What is an asteroid?

The stony, airless asteroids that round the Sun. They are significantly smaller than planets but bigger than meteors and dust particles, and are often referred to as minor planets. Although asteroids are present throughout the solar system, the majority of them are located in a belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter’s orbits.

The early solar system is assumed to have left behind asteroids. about the Sun during the time the solar system formed, there was a lot of gas and dust moving about. part of this material eventually formed planets, but part of it also lingered as asteroids and other smaller objects.

In the solar system, asteroids number in the millions and come in a variety of sizes and forms. While some asteroids are hundreds of miles large, others are only a few hundred feet across. Ceres, the biggest asteroid, has a width of around 590 kilometers.

Rock, metal, and ice are just a few of the components that make up asteroids. The basic ingredients of life, known as organic compounds, may also be present in certain asteroids.

Asteroids and Earth

Asteroid collisions might endanger Earth. A huge asteroid striking Earth may wreak havoc and destroy massive areas of the planet. A huge asteroid’s collision with Earth might result in a crater that is miles broad and deep, as well as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

In the past, asteroids have struck the Earth. The dinosaur extinction event, which is believed to have occurred around 66 million years ago, is the most well-known asteroid impact. The majority of asteroids, however, have far smaller impacts that do not result in any harm.

Asteroid mining

A possible source of valuable materials is asteroids. It is believed that some asteroids are abundant in valuable metals like platinum and gold. Water ice from other asteroids may be utilised to sustain human existence in space.

Although asteroid mining is still in its infancy, it has the potential to evolve into a successful business. Several businesses are creating technology to mining asteroids.

Asteroid exploration

In order to better understand how asteroids are formed and are composed, scientists are interested in examining asteroids. Exploration of asteroids may also assist scientists in locating asteroids that might potentially threaten Earth.

Asteroid exploration missions have been launched often lately. The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 visited the asteroid Ryugu in 2013 and gathered material samples there. In 2020, the samples were brought back to Earth, where scientists are still analyzing them.

James webb telescope

The future of asteroid research

The area of asteroid studies is expanding quickly. Scientists are constantly learning more about asteroids, and they are also creating new technology to harvest and examine them. Research into asteroids has the potential to uncover new information about the solar system and provide us access to priceless resources.

Here are some of the most notable asteroid missions in history:

• The first spacecraft to circle an asteroid was NEAR Shoemaker, which stood for Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous. Between 1999 and 2000, it spent a year in orbit around the asteroid Eros.
• The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa obtained material samples when it touched down on the asteroid Itokawa in 2005. In 2010, the samples were sent back to Earth.
• Dawn: Dawn was a NASA spacecraft that investigated Vesta and Ceres, the two biggest asteroids. Between 2011 and 2012, it spent 14 months in orbit around Vesta, and between 2015 and 2016, it spent 16 months in orbit around Ceres.
• Osiris-Rex: In 2020, a NASA spacecraft named Osiris-Rex touched down on the asteroid Bennu and gathered samples of material. In 2023, the samples are expected to be brought back to Earth.

These missions have enlightened scientists on asteroids in great detail. They have gained knowledge on the make-up, formation, and development of asteroids. The dangers that asteroids could pose to Earth have also been discovered.

Asteroid research has a promising future. New asteroid exploration and mining missions are being planned by scientists. These missions could result in fresh understandings of the solar system and the creation of innovative new technology.

Here are some of the potential benefits of asteroid research:

• Asteroid mining: Asteroids may contain rich resources like water ice and precious metals. Mining asteroids might be lucrative and contribute to supplying the rising need for minerals.
• Defending against asteroids: Asteroids might be dangerous for Earth. Scientists may be able to recognize potentially dangerous asteroids through asteroid studies and create devices to divert or destroy them.
• Research into asteroids may reveal fresh information about the genesis of the solar system. The composition and evolution might be better understood by scientists.

Asteroid types and composition

Based on their spectral properties, which are dictated by the composition of their surfaces, asteroids are divided into many categories. Asteroids may be divided into three categories: C-type, S-type, and M-type.

The most frequent kind of asteroid is one classified as a C-type. They are supposed to resemble the first meteorites to strike Earth since they are black and carbonaceous. The outside main asteroid belt and beyond contain C-type asteroids.
S-type asteroids: The second most frequent kind of asteroid is an S-type asteroid. They are supposed to resemble the rocky meteorites that strike Earth because they are silicate-rich and brilliant. The inner main asteroid belt contains S-type asteroids.
M-type asteroids: These metallic asteroids are believed to be made of iron and nickel. The main asteroid belt contains M-type asteroids, although they are more prevalent in the inner main belt.

Other, less frequent asteroid kinds include D-type asteroids, which are expected to be primitive and water-rich, and V-type asteroids, which are thought to be basaltic.

Asteroid exploration

Scientists are constantly discovering more about asteroids in the rapidly expanding area of asteroid exploration. Exploration of asteroids is significant for several reasons. First, it can aid in our understanding of the creation and development of the solar system. Second, it can assist us in locating asteroids that could be dangerous to Earth. Thirdly, it may aid in the creation of technology for mining asteroids for useful materials.

Recent years have seen a number of asteroid exploration missions, and more are always being planned. The following are a some of the most noteworthy asteroid exploration missions:

• The first manned spacecraft to circle an asteroid was NEAR Shoemaker. Between 1999 and 2000, it spent a year in orbit around the asteroid Eros.
• The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa obtained material samples when it touched down on the asteroid Itokawa in 2005. In 2010, the samples were sent back to Earth.
• Dawn: Dawn was a NASA spacecraft that investigated Vesta and Ceres, the two biggest asteroids. Between 2011 and 2012, it spent 14 months in orbit around Vesta, and between 2015 and 2016, it spent 16 months in orbit around Ceres.
• Osiris-Rex: In 2020, a NASA spacecraft named Osiris-Rex touched down on the asteroid Bennu and gathered samples of material. In 2023, the samples are expected to be brought back to Earth.

These missions have enlightened scientists on asteroids in great detail. They have gained knowledge on the make-up, formation, and development of asteroids. The dangers that asteroids could pose to Earth have also been discovered.

Asteroid mining

The possible extraction of materials from asteroids is known as asteroid mining. Asteroids may contain a range of valuable resources, such as rare earth elements, precious metals, and water ice. Profitable asteroid mining might be a developing sector that satisfies the rising need for minerals.

Although asteroid mining is still in its infancy, several businesses are working on creating the necessary technology. Before asteroid mining can become a reality, there are a number of obstacles to be solved.

Creating new technologies for mining asteroids: In order to mine asteroids and transfer their riches back to Earth, new technologies must be created.
lowering the cost of space travel: Astroid mining is currently not very profitable due to the high expense of space travel. Before asteroid mining to become a profitable industry, the cost of space travel must be minimized.
establishing international laws for asteroid mining: As an emerging business, asteroid mining is currently unregulated on a global scale. To make sure that asteroid mining is done responsibly and sustainably, it will be crucial to create worldwide rules.

The future of asteroid research

Asteroid research has a promising future. New asteroid exploration and mining missions are being planned by scientists. These missions could result in fresh understandings of the solar system and the creation of innovative new technology.

The human race might gain from asteroid exploration in a variety of ways. We could get access to fresh sources of priceless riches through asteroid mining. We might be able to defend Earth from the threat of asteroid strikes with the aid of asteroid defense. And scientific advancement could help us comprehend the solar system and our role in the cosmos better.

101955 Bennu

101955 On September 11, 1999, the LINEAR Project identified Bennu, a carbonaceous asteroid in the Apollo group. It is a potentially dangerous object with the highest cumulative rating on the Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale and is mentioned on the Sentry Risk Table. Between 2178 and 2290, it has a cumulative 1-in-1,750 probability of hitting Earth, with the highest danger occurring on September 24, 2182. It bears the name Bennu from the legendary bird of the Sun, creation, and rebirth in ancient Egypt.

Asteroid Bennu has a mean diameter of 490 meters (1,610 ft), making it a relatively tiny object. It contains craters and stones all across its rough, black surface. Bennu is also incredibly porous, with a porosity of about 50%. This indicates that it is riddled with holes and may hold a large amount of water ice.

As a well-preserved piece of the early solar system, Bennu is a very significant asteroid for scientists. It could include organic compounds and other substances that can help us understand how life came to be on Earth.

NASA sent the OSIRIS-REx probe to Bennu in 2016. The probe spent two years circling Bennu once it arrived in 2018, carefully surveying its surface. Bennu’s surface material was successfully sampled by OSIRIS-REx in 2020. In 2023, the sample is expected to return to Earth, where researchers will examine it to discover more about Bennu and the early solar system.

One of the most significant asteroid expeditions in history is OSIRIS-REx. Our view of the early solar system and the beginnings of life may be fundamentally altered by the samples that OSIRIS-REx brings back to the planet.

Surprisingly complex

According to Bierhaus, the OSIRIS-REx mission demonstrated that asteroids are much more than just lifeless rocks in outer space. Even though they are only a few hundred feet across, their geology is extremely intricate.

We are discovering that these bodies are created and evolved through a variety of intricate physical processes, according to Bierhaus. “We believe that Bennu is the result of an asteroid collision with a greater size. It is still unknown how that body evolved into Bennu.

Walsh believes that investigating the sample from OSIRIS-REx may reveal information about the asteroid’s turbulent past. These rock shards may include records of previous collisions, which scientists seek to decipher in their laboratories.

Walsh stated, “We have methods to monitor the collisional histories of various grains and meteorites. “So we should be able to apply those to the Bennu samples,” said the researcher.

We still have a lot OSIRIS-REx can tell us about asteroids.