The Japanese will search for minerals in space by smashing the asteroids with the "Space Cannon"...

The Japanese will search for minerals in space by smashing the asteroids with the “Space Cannon”… The Japanese took an important step in the field of space mining with the experiment in Gifu province. The Japan Space-Aviation Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced yesterday that the weapon to be used to obtain samples from asteroids has been successfully tested.

The space ball, developed within the scope of the mission of the Hayabusa-2 spacecraft, which is planned to start in December 2014, will hit the asteroids from a distance of 100 meters. The weapon will fire munitions of metal projectiles at 2 kilometers per second, shattering the asteroid's surface.

JAXA hopes to reach precious metal samples through small craters that will form on the surface of asteroids. JAXA, in a statement on its website, stated that 'the samples to be obtained through artificial craters will be important because they will be less affected by the space environment or heat'.

TARGETS TO HIT ARE DEFINED
According to the news of Russia Today, Japanese engineers announced that they have overcome the problems in accuracy and rate of fire.

JAXA, which started explorations in Space in 2010 as part of the Hayabusa mission, first discovered the 2010-meter-long mineral-rich S-class Itokawa asteroid with its spacecraft returning to Earth in June 500.

The Hayabusa-2 spacecraft will follow its predecessor to Space in 2014 to investigate the C-class '1999 JU3' asteroid. The asteroid is thought to be rich in organic minerals and water. The speed of rotation of the 920-meter-wide asteroid on its axis is about 7.6 hours.

Hayabusa-2 is scheduled to reach its destination in 2018 and return to Earth in 2019.

 

Source : ntvmsnbc

Günceleme: 28/10/2013 10:18