AsterAnts

Thank you for reminding us about your wonderful AsterAnts idea. I saw
something about AsterAnts summarized on space.com or spacedaily.com a
while back, but had forgotten about it.

There are --- as of this afternoon (c.f.,
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/lists/Unusual.html) --- 1485 known NEOs. I
suspect that the popularity of the AsterAnts idea will grow as the numbers
of known NEOs grows. Finding an example of such a small 1/2 to 1-meter
diameter NEO in a useful orbit would help to popularize the AsterAnts
idea.

I'm really enthralled by the idea. "Mining" in the AsterAnts scenario
could take place in a totally enclosed environment, say a bag, enveloping
the NEO.

Ron Menich

Al Globus
09/17/01 12:36 PM
Please respond to spacesettlers

To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
cc:
Subject: Re: [spacesettlers] Iron outside = Iron inside

I would like to re-introduce a completely different approach to asteroid
mining to this group. See
http://www.nas.nasa.gov/~globus/papers/AsterAnts/paper.html. Basic idea:
find very small asteroids (~1 meter diameter) and return the whole thing
to Earth orbit. Use a large fleet of solar sail powered spacecraft to
get large amounts of returned mass. Using a large fleet gives you
economies of manufacturing scale and failure tolerance. Returning whole
asteroids avoids the uncertainties of rock mining.

...
Al Globus
CSC at NASA Ames Research Center
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.

There are --- as of this afternoon (c.f., http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/lists/Unusual.html) --- 1485 known NEOs. I suspect that the popularity of the AsterAnts idea will grow as the numbers of known NEOs grows. Finding an example of such a small 1/2 to 1-meter diameter NEO in a useful orbit would help to popularize the AsterAnts idea.
I'm really enthralled by the idea. "Mining" in the AsterAnts scenario could take place in a totally enclosed environment, say a bag, enveloping the NEO.
Ron Menich
Al Globus
09/17/01 12:36 PM
Please respond to spacesettlers

To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
cc:
Subject: Re: [spacesettlers] Iron outside = Iron inside
I would like to re-introduce a completely different approach to asteroid
mining to this group. See
http://www.nas.nasa.gov/~globus/papers/AsterAnts/paper.html.
Basic idea:
find very small asteroids (~1 meter diameter) and return the whole thing
to Earth orbit. Use a large fleet of solar sail powered spacecraft to
get large amounts of returned mass. Using a large fleet gives you
economies of manufacturing scale and failure tolerance. Returning whole
asteroids avoids the uncertainties of rock mining.
...
Al Globus
CSC at NASA Ames Research Center
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.