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From
Another of the most recent NASA NIAC phase 1 studies.
The objectives of the Robotic Asteroid Prospector (RAP) project are to examine and evaluate the feasibility of asteroid mining in terms of means, methods, and systems. This study decomposes the challenge of asteroid mining into four key efforts:
1. Mission design, including trajectory and logistics from an Earth-Moon Lagrange Point (EMLP) to the asteroid and return to that EMLP,
2. Spacecraft design including propulsion and Mission operations,
3. Mining technology for microgravity and vacuum operations, and
4. How these efforts can add up to a business case for asteroid mining
See more and subscribe to NextBigFuture at 2012-09-08 23:54:30 Source: http://nextbigfuture.com/2012/09/robotic-asteroid-prospector-rap-staged.html