It sounds like a science fiction movie plot, but scientists are actually studying the seemingly wild idea of building a space station inside an asteroid.
Why should humanity try to accomplish such a strange feat in astroengineering? Everything is simple: the rotation of the asteroid will create sufficient artificial gravity to accommodate and use mining equipment, which will enable us to develop celestial rocks rich in minerals and sediments. In addition, the researchers suggest that the asteroid’s rocky body will protect the station from cosmic threats, such as destructive radiation.
Loads arising from centrifugal forces make it possible to build a cylindrical space station inside an asteroid that is beneficial for mining. At the same time, it should have sufficient strength and speed of rotation to create artificial gravity.
According to the calculations of astrophysicists from the University of Vienna (Austria), conducted on a hypothetical asteroid measuring 500 by 390 meters, in order to equip a mining station on it, the object must rotate from one to three times per minute and consist of hard rocks. This will create gravity by 38 percent more than on Earth, and place on it people and equipment for the development of valuable species that will not evaporate into space.
The choice of an asteroid, as scientists note, to a decisive degree depends on the knowledge of not only its composition, but also the internal structure. And, although the dimensions of the celestial body used in the model approximately coincide with such near-earth asteroids, like Anagolai, Apophis and Orpheus, astronomers today do not have exact characteristics of these objects.
If we find an asteroid that is fairly stable, we don’t need aluminum walls or something like that, we can simply use the entire object as a space station.
-Thomas Meindl, lead author of the study
Undoubtedly, for such a cosmic feat it will take a lot of preparatory work to make this a reality. For example, we need to know the exact parameters of the asteroid and that it does not threaten to fall apart during the drilling of the station.
Mining on asteroids is crucial for humanity: there is a great likelihood that these space stones can provide us with the resources, raw materials and fuel necessary for traveling across the expanses of the Universe without relying solely on Earth’s reserves.
The boundary between science and fiction is blurred. Intuition tells me that the development of asteroids can begin in 20 years.
-Thomas Meindle
A space station inside an asteroid
Click To Tweet
The post A space station inside an asteroid appeared first on Upcosmos.com.