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sun and in line with Earth in the Asteroid Belt? Is that even possible?
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No.
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The only way for an object to orbit the sun in a circular orbit every 365 days is to be in the same orbit as Earth. If something is further out, it's got to move more slowly.
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Here is one they could capture.Not that big.
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Note that a mistake will make a crater the size of Meteor Crater in Arizona, though. That crater would have killed just about anyone living within a hundred miles or so and would have made a Pacific-sized splash if it came down in that ocean. That's a big "emotional" problem, and politics are driven by emotions much of the time.
I don't know whether it's this asteroid or another one, but there is an "asteroid" very close to the Earth that may actually be a Saturn V third stage. Since it's metallic, it's albedo makes it bright enough to look like a stony asteroid a hundred or two feet across.
-- RobS
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Well, we just can't make a mistake. The other one you are talking about was found to be an old booster stage. It would be easy to move this asteroid.
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I don't see any benefit in such an enterprise... maybe to build colonies and giant megaships in space some day, but we have plenty of base metal right here on Earth and don't need an asteroid as a space elevator counterweight.
[i]"The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those that do not have it." - George Bernard Shaw[/i]
[i]The glass is at 50% of capacity[/i]
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Here is a web site of NEAs (2797 of them last time I checked) and their orbital elements:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/neo_ele … n/neo_elem
You can choose to sort them by orbital period and then hit the "Display Table" button.
This shows 7 asteroids having an orbital period of 1.00 years.
For tiny delta vee if helps to have a near earth perihelion, a semi major axis close to 1 A.U. and a low inclination.
Also helpful is a earth resonant orbit, or else near earth perihelions are very rare events. For example a 1.5 year asteroid with a near earth perihelion will enjoy earth fly-bys every 3 years.
In answer to GCNRevenger's opinion mining asteroids are worthless, many of them have a high water & hydrocarbon content. Depots of water and fuel in near earth orbit would make the solar system beyond low earth orbit much more accessible.
Hop's [url=http://www.amazon.com/Conic-Sections-Celestial-Mechanics-Coloring/dp/1936037106]Orbital Mechanics Coloring Book[/url] - For kids from kindergarten to college.
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Thanks, Hop: That should spike CGNR's guns. It's easier to access these inner asteroids than the Moon. Solar steam propulsion's the key to such operations.
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The asteroid material itself could be used as a propellant with these NEOs. ????
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The best way to get rid of a troublesome asteroid, IMO, is to mine it until there is little of it left to be a problem.
I think asteroid study should be a top goal of NASAs. This goal has two parts.
First, learn about asteroid resources and develop ways to mine and process their resources. This material could be used in space to build things.
Second, figure out a way to stop potential impactors.
"Run for it? Running's not a plan! Running's what you do, once a plan fails!" -Earl Bassett
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What about using the asteroid material to us as a propellent?
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What about using the asteroid material to us as a propellent?
Errorist,
Asteroid composition is pretty much unknown. But guesses can be made by studying meteorites and some of the asteroids that have passed by close enough to study.
There are a variety of meteorites. There are very low metal, low water content meteorites called LL if I remember correctly.
There are also carbonaceous chondrites that are from 10 to 20% water in the form of hydrated clays.
There is speculation that many asteroids are extinct comets. Extinct comets are believed to have interiors of water ice protected by an insulating mantle.
If we are lucky enough to find an accessible extinct comet, then this would definitely have materials you could use as propellent. The water could be used as reaction mass or split into hydrogen and oxygen and be used as chemical fuel.
Hop's [url=http://www.amazon.com/Conic-Sections-Celestial-Mechanics-Coloring/dp/1936037106]Orbital Mechanics Coloring Book[/url] - For kids from kindergarten to college.
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I think asteroid study should be a top goal of NASAs. This goal has two parts.
First, learn about asteroid resources and develop ways to mine and process their resources. This material could be used in space to build things.
Reb, I couldn't agree with you more!
I am hoping Moore's law and continuing miniaturization will enable us to build small but powerful prospector space craft. (If they're small enough, you could send up several in a launch). I envision these craft using ion engines or solar sails.
If small prospector probes are mass produced, the unit cost could be quite low.
If we had a thorough inventory of the resources within easy reach, I believe mankind would be in a much better position to move into space.
Hop's [url=http://www.amazon.com/Conic-Sections-Celestial-Mechanics-Coloring/dp/1936037106]Orbital Mechanics Coloring Book[/url] - For kids from kindergarten to college.
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I am a big believer that the "living-off-the-land" approach is the best way to go. Under this approach, humans use space resource to colonies and explore. The more space resources we use, the cheaper space exploration and settlement become.
Starting such an endeavor will take time. An infrastructure needs to be built. We need to learn how to mine and process raw material in space. But once we get it going, I believe it will take off, and humans will be in space permanently.
"Run for it? Running's not a plan! Running's what you do, once a plan fails!" -Earl Bassett
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One possible resource in this vein is the asteroid 2001 AV43 which shuttles between near Earth and near Mars.
Rex G. Carnes
If the Meek Inherit the Earth, Where Do All the Bold Go?
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One possible resource in this vein is the asteroid 2001 AV43 which shuttles between near Earth and near Mars.
It's .5 degree inclination is nice (delta vee for plane changes can be steep if inclination is high)
After your post I looked up the orbital elements and drew a pic:
http://www.clowder.net/hop/2001%20AV43. … 20AV43.jpg
It's period is about 1.44 years which is close to 13/9. My spread sheet has this passing through near earth space every 13 years:
2000.98
2013.98
2026.98
etc.
On 2027.98 it passes within 5 degrees of Mars.
(My spreadsheet doesn't take into account perturbations from Earth and Mars. Coming as close as it does to earth, it may lose its 1.44 year period)
It may be possible to change this asteroid's orbit to 1.5 years at an opportune time so that it would visit earth every 3 years and Mars every 7.5 years.
Hop's [url=http://www.amazon.com/Conic-Sections-Celestial-Mechanics-Coloring/dp/1936037106]Orbital Mechanics Coloring Book[/url] - For kids from kindergarten to college.
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Just a reminder: Water, as solar heated steam, would be a great propellant to mine and use to scout amongst the inner asteroids, eh?
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Just a reminder: Water, as solar heated steam, would be a great propellant to mine and use to scout amongst the inner asteroids, eh?
I believe nuclear thermal as well as solar thermal engines could use water as reaction mass.
Hop's [url=http://www.amazon.com/Conic-Sections-Celestial-Mechanics-Coloring/dp/1936037106]Orbital Mechanics Coloring Book[/url] - For kids from kindergarten to college.
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Ionize the asteroid material for propulsion????
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