Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) as an Alternative Manned Interplanetary Spaceship

Abstract

Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) are considered to be our next destination for manned deep space exploration even before human-rated Mars mission as President Obama has addressed to send human to NEAs by 2020. NEAs are promised small bodies in solad system with abundant resource (e.g. water ice, volatile, etc.) that can be utilized for future human spaceflight propulsion fuel, science research purposes, and commercial mining activities and so on. On the other hand, radiation shielding, life support capability and other critical issues for human interplanetary spaceflight to Mars and beyond are still remained unsolved. This paper suggests transforming asteroid into manned interplanetary spaceship to explore Mars, Jovian system and beyond with utilizing applicable resources (e.g. water ice, ore, volatile, etc.) on board for semidirect human interplanetary mission and its comparison to conventional stopover interplanetary exploration methodology. This Manned Asteroid Interplanetary Spaceship (MAIS) concept has advantages as follows: (a) Transforming asteroid into a spaceship gives better understanding to asteroid composition and physical parameters for forming an effective asteroid deflection strategy, (b) Water ice, ore and volatile resource may be utilized for life support and propulsion solutions, (c) Utilization of asteroid regolith and ore are porposed for radiation shielding countermeasure, (d) This concept may increase our knowledge on extraterrestrial colonization on small bodies in solar system. (e) Planetary defense correlation: unmanned MAIS with remained propusion system on board is an useful method to deflect an Earth-threatening asteroid by remote control after mission has ended.