NEAs ( TGD)

Would it be possible to test this on simulated Lunar material (the closest
approximation of asteroid regolith we have)? If it can be done on asteroid
regolith without additional materials, then we have a terrific source of
reaction mass for transportation.

Anyone know the size distribution of Lunar regolith?

Bill wrote:

> > A question: Could rock dust be vaporised and used as propellant in
> > an arc jet of some kind? Solar thermal? Is this any better than a
> > mass driver rocket? It seems simpler, but the idea of electrically
> > propelling rock vapor is rather technically horrendous.
>
> If you powderize the rock, to about 1 mm size, you can statically
> charge it and accelerate it in a electric field. The velocities you
> build can be enoromous 20 - 100 km/s. The method is used today as a
> way of sorting minerals.
>
> Bill
>

Al Globus
aglobus@..., (650) 604-4404
http://www.nas.nasa.gov/~globus/home.html

The dinosaurs weren't spacefaring. We are. I don't think that's an accident.
Maybe we are life's taxi to the stars.

I think we should:

1. Devote half of NASA's budget ($7 billion) to reaching NASA's 2020 goal of
reducing launch costs to Low-Earth-Orbit to $220/kg with a 0.01% failure
rate.
This should enable space tourism. The resulting orbital hotels will need to
develop efficient orbital life support and other necessary technologies.

2. Build orbital space colonies. The materials in the largest asteroid are
sufficient for orbital colonies with a combined surface area about 500 times
greater than Earth's. Eros alone could make over ten thousand space colonies,

each with about about 10 square kilometers of 1g living area.

3. After a few generations of orbital living, people won't need their colony
to be near Sol. Then small groups of colonies with populations in the
tens-of-thousands can set out on multi-decade journeys to nearby stars.

Except the launch goals, none of this is even a little bit official.