Asteroid Collision Can Be Averted By NASA Robots; Technology Under Testing

NASA is soon going to launch the robotic portion of its Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) in the year 2021. The mission includes visiting and collecting multi-ton samples from the nearest asteroid, which will be further implemented in a demonstration of asteroid deflection. These experiments and demonstrations will be highly helpful in the event that asteroid collision really does happen.

The newly developed robotic capture module prototype was tested at the Robotic Operation's Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Greenbelt, Maryland. The test was made on a mock asteroid boulder, which was specially designed by NASA in collaboration with students from West Virginia University.

The mock asteroid boulder was made from rock, styrofoam, plywood and an interior aluminum frame. The robotic hardware that was tested includes three space frame legs, embedded foot pads and two robotic arms equipped with microspine grippers, which help in holding on to the asteroid, according to Fox News.

The prototype was developed by congregating highly advanced technology and multiple tools from varied disciplines of science, including industrial robots, motion-based platforms and customized algorithms. The robot is designed to create robotic stimulations, which can be operated remotely in the space.

In the meantime, the engineers will be able to get enough practice and perfect their skills in operating the robotic portion of the spacecraft, fine tuning the systems and controllers, and also optimizing the various performance factors that will help in future repair and refueling missions, Space.com reported.

Furthermore, NASA will place the recovered asteroid sample in the stable orbit around the Moon with the help of the robotic portion of the ARM. The boulder will be further examined in the future by retrieving samples.

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is a platform to advance the extant space technologies and innovate novel technology to attain better spaceflight experiences in the future. It is speculated that this mission will also help in developing new technologies for the proposed manned Martian missions scheduled in 2030s.

It will also help in deflecting asteroids and prevent asteroid collision and delay the much feared Armageddon.