[meteorite-list] Capturing asteroids in orbit

From: Richard Kowalski <damoclid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2010 10:41:53 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <5002.46991.qm_at_web113608.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

Hi Melanie.

The short answer to your first question is yes, it could be done and with today's technology. The manner it could be done would be the same as the deflection techniques that have been suggested for NEOs found to be on an impacting trajectory. Unfortunately, while an NEO only needs a change of velocity of a few millimeters per second to divert it from an impact, a Main Belter would require a vastly larger change to bring it to the earth. If done correctly the object could be placed into earth orbit with no other effort...

This being said, diverting a known NEO from an impact would take decades or more to accomplish this goal. Moving a MBA from its current orbit using today's technology would take centuries or eons to accomplish the goal.

As for your last question, I doubt any collector would be able to obtain even a micro.

As Sterling points out, mining the asteroid in situ makes much greater economic and scientific sense.

Cheers

--
Richard Kowalski
Full Moon Photography
IMCA #1081
--- On Fri, 4/23/10, Melanie Matthews <miss_meteorite at yahoo.ca> wrote:
> I wonder if it would possible to send
> some machines to the asteroid belt to capture some whole
> asteroids and bring them to Earth? Or would they be drifting
> too quickly in their orbits to capture with the current
> technology? Also would decent-sized samples from such
> captures be available to collectors? 
> 
>  -----------
> Melanie
> IMCA: 2975
> eBay: metmel2775
> Known on SkyRock Cafe as SpaceCollector09
> 
> Unclassified meteorites are like a box of chocolates... you
> never know what you're gonna get!
> 
> 
> 
> 
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Received on Sat 24 Apr 2010 01:41:53 PM PDT