The
NET retriever consists of a custom designed asteroid capture system payload that captures and redirect the target Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) 4-10m
mean diameter, placing the object in a stable lunar retrograde orbit,
where it can be available for future manned missions in order to establish
further human processes of studies of its mineral contents. The NET
payload attaches to the NASA designed Service Module via a rotary
joint.
The NET system working in parallel with the inflatable concept will
allow further testing of asteroid exploitation technologies for the extraction of valuable volatiles, minerals, and metals in a new and safer mode.
Our system is able to be fully assembled on Earth, and launched with a single unmanned
asteroid mission with a rendezvous with a selected small asteroid.
Once in proximity of the target asteroid the NET
payload, disc shaped, will perform a series of maneuvers to, match
speed and direction of the asteroid, the disc will rotate to match
potential asteroid rotation, a Zylon fiber net will be deployed due to centrifugal force, and helped with eight maneuvering devices located at the extreme or periphery of the NET.
These devices will be controlled
and moved with inertial reaction wheel systems in order deploy the
NET around the asteroid. Two drilled connectors, if needed can be inserted onto asteroid.
Once the asteroid is captured
and despun, the inflatable bag can be deployed and then SM engine
will redirect the asteroid in the desired direction.
To
prove that the NET system concept is viable, a test will be performed, prior to final launch to the asteroid mission from Earth and rendezvous with a similar dimensions debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (such as an out of commission satellite).
Smaller variants of the NET system can become part of a space debris collection management system to wipe clean the thousands of objects in LEO, essentially functioning as a proof of concept and also as debris collector, demonstrating the varied activities the NET system can accomplish.
