Collecting Asteroid-Orbiting Samples: enabling a safer, sustainable, and autonomous exploration of asteroids

Exploring asteroids and other small bodies in the solar system is a challenging task, which carries immense scientific benefits.

Our understanding of the early Solar System would advance greatly by studying the chemicals stored in carbonaceous asteroids.

Through the development of advanced technology, we will be able to process asteroid material into fuel, oxygen, and water, making long-duration mission self-sustainable. Metallic asteroid could offer a great source of mineral resources through asteroid mining.

The knowledge of asteroids composition is also fundamental to help defend our planet from possible impactor, enabling effective asteroid deflection missions.

The overall aim of this action is to advance the way we design and operate deep space missions to asteroids, and especially, how we model, track, and collect asteroid fragments.

They give invaluable insight on the composition and the dynamical environment of asteroids, as well as key information on how we can deflect them.

The research objectives will be achieved through the theoretical studies on particle dynamics, the development of machine-learning algorithms for tracking them, and the design of a particle collection device to gather them in orbit.

These objectives are relevant to H2020 Work Programme, specifically regarding the “market creating innovation” and “strengthening international R&I cooperation”. The approach combines my current skills with the ones that I will have acquired during the fellowship.

I will improve my professional maturity and foster new collaboration under the supervision of eminent researchers, in preparation for an independent career.