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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
Asteroid Provided In-Situ Supplies (Apis) is a breakthrough architecture and mission concept using thin-film structures and anidolic optics to provide highly-concentrated solar power for asteroid ISRU and solar thermal propulsion. This new architecture includes a powerful new ISRU method we call 'Optical Mining'. Our anidolic optical mining technique is orders of magnitude faster, lighter, and cheaper than electrically-based ISRU process and avoids robotic augers, harpoons, and asteroid landing systems that will not work due to the dust-rich, micro-g, friable, and heterogeneous nature of asteroids.
The proposed study will show how NASA can lead us to becoming a space-fairing civilization with human activities in space \xd2living off the land\xd3 in a self-sustaining way. This will inspire the public and show the relevance of NASA to the private sector economy in ways other exploration architectures cannot. In addition, this study will further the general understanding and technology of non-imaging optics, which is emerging as an important branch of alternative energy technology. Non-NASA applications of inflatable structures and solar thermal propulsion will benefit commercial space ventures, communications satellites, and defense. The modeling and simulation of asteroid composition, structure, distribution, and discoverability will have direct benefit to the planetary science community, to other on-going NASA missions studies, and to planetary protection work. Modeling the geophysics of optical mining will be useful and applicable to certain terrestrial mining technologies. Apis will Change the Possible so we can mine the asteroids and enable space industrialization.
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