NASA initiates the launch of the asteroids, giving contracts to private companies

Two private companies have won contracts to develop the asteroids from NASA. These companies are Deep Space Industries and Planetary Resources. As for Planetary Resources, is an American company from the state of Washington. The company has already announced plans to launch two satellites, Arkyd Arkyd 6 and 3, in order to analyze the design and operation of space telescopes. The company plans to build several of these telescopes, with which the study will be carried out close to the Earth asteroids.

In Planetary Resources is already ready telescopes (by the way, means one of the models in the amount of 1, 5 million dollars were collected at kickstarter Arkyd 300, Arkyd 200 and Arkyd 100. Each telescope - its role in the study of near-Earth space, and its own set of tools.

So, Arkyd 100 will operate as a low-orbit telescope capable of studying the Earth and asteroids. Arkyd 200 will be used as an interceptor capable of detecting asteroids between Earth and the Moon. And Arkyd 300 will be equipped with the power plant, which allows the device to explore space beyond the orbit of the Earth and the Moon.





Deep Space Industries - second company, was awarded a contract NASA. Its experts will develop small spacecraft FireFlies. Devices will investigate the density, composition and size of asteroids. In addition, the company plans to establish another spacecraft, Dragonfly, who will be able to catch asteroids. The latter will be developed, and the resulting material will be delivered to the Earth «Harvesters» (almost Dune, yes).

In addition to providing contracts, NASA plans to launch another annual competition for university students. The goal - to create practical robots that could develop asteroids.

Via betawired

Source: geektimes.ru/post/241976/