NASA invests in an outrageous plan that jumps to an asteroid by a spaceship and navigates to the destination and obtains resources in outer space

In order to realize the migration plan to Mars, it is necessary to acquire resources in outer space. "Asteroids" that contain a lot of rare metals as a resource procurement destination in space are promising, but they are planning like SF novels to jump to asteroids and develop spaceships that carry them to arbitrary places "Project RAMA"Is raised, and NASA contributes to the plan.

Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata | NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/reconstituting-asteroids-into-mechanical-automata

NASA Wants To Turn Asteroids Into Spaceships - Vocativ
http://www.vocativ.com/327410/nasa-asteroids-spaceships/

As company seeks to build AI-powered asteroids, what could go wrong? | Ars Technica
http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/06/as-company-seeks-to-build-ai-powered-asteroids-what-could-go-wrong/

Some of the asteroids contain rare metals in large quantities and it is seriously considered whether or not we can capture asteroids to orbit around the moon to complement the earth resources.

Movie showing the full picture of NASA's "asteroid capture plan" released - GIGAZINE


However, it is recognized that the usefulness of asteroids is extremely high not only in the Earth but also in outer space. For example, in order to live a human on Mars, it is essential to procure resources on Mars. Considering that about 90% to 95% of the weight of the rocket is occupied by the propellant, from the earth to the universe The resources that can be carried are very few, and it is not realistic.

Therefore, how to "capture" asteroids which are regarded as promising as a resource acquisition destination in the universe is a problem, and there are plans to take in a spacecraft and a plan to capture asteroids in a huge net and take them home and to take the asteroid "And so on have been invented. Under such circumstances, the project "Project RAMA" as if SF jumped to the asteroid and changed its trajectory and brought it to the destination was standing up in the USA.

Promoting the RAMA project is a proven enterprise that has already delivered a 3D printer that can make parts in space to the International Space StationMade In SpaceA company. In the RAMA project, we hit a spacecraft called a small "Seed Craft" on an asteroid, made an ejector with a 3D printer using the soil taken from the asteroid surface as a material, and maneuvered the ejector to change the trajectory of the asteroid While leading the asteroid to the destination. In addition, Seed Craft is an unmanned aerial vehicle, and it is planned that artificial intelligence collects materials, creates injection type structures, and manipulates injectors.


The RAMA project was too far away, but NASA has offered 100,000 dollars (about 10.5 million yen). Made In Space will prepare a white paper and submit it to NASA within nine months, as this fund will be used for the investigation cost to determine how feasible the RAMA project is. Depending on the white paper, the RAMA project will proceed to Phase 2 and a further $ 500,000 (about 53 million yen) expenses will be provided to Made In Space from NASA.


In addition to requiring advanced technology even to land Seed Craft on asteroids as intended in outer space, create structures using asteroid resources, control it and control it to get on the orbit of the destination It will be said that it can be said that it is a story that catches the clouds as well when it comes to realizing even a breakthrough like doing. But according to Mr. Jason Dunn, chief technology officer at Made In Space, we are planning to launch the first Seed Craft by 2030.