The asteroids that threaten the Earth now is a cliché of science fiction, but as we have seen repeatedly may also prove useful resources useful. A double-sided emerging more than ever these days, which have alternated two pieces of news: a asteroid that fell to 153,000 kilometers from Earth (less than half of the Earth-Moon distance), and NASA studies the way to convert the asteroids in space ships .
Last night at 22:25 Italian time the small asteroid 2016 LT1 has passed close to Earth . He did not constitute a threat, in part because it has a diameter of 6 meters . Many have emphasized the fact that we realized of his presence only 4 June, despite intense monitoring by thousands of observation centers around the world.
Our consultant Luca Buzzi of ‘ Schiaparelli Astronomical Observatory of Campo dei Fiori explained that the reason why this asteroid was seen only at the last moment is that it is so small that it is difficult to see, “we should take a picture of the whole sky every night, and calculating that the telescopes have narrow fields, it would take thousands of pictures every night. For this there are thousands of such small asteroids that every week they pass between Earth and the moon and realize it does not. ”
See also: Asteroids: from source to prevention
On the other hand, given the size, it would not do damage. “It would have exploded on contact with the atmosphere and gravity would fall to the floor of the small pieces without making a mess. A similar incident took place on June 2 in Arizona, where we saw a bright shooting star with a trail of smoke. These things happen often and are not cause for alarm. “
From the alarm escaped pass the idea futuristic NASA. The attention on asteroids is high because there are many overseas companies who are eager to get their hands on the minerals contained in these space rocks . The problem in the costs: it is economically very challenging send a Space probe captures asteroid.
That’s why Made In Space, a company specializing in 3D printing, based in Mountain View, wondered “ why not make sure they are the asteroids to come to us ?” Not to crash into the planet of course!
as it is quite easy to say: with a concept called RAMA (Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata), which includes the use of the 3D printing to turn asteroids into flying autonomous vehicles .
It looks like an idea straight out of a novel by Kim Stanley Robinson : a robotic spacecraft on an asteroid flies, picks up the mineral resources that he needs to work, and then uses them to 3D printing engines and navigation systems . These, installed in the opposite direction of travel, would push the asteroids towards the mining outpost closer for processing. At this point the original spacecraft would fly to the next asteroid, and so on.
The ideas taken which went from science fiction to science we have seen, and this is no exception: the designers have earned a funding of $ 100,000 through the program of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts for preliminary feasibility studies to be conducted over the next nine months. If they are positive you can participate in the Phase 2 NIAC, which provides $ 500,000 in funding over two years to the further development of the concept. We will keep you updated!
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