UTILIZING NEAR EARTH OBJECTS (NEOS) AS SPACECRAFT FOR MANNED INTERPLANETARY EXPLORATION

摘要

This paper suggests Near Earth Objects (NEOs), especially Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), to serve as a possible interplanetary transportation and habitat method for manned deep space mission by utilizing applicable resources (e.g. water ice, rare metals, etc.) among them. Minimum requirements for selecting a suitable asteroid to build this Manned Asteroid Interplanetary Spaceship (MAIS) are analysed. Mission profile of this concept is considered as: (a) Sending a core module with a crew of 4 to rendezvous with target NEA; (b) Mining and surface modification will be an on-site process, meanwhile, to produce propellant fuel and necessary material for plants to grow (e.g. food) and potable water; (c) During its flyby to Earth, new modules and crew are launched to rendezvous with the asteroid to extend habitat space; (d) Interplanetary flight phase; (e) When the mission is finished, astronauts use Orion MPCV to return to Earth while unmanned MAIS is returned to near asteroid orbit; (f) Should future Earth-threatening asteroid heads its way to Earth is discovered, unmanned MAIS can be remote operated to collision course to the asteroid and deflects it to somewhere as an alternative planetary defense strategy.