Re:NASA Has Decided to Start Building the Lunar Gateway Usin...
by namibj on Sunday February 21, 2021 @06:49AM
(#26212778)
Well, maybe SpaceX ends up providing free near-earth Starship operations for an advanced ARM.
Basically, launch a probe that goes to the asteroid, spins up to match, collects it in a net/blanket, and maneuvers to meet up with a Starship in an highly elliptical or maybe lunar flyby orbit. The Starship would rendezvous, match spin, load the cargo in it's payload bay, and proceed to de-orbit.
As long as you engulf the asteroid, the spin shouldn't be more than a minor nuisance (e.g. pulsed thruster firing control systems, reinforcement to endure centrifugal loads). You might even be able to de-spin on your way back to earth.
My understanding is that Starship is capable of landing with full 100+ t payload, thanks to the aerodynamic reentry. Also, with no passengers, it could easily spend a few orbits getting the apoapsis from "almost Earth-Sun L5" down to a LEO before re-entry.
Basically, launch a probe that goes to the asteroid, spins up to match, collects it in a net/blanket, and maneuvers to meet up with a Starship in an highly elliptical or maybe lunar flyby orbit. The Starship would rendezvous, match spin, load the cargo in it's payload bay, and proceed to de-orbit.
As long as you engulf the asteroid, the spin shouldn't be more than a minor nuisance (e.g. pulsed thruster firing control systems, reinforcement to endure centrifugal loads). You might even be able to de-spin on your way back to earth.
My understanding is that Starship is capable of landing with full 100+ t payload, thanks to the aerodynamic reentry. Also, with no passengers, it could easily spend a few orbits getting the apoapsis from "almost Earth-Sun L5" down to a LEO before re-entry.