Massively Expanded NEA Accessibility via Microwave-Sintered Aerobrakes
The availability of a wide range of natural resources among the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population offers the opportunity to utilize these resources in the service of making access to most of the Solar System much easier than any classical approach which relies solely upon structural, heat-shield, life support and propellant materials lifted from Earth.We have concentrated our attention on the two main factors that influence the application and utility of in situ aerobrake manufacture on near-earth asteroids. The first of these is the use of microwave sintering in the fabrication of aerocapture heatshields for retrieval of asteroidal materials into Earth orbit; the second is assessment of the performance of these aerocapture devices, including making very large numbers of NEAs accessible as sources of essential materials to support space exploration and exploitation.