Optimal Architecture for an Asteroid Mining Mission: Equipment Details and Integration

Abstract

Near -Earth asteroids (NEAs) are of increasing interest as we learn more about their number, a ttributes, potential risks to Earth, and enormous wealth of resources. With the civilian space movement underway, driven by economic engines, it is feasible to formulate profit -making ventures in space that require little -to -no governmental funding. The profit potential and technical aspects of mining NEAs has been explored in numerous articles. This paper presents a detailed, optimal return -on -investment plan for mining NEAs, outlining the necessary engineering components and interaction between system components. The proposal emphasizes flexibility, cost -efficiencies, and fail -safes to maximize the probability of success. The on -site equipment utilizes only robotic components, with telecontrol by humans from Earth. Such a system minimizes human risk and cost. The primary targets are to maximize flexibility, redundancy and capacity for self -correction in all components of the equipment payload. Redundancy of key components is addressed, as this is critical to success and investor profit. Systems inc luding propulsion, power supply, regolith detection -acquisition -and -mining units, processing equipment for platinum -group metals (PGMs), ore and volatiles including water, and propellant manufacture and storage are all described. The necessary artificiall y-intelligent, distributed control -communication -and -navigation programs permitting component adaptability to varying surface conditions on NEAs are detailed. A sample mission to a representative NEA is outlined, to demonstrate (a) the interaction of all system components, (B) fail - safes for several potential problems that could be encountered, and (c) final configuration of payload and sample return. The system components include: a command/control/communication (CCC) unit that remains next to the NEA and communicates with Earth operators and the landers; four small lander -miner (LM) units capable of acquiring and processing regolith (two specialized for volatiles, two for PGMs and ore); a solar -powered hydrolysis unit for processing water into O2 and H 2; systems for storing LOX and LH2; storage units to return PGMs, ore and water; and a return launcher utilizing LOX and LH2 fuel that carries these storage units back to LEO. The CCC unit, LMs, solar -powered hydrolysis unit, and one set of storage contai ners for LOX and LH2, PGMs and ore remain on the NEA to allow continued processing of regolith, in preparation for their return by future launchers from LEO. The proposal assumes the NEA has already been evaluated by a scouting unit for resource mapping, and the mission delta -V and propellant requirements are estimated based upon launch of the initial mission from LEO. NEA mining for water, ore and PGMs can serve as an economical backbone for catalyzing lunar, Martian and other space exploration. An effi cient, flexible and cost -effective mission utilizing adaptable and resilient robotic components is essential to accomplishing this goal.