By-Pass the Moon?

"Combs, Mike" wrote:
"I can't help but wonder if the attraction so many have for Ceres relates to planetary chauvinism. In other words, Ceres seems attractive because it's the greatest of the asteroids (closer to being like a planet)."

Agreed.

"But logic suggests that most certainly at the start, smaller bodies are to be preferred over larger ones."

Probably true.

Just musing over this I wondered: Is it possible that an object with a weak gravity (for Ceres, about 3% of Earth) would not a big disadvantage? Might it even offer some benefit?
For example:
- Sizable equipment could land without the challenge required of landing large equipment on the moon or Mars.
- Likewise, escape velocity would not be a huge obstable.
- Weak gravity would allow equipment to remain in position to the working surface without elaborate engineering.
- Gravity would prevent some mined material from becoming ejecta (and thus an orbiting projectile)
- Supplies or processed materials could be piled for storage without always needing special containers or binding methods.
- Some metallurgical and manufacturing processes may need gravity.
- If the last point is true, then, by not needing to design for spin gravity, the equipment design is simpler.