid

d mining-an idea that was once seen as science fiction-is now becoming science fact. With the conclusion of the space shuttle program, NASAs next big plan is to wrangle one of these metallic mavericks into orbit around the Earth. But NASA is not the only party involved in the venture of asteroid capture. Startups such as Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries plan to mine captured asteroids for rare, platinum-group metals (Geggel 2012, Slezak 2013). Just as space is infinite, the possibly net worth of this new industry is infinite. However, certain barriers are preventing the asteroid mining program from taking flight, such as geopolitical policies regarding the ownership of extraterrestrial territory (Chang 2013, Marks 2013, Reinstein 1999) and engineering problems such as locating and rendezvousing with an accelerating asteroid (Erickson 2007, Sanchez 2012). This literature review will examine the current status of asteroid mining; both present and planned activities. Asteroid mining is a two-step process. First, an asteroid must be captured around the Earth by a spacecraft which attaches itself to the asteroid and preforms a maneuver to slow the total velocity of the system. Once the asteroid is in a stable circular orbit, it can then be mined by robotic lander-miners, which will extract the material from the asteroid using drills other mining equipment. Many precious elements exist inside asteroids, such as platinum-group elements, ice, and hydrogen gas (which can be converted into rocket fuel). The Purpose for Mining Asteroids

Asteroids are large, obtuse chunks of rock that are created during cosmic collisions. As a result, asteroids contain the very elements that make up planets, such as hydrogen, oxygen, and various metals (Erickson 2007, Geggel 2012). Extracted elements could be converted into rocket fuel to prolong the duration of missions, or extend the amount of life support for a manned mission. The most profitable purpose for mining asteroids, however, is the extraction of platinum group elements (dubbed PGEs). PGEs are used in the construction of electronic devices, and Earth only contains four major PGE deposits. When these deposits run out, the price of platinum and other rare metals will skyrocket; the only way to gain more platinum will be through asteroid mining (Geggel 2012, Sonter 2006). Mining an asteroid can also provide insightful scientific data that may be used on future manned missions. A manned flight to capture and mine an asteroid is the scientific precursor and next logical step towards a greater scientific achievement, such as landing humans on Mars (Chang 2012, Slezak 2013). Mining asteroids for elements that make up rocket fuel and life support can extend the duration of manned missions, extending humanitys reach out into the cosmos. Engineering Challenges There are two primary obstacles that engineers must overcome in order to capture and mine an asteroid. The first obstacle is finding a suitable asteroid to capture and mine. In order for an asteroid to be considered a potential candidate for study, the asteroid must have an eccentric orbit around Earth and the circularization maneuver needed to circularize the orbit of the asteroid must have a delta-V (the velocity a spacecraft must have in order to complete a specific orbital maneuver) of less than 6 km/s (Erickson 2007, Hasnain 2012). Researchers have studied asteroids over the last 10 years, and have created models that will identify the most optimal candidates for mining and study under a delta-V budget (Hasnain 2012, Sanchez 2012). The mutual conclusion of different models determined that only 10% of asteroids can be considered candidates for capture (Erickson 2007).

The second obstacle that engineers face is the design of a spacecraft that could complete the complex circularization and orbital maneuvers necessary to capture an asteroid into orbit around Earth. Experts agree that a craft could be constructedwith our current level of technology-capable of preforming such precise maneuvers, but there is debate as to whether this craft should be manned or unmanned (Erickson 2007, Hasnain 2012, Sanchez 2012), as this brings up questions concerning cost, scientific value, and danger to humans. However, there is general consensus that mining vessels should be remotely controlled robots. Proposed ideas for mining include Lander-Miners, dubbed LMs, that swarm and drill elements from the asteroid, which return to a central command station (Erickson 2007). Geopolitical Dissonance Though engineering obstacles are the current hindrance to asteroid mining, geopolitical treaties and laws may prevent mining vessels from taking flight. Established during the Cold War Space Race, laws such as the United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and the Moon Treaty prohibit states from making territorial claims in space (Marks 2012, Reinstein 1999), though some nations have not ratified these treaties. International space agencies are restricted from mining asteroids, as this violates the doctrine of the Outer Space Treaty that states that space activities must benefit all of mankind (Reinstein 1999). This leaves the question of whether private corporations, such as Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries can legally harvest minerals from an asteroid and sell them for profit. The Current Status of the Venture Before asteroid mining can take place, an asteroid must first be captured into orbit around Earth, a goal that both public and private space agencies are working towards. NASAs pursuit of capturing an asteroid has been halted, after a recent vote in the House of Representatives denied NASA the funding and ability to go ahead with a plan to capture an asteroid (Chang 2013). On the other side of the coin, domestic policies have not hindered the advancement of private space industries. Virgin Galactic, a

private space agency, has recently partnered with startup Planetary Resources, and they hope to be mining asteroids by the year 2020 (Knapp 2012). Deep Space Industries, another asteroid mining startup, has partnered with SpaceX to launch a satellite that will scan asteroids for rare metals and other elements (McKay 2013). At the current rate of progress, it seems that a private space industry will capture an asteroid before a public space industry is even allowed to capture a metallic maverick. Conclusion and Proposal for Further Research Though asteroid mining may seem to be the next greatest industry, there are still many challenges before it can take flight. These obstacles will be overcome over the next 10 years, as asteroid mining closes the gap between science fiction and science fact. There is one research gap that prevents the asteroid mining industry from being profitable. There is no research done or methodology for returning the Platinum Group Elements (PGEs) back to earth. This is an integral issue, as it is necessary to return the mined material to earth in order to sell the minerals, which in turn, gives the industry a value. Deorbiting an asteroid is not an option, as it would be too dangerous. Therefore, only two options remain. Either the extracted metals are returned to earth via a manned transport vessel (such as the space shuttle), or the minerals are somehow collected and deorbited via robot or unmanned A.I. vehicles. In conclusion, there are many research projects that could attempt to fill this void.

Works Cited Chang, Kenneth Plan to Capture an Asteroid Runs Into Politics The New York Times Online 29 July 2013. 16 October 2013. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/science/space/plan-tocapture-an-asteroid-runs-into-politics.html?smid=pl-share> Erickson, Ken R. Optimal Architecture for an Asteroid Mining Mission: System Components and Project Execution American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (2007) p.896-903. 30 January 2007. Geggel, Laura and Katie Peek Space Metal Popular Science (2012) Infographic p.60-61. Hasnain, Zaki, Christopher A. Lamb, and Shane D. Ross Capturing near-Earth asteroids around Earth Acta Astronautica 81 (2012) p.523-531. 12 October 2013. Knapp, Alex Asteroid Mining Startup Planetary Resources Teams With Virgin Galactic Forbes Business Source Premier 11 July 2012. 16 October 2013. Web <http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/07/11/asteroid-mining-startup-planetaryresources-teams-with-virgin-galactic/> Marks, Paul Uncharted Territory New Scientist 214.2867 (2012) p.3-13 2 June 2012. McKay, David Asteroid mining: no pie in the sky Finweek (2013) p.29. 7 February 2013. Reinstein, Ezra J. Owning Outer Space Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business 59 (1999) p.59-98. Sanchez, J.P. and C.R. McInnes Assessment on the feasibility of future shepherding of asteroid resources Acta Astronautica 73 (2012) p.49-66, 23 December 2012. Slezak, Michael Space Mining: the next gold rush? New Scientist 217.2906 (2013) p.8-10 2 March 2013. Sonter, Mark Asteroid Mining: Key to the Space Economy Ad Astra Online (2006) 09 February 2006. 19 October 2013.

Ben Hammack

Professor Wolcott ENC1102 11/14/13 The Second Space Race A Project Proposal As addressed in my literature review, there is a significant oversight when stating that the asteroid mining industry will be profitable. Many researchers have overlooked the fact that PGEs (platinum group elements) must be returned to Earth before they can be sold. Without selling the mined material, the asteroid mining venture is unprofitable. Extensive research has not been publicized as to how minerals should be returned, but logically, there are only two options. Either the mined material is transported to Earth via a manned recovery vessel (such as a space shuttle), or the minerals are deorbited using unmanned, remote collection vehicles. Each of these systems has advantages and concerns; therefore, I propose that a cost-benefit analysis should be constructed in order to assess all of the pros and cons of both manned and unmanned recovery of extracted minerals. Manned recovery of asteroidal minerals using a transport vessel may be the most successful method of collection, as humans are much more capable and adaptable than a static, orderly robot. There are also scientific experiments that could be conducted on an asteroid that a robot would be unable to complete. By using a transport vehicle comparable to the space shuttle, a manned mission could return a massive amount of payload to Earth; much more than a simple collection robot. However, international space agencies may have trouble gaining approval for such a dangerous and groundbreaking mission, due to the hostile conditions and potential risk to human life. Also, a manned mission would require more fuel and utilities than an unmanned mission.

Unmanned recovery, on the other hand, may be the most profitable method of collection, as robots and unmanned drones are reusable and manufacturable. Robots could potentially orbit the Earth for years, moving between orbiting asteroids and accumulating a large mass of PGEs - all without the need for human micromanaging. Robots may seem to be the obvious choice for asteroid mining ventures that plan to maximize profit, but there are a few disadvantages to using unmanned drones and robots. For one, deorbiting robots cannot deorbit as much material as a space shuttle could potentially deorbit. Unmanned drones also require constant contact and connectivity with a command center, which makes them not as versatile as humans. In conclusion, this is only a basic overview of the advantages and disadvantages that each method possesses. Further research could expand upon the points listed, but I propose that manned recovery of mined material should be done until enough data is gathered about asteroid mining to make the process automatable.