Tag

Asteroid Capture

All articles tagged with #asteroid capture

space6 days ago•3 min saved

TransAstra eyes 100-ton asteroid as a robotic space factory hub

TransAstra is studying the feasibility of moving a 100-ton asteroid into a stable near-Earth orbit to create a robotic outpost for materials processing and manufacturing in space, in a project called New Moon. The effort, with partners including UCF, Purdue, Caltech, and NASA JPL, would identify suitable asteroids, chart trajectories, and deploy spacecraft for rendezvous expected in 2028–2029, followed by hundreds of robotic missions through the 2030s to aggregate up to a million tons of asteroid material for space industrialization. The company has NASA funding for inflatable Capture Bags demonstrated in space and aims to enable in-space resources like metals and water to reduce Earth-launched requirements, advancing a broader asteroid-mining technology base.

via SpaceNews|

#asteroid-capture #asteroid-mining #in-space-manufacturing

technology6 days ago•5 min saved

TransAstra outlines plan to bag and relocate an asteroid

TransAstra envisions a feasibility study to capture a ~100-ton near-Earth asteroid with a large inflatable bag, tow it to a nearby space processing hub (potentially at the Earth-Sun L2 point) to harvest water and minerals for in-space use, and build a robotic facility for materials processing. The plan would target up to 250 small asteroids (≤20 m) over the next decade, with a fully funded mission possible as early as 2028–2029. The project has tested a 1 m capture bag on the ISS, won NASA funding to scale to a 10 m bag, and is pursuing various spacecraft providers for rendezvous. Initial cost is described as a few hundred million dollars.

via Ars Technica|

#asteroid-capture #l2 #newmoon