Asteroids: Why mankind is Interested

     Apart from planets, dwarf planets, moons, and comets, our solar system  also has what is called an asteroid belt composed of objects left over from solar system formation and made of different materials.  Some are rocky, others metallic and other carbonaceous.   Most circle our sun in a belt between the planets Mars and Jupiter. However, some asteroids precede Jupiter in its a orbit and others follow.  These are called Trojans. Yet others are Near Earth Asteroids which intersect Earths orbit around the sun and whose distance might pose collision possibility dangers.  It was once believed that Asteroids were a remnant of a planet that disintegrated but the mass of all the asteroids in the belt combined including the dwarf Planet Ceres, is just 4% that of our moon, 22% that of Pluto.  But why is mankind taken special interest ibn asteroids relatively recently? Well, there are two main reasons

     1. Earth natural resources are dwindling.
     2. The danger of collision. 


      

     Since nonrenewable resources are dwindling, interest in such reserves which are abundant  in asteroids has increased. 
Aprox 1500 asteroids are prime candidates for mining operations because of their near Earth orbits. Some asteroids have the estimated worth of 100 billion dollars. The material can both be extracted and processed on the asteroid themselves when they are large enough to allow a base of operations. Since gravity is low, the expenditure of fuel to leave the asteroid is minimal because the escape velocity is so low.

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     The discovery of riches in the New World is an example of how rabidly enthusiastic and determined humans can be when they sniff material wealth possible just over the distant horizon. In fact, humans are even willing to maim and murder in order to remove any obstacle in their way in order to get to it. Look at Pizzaro and the Incas. Look at all the broken treaties with Natïve Americans in the USA as well as the forced removal of the Cherokees to the West in order to appropriate their land.

     Here is a time estimate of when the materials which are abundant on asteroids will become scarce on Earth.

     Based on known terrestrial reserves, and growing consumption in both developed and developing countries, key elements needed for modern industry and food production could be exhausted on Earth within 50–60 years. These include phosphorus, antimony, zinc, tin, lead, indium, silver, gold and copper. In response, it has been suggested that platinum, cobalt and other valuable elements from asteroids may be mined and sent to Earth for profit, used to build solar-power satellites and space habitats, and water processed from ice to refuel orbiting propellant depots.

Asteroid mining - Wikipedia








     Another reason for mankind's interest in asteroids is the possibility of a collision and how to prevent it.  They see evidence of prior collisions on Earth and on the moon and other planets and conclude that it can happen again. Yet, considering that it believes such a collision unavoidable, mankind doesn't seem to take as much preventive action as one would expect. In fact, just recently astronomers were surprised when a small asteroid entered our atmosphere above Russia, and shattered windows on the ground with sonic booms before totally breaking up. There is also evidence of a relatively recent impact over a Siberian forest. Had it happened over some major city, such as New York or London, many would have died.  So there is definitely a solid reason for concern. 

     The problem with mankind seems to be that it tends to lull itself to sleep with a false sense of security until the disaster happens and there is a massive loss of life. Then and only then do humans seem to feel an urgent need to prevent a repeat when the first disaster was totally avoidable to begin with. It happens with buildings and bridges that are obviously on the verge of collapse or are clearly seismologically susceptible.

     It happens with our environment where the signs of imminent disaster are everywhere but are refused to be seen. And it could very will happen if an asteroid impacts our planet and we are sent back into the stone age or worse because we put our eggs into just one basket. Then of course, the short-sighted negligent ones, if indeed they are still alive, will whine that something should have been done in retrospect when they themselves contributed to the general sluggish irresponsibility that led to it.