>>13510824(2/2)
An asteroid is regularly a frozen piece, where the surface gravity is very low. In these "boulders" are very valuable materials, very often nickel and iron. If an asteroid could be captured to orbit the earth, obtaining its riches would be exceedingly easy, because pieces of the asteroid could be dislodged and almost "drop" them to the surface of the earth. The gravity of the asteroid would not cause trouble, so it would be possible to drill hallways through this small celestial body mad search through all the valuable metals it contains.
To change the course of the asteroid would require very powerful rocket engines. It would likely be cheaper to use nuclear power to change the trajectory. In that case the course change would happen like so:
Large pieces of the asteroid would be removed, and fired into space with great velocity using a nuclear detonation. These fired boulders, which would likely shatter, would push the remaining asteroid in the opposite direction, like the jet of a rocket engine. Using this method, the asteroid could be given a trajectory where it orbits the earth. Of course the trajectory of the fired boulders is such that it poses no threat to the earth. They were of course radioactive to some extent.
The asteroid would not be bothered by the radiation, as it is only on one side. The asteroid would be turned with jets so that all detonations would happen on the same side. The material would be fired back to earth with rockets, where the material would be safe inside the capsule part. Entering the earth's atmosphere, braking rockets would slow the capsule down to a desired speed, after which the capsule would land or splash down, much like modern manned capsules.
But these plans would be considered only after mining on the moon has started, which according to current calculations, would start around the year 1990.
