The purpose of this project is to discuss and evaluate the various reasons why our space exploration focus needs to shift from the moon and Mars to asteroids and how we are technologically capable of making it happen. We attempt to describe how we can find answers to long deep space missions – manned or unmanned – by making use of the asteroids, especially the Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs). While the fascination with NEAs is not new, technological advancement has given us the rocket technology that can capture and place the easily retrievable NEAs at points near our planet. The other possible but cost and time prohibitive options are changing orbit of an asteroid with a gravity tug or using massive amounts of fuel. The paper shall expand on the various advantages of bringing in the NEAs to one of the Lagrange points around the Earth such as easing interplanetary transfers. It will require much less energy to launch a spacecraft from one of the NEAs captured in the Lagrange point compared to the gravity well of the Earth in addition to the fact that the NEA can be used as a refueling station. We have so far limited our options in exploring deep space due to the limited amount of fuel that can be carried. This brute force technology that has insisted on carrying the maximum fuel possible can be modified to a smarter one if NEA can be used as refill stations to propel the spacecraft forward. Most of the asteroids are rich in minerals that can be used as rocket fuel once we can translate the technological know how to tangible labs on the asteroids – something that companies like Planetary Resources and Deep Spaces Industries are hoping to accomplish in the near future. Bringing in the NEAs to one of the Lagrange points around the Earth using the current rocket technology as a shield from radiations increasing the duration of manned deep space exploration to over a year without any significant health risks to the astronauts. Though on site mining of rare elements such as platinum, silicon, nickel and palladium, that most of the asteroids are thought to be rich in these mined out asteroids can also be used as docking stations when we are ready to move to space colonies. It may seem like the most of the motives propelling the shift towards asteroids are monetary benefits, bringing a NEA into the Lagrange point around the Earth also allows us to study formation of planets from pre solar nebula as well as origin of water on Earth will be able to answer questions about life on Earth but also expand our knowledge about the previously unknown frontiers at a comparatively lower cost. The considerable destruction caused by Chelyabinsk meteor is another important reason that we need to translate our interest to tangible steps. By shifting our focus on asteroids, we are also focusing on becoming will ease the interplanetary transfers; it will also serve, can save our Earth from the much needed environmental destruction from mining, more acquainted with something that has the potential of exterminating life on Earth. Never have we been at the intersection of public interest and backing of various space agencies and feasible technology to make this happen – this is the time!
This project was presented at the International Academy of Astronautics Space Exploration Conference: Planetary Robotics and Human Spaceflight Exploration in Washington, D. C., USA on Jan 9, 2014
