Scientists want to build a space station INSIDE an asteroid and use artificial gravity from the rapidly spinning space rocks to mine valuable minerals
- It is possible to bore into the middle of an asteroid and mine from within
- Mining on the surface of asteroids is impossible as the gravity is insufficient
- Inside the asteroid would allow it to use the artificial gravity from its spinning
- Experts say the real-life applications of this technology remains unproven
Space stations of the future may be built inside distant asteroids, scientists claim.
One team of researchers found it would be possible to bore into the middle of a distant space rock, erect a space station and mine valuable minerals from within.
They proved it would be mathematically possible, with the right asteroid, to put a cylindrical space station inside a rock several hundred feet wide.
Experts say the logistical possibilities of this concept remains an issue and that it is at least several decades away from becoming a reality.
Some scientists rebuffed the research and claim not enough is known about the physical composition of asteroids to guarantee building a space station inside a huge rock would not cause it to fragment and break apart.
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An asteroid would need to be made of solid stone and spin one to three times a minute to provide enough gravity to resemble that of the Martian surface. Visualisations of the potential project have not been created and it may look like anything from a simple cavern to a complex spacecraft similar to the International Space Station (stock image)
Thomas Maindl, from the University of Vienna in Austria, says there are two main benefits to the plan; it would allow the space station to avoid damage from radiation as well as enabling mining to take place.
'If we find an asteroid that's stable enough, we might not need these aluminium walls or anything, you might just be able to use the entire asteroid as a space station,' Dr Maindl told New Scientist.
Visualisations of the potential project have not been created and it may look like anything from a simple cavern to a complex spacecraft similar to the International Space Station.
An asteroid would need to be made of solid stone and spin one to three times a minute to provide enough gravity for the project to be successful.
If this was possible, it would create gravity similar to that of the Martian surface with approximately 38 per cent of the gravity on Earth.
Mining on the surface of most asteroids is impossible as the gravity created by the rocks is insufficient for machinery and makes hammers and other tools useless. Little is known about the physical properties of most asteroids and more information would be needed for the project to take place. The asteroid Bennu (pictured) is the focal point of new scientific studies
This, they say, would be sufficient to allow machinery to stay upright and function adequately.
Mining on the surface of most asteroids is impossible as the gravity created by the rocks renders hammers and other tools useless.
Embedding the operation inside the asteroid would enable the rapid rotation of the tumbling rock to create simulated gravity - making mining a viable option.
Details of its physical properties would need to be known beyond the limited information available for many asteroids.
'We do not know physical characteristics of the vast majority of objects in this size range,' says Peter Vereš at the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center.
Digging out the innards of the asteroid with complex machinery would also be likely to make the asteroid unstable and fragment.
'The border between science and science fiction here is sort of blurry,' says Dr Maindl.
'My gut feeling is that it will be at least 20 years before any asteroid mining happens, let alone something like this.'
The research has yet to be peer-reviewed and is found in the arXiv.
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