Passive sorting of asteroid material using solar radiation pressure

Garcia Yarnoz, Daniel and Sanchez Cuartielles, Joan-Pau and McInnes, Colin (2014) Passive sorting of asteroid material using solar radiation pressure. Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, 37 (4). pp. 1223-1235. ISSN 1533-3884

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.2514/1.62412

Abstract

Understanding dust dynamics in the vicinity of asteroids is key for future science missions and, in the long-term, for asteroid exploitation. This paper analyses the feasibility of manipulating asteroid material by means of solar radiation pressure. A novel method is proposed for passively sorting material as a function of its grain size or density, where solar radiation pressure is used as a passive in-situ ‘mass spectrometer’. A simplified analysis shows that in principle this method allows an effective sorting of regolith material. This could have immediate applications for a sample return mission, and for industrial scale in-situ resource utilization to separate and concentrate regolith according to particle size or composition.

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Item metadata

Item type:	Article
ID code:	46556
Dates:	Date Event July 2014 Published 28 March 2014 Published Online 23 September 2013 Accepted
Notes:	First Author Owns Copyright
Keywords:	asteroid exploitation, asteroid resource utilisation, solar radiation pressure, near Earth asteroids, Mechanical engineering and machinery, Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Control and Systems Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Subjects:	Technology > Mechanical engineering and machinery Technology > Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics
Department:	Faculty of Engineering > Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Technology and Innovation Centre > Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing
Depositing user:	Pure Administrator
Date deposited:	23 Jan 2014 13:41
Last modified:	20 Mar 2021 01:27
URI:	https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/46556

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