Space mining method and equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of space, in particular to a space mining method. The method comprises the following steps: collecting extraterrestrial star substances, and throwing the substances away from the extraterrestrial star by using electric energy as power through a throwing device, so as to realize the transportation of the substances or the transportation of the extraterrestrial star. The invention further relates to space mining equipment which comprises an energy device and a casting device, the casting device is an electromagnetic catapult device or a centrifugal casting device, and substances are accelerated through electric power to be cast away from extraterrestrial stars.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of space technology, and in particular to a space mining method and equipment for implementing the method. Background Art

[0002] As the Earth's population grows and its resources become scarce, the development and utilization of space resources is an inevitable trend in the long-term development of Earth's civilization.

[0003] In 2015, an asteroid named "2011UW-158" passed close to the Earth's orbit. It is estimated that this asteroid with a diameter of less than 1km and rich in precious metals is worth trillions of dollars. The gold content of Psyche, which is 200km in diameter and located in the asteroid belt, is 100 million times that of the Earth's proven reserves. If we can use asteroid minerals to produce building materials for space stations, or use resources from asteroids or comets to produce rocket fuel and obtain water resources in outer space, avoiding the high cost of launching from the Earth, we can achieve explosive growth in the aerospace field. In mining on Earth, the technologies we use include exploration, excavation, blasting, transportation and smelting, and these technologies will also be gradually applied to space mining technology.

[0004] In addition to their great economic value, asteroids may also become a threat to the Earth. Asteroids with a diameter of tens of meters may have catastrophic consequences if they hit the Earth. Among the near-Earth asteroids that are at risk of hitting the Earth, there are at least 2,000 with a diameter of more than 1 km and hundreds with a diameter of more than 4 km. If an asteroid of this mass hits the Earth, it will easily flatten a large city and even trigger a global climate disaster.

[0005] To prevent asteroids from hitting the Earth, it is necessary to change the orbits of high-risk asteroids. One strategy is to use a large mass and high-speed object to hit an asteroid to change its orbit. Another strategy is to use a spacecraft to attach and push the asteroid to change its orbit away from the Earth to reduce the risk of hitting the Earth. Both of these require the ability to transport large masses of space materials at low cost into space.

[0006] The existing conceptual and technical solutions for space mining are generally divided into three types that are feasible under the current level of technology. The first and most basic solution is to launch a rocket from the Earth, carrying mining equipment and the rocket engine and fuel required for the return trip, to land on an extraterrestrial body. After mining the required minerals, the rocket engine consumes the fuel brought from the Earth and returns to Earth orbit with the extraterrestrial material.

[0007] The second is an improvement on the first, launching smelting equipment and fuel production equipment to the extraterrestrial body. Through in-situ utilization technology, on the one hand, the extraterrestrial body minerals are smelted into high-value products, and on the other hand, the water or hydrocarbons of the extraterrestrial body are used to produce rocket fuel through electrolysis and other methods. The rocket engine consumes the rocket fuel produced on site and returns to Earth orbit with high-value products. Although this solution avoids the high cost of relying entirely on launching fuel from the earth, the equipment required for the entire solution is more complex, and the difficulty of implementation and the complexity of the task are greatly increased.

[0008] The third method is to launch a rocket from the Earth, launch a spacecraft carrying a large amount of fuel to a small asteroid, land on it or capture it with a net, then start the rocket engine, consume the fuel and pull the small asteroid back to Earth orbit.

[0009] Existing asteroid defense technology solutions include kinetic impacts, explosions, and changing the orbit of asteroids by using rocket engines after attaching a spacecraft. All of these require launching a spacecraft carrying a large amount of fuel. In science fiction movies, there are also plots where Earth oil drillers land on comets to dig deep wells, place nuclear bombs, and detonate them to prevent comets from hitting the Earth. Therefore, space mining technology and asteroid defense technology are highly similar.

[0010] These existing technical solutions all require rocket engines to provide power and consume a large amount of fuel. The launch of a large amount of reserve fuel places higher requirements on the size of the rocket, engine technology and carrying capacity.

[0011] These difficulties make asteroid defense too expensive and too far off to achieve. Space mining has also been delayed because the cost of implementing these solutions far exceeds the expected benefits.

[0012] Existing rocket engine technologies are all working fluid engines that require the consumption of working fluid fuel. Although ion thrusters can reduce the consumption of working fluid fuel, their thrust is too low and the acceleration of large mass objects is too slow, so they have no advantages in this field.

[0013] The more ideal rocket engine technology is a fluidless propulsion system that only consumes electricity and other energy without consuming fluid fuel to achieve propulsion. However, this concept is only at the level of science fiction at this stage, with neither theoretical support nor technical solutions that can verify its feasibility.

[0014] In space, it is relatively easy to obtain electrical energy. Whether it is generated through solar cells or nuclear power, a considerable and continuous supply of electricity can be obtained.

[0015] How to come up with a more feasible and lower-cost space mining and transportation plan under our existing technological conditions is a major issue in overcoming the technical difficulties of space mining, gaining the ability to defend against near-Earth asteroids, and ushering in the era of great navigation in the solar system. Summary of the invention

[0016] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the above technical solutions and provide an easy-to-implement, low-cost space mining method and equipment to achieve space mining or defense against near-Earth asteroids.

[0017] The present invention provides a space mining method, comprising the following steps: S1: Materials are harvested from extraterrestrial bodies; S2: material is transported to the ejection device; S3: Matter is ejected from the extraterrestrial body in an ejection device using electrical energy.

[0018] The substance may be an extraterrestrial sample for research, an economically valuable mining target mineral, meteorite ice, etc., or a low-value rock, debris, or an extraterrestrial mineral that has been processed, refined, and packaged. The collection method may include on-site picking up, drilling, smelting, packaging, etc. On the moon or other extraterrestrial bodies where astronauts can land, the collection process and the process of transporting to the ejection device can be completed by astronauts; under the condition of unmanned landing, the substance can be picked up, excavated, or processed by the mechanical device of the spacecraft.

[0019] The ejection device uses easily available electrical energy as energy and electromagnetic force as power to accelerate the material of the extraterrestrial body and then eject it away from the extraterrestrial body. During the ejection process, the ejected material and the ejection device receive thrusts of the same magnitude and opposite directions. The lighter ejected material is ejected away from the extraterrestrial body at a higher speed, while the heavier extraterrestrial body receives the recoil force transmitted by the ejection device and moves in the opposite direction at a lower speed.

[0020] To achieve the effect of ejecting an extraterrestrial body, the ejected matter needs to reach at least the first cosmic velocity of the extraterrestrial body. For example, the speed of matter ejected from the moon needs to reach at least 1.6km / s.

[0021] Preferably, the method further comprises the following steps: S4: The material is ejected by the ejection device and flies towards the target direction.

[0022] When the substance is a mining target, the ejection device ejects the substance in the target direction. The target direction is the direction in which the substance will fly to the destination after a period of time. The target direction varies according to the application scenario. For example, when the space mining site is the asteroid belt, the target direction is the direction of the Earth's orbit; when the space mining site is the moon, the target direction can be the Earth's surface, orbiting the Earth, orbiting the Moon, etc.; when the space mining site is a comet, the target direction can be the Moon's surface, orbiting the Moon, orbiting the Earth, the surface of Mars, etc.

[0023] When the material is not a mining target, for example, when it is necessary to change the rotation state of the asteroid where the mining site is located, low-value rock debris is ejected in the calculated target direction to change the asteroid's rotation speed, or stop the rotation, to facilitate subsequent mining work. For example, in the scenario of near-Earth asteroid defense, the ejection device can be located on the moon or on a captured asteroid. The destination in the target direction is an invading asteroid that is at risk of impacting the earth. After the material is ejected, it gains kinetic energy to impact the invading asteroid and change the orbit of the invading asteroid. The earlier the invading asteroid is impacted, the greater the impact speed and the better the effect of changing the orbit. Repeated ejection impacts can accumulate kinetic energy to achieve a better effect of changing the orbit of the invading asteroid.

[0024] The target direction of the ejection work of the ejection device can be controlled by installing it in a fixed position during installation. For example, the ejection device can be fixedly installed on the surface of the moon, with a fixed direction pointing to the surface of the earth or the direction of the orbit around the earth. On the surface of a rotating asteroid, a ejection device with a fixed pointing position relative to the asteroid can also obtain a certain range of selectable ejection directions as the target direction with the help of the rotation of the asteroid. The base of the ejection device can also be fixedly installed, and the pointing position of the ejection device can be adjusted manually or automatically as needed at a later time.

[0025] Preferably, the method further includes the following steps: S5: The extraterrestrial body flies towards the target direction with the help of the reverse thrust generated by the ejection of material by the ejection device.

[0026] When the extraterrestrial body is a mining target, the extraterrestrial body flies to the target direction with the help of the reverse thrust generated by the ejection of materials by the ejection device. The target direction can be the direction in which it can be parked in the orbit around the earth when it flies near the earth, the direction in the orbit around the moon, the direction in which it passes by the earth without being captured by gravity, etc. There are two purposes for the direction of passing by the earth. The first is that if there is an operational error in the transportation of the extraterrestrial body, no remedial measures are required and there will be no risk of impact with the earth. If the mid-course operation is as expected, the orbital direction of the extraterrestrial body can be accurately changed by the work of the ejection device or other rocket engines in the later stage, and it can be parked in the required bypass orbit; the second is the extraterrestrial body that does not need to be fully utilized. When the extraterrestrial body is close to the earth or the moon, the ejection device on the surface of the extraterrestrial body ejects high-value mineral resources, refined minerals, or meteorite ice into the orbit around the earth or the surface of the moon and other places where they are needed. After completing the partial utilization of the extraterrestrial body, the extraterrestrial body passes by the earth. After that, the ejection device continues to work, controlling the orbit of the extraterrestrial body to move further away from the Earth's orbit, avoiding the risk of entering the Earth's orbit later.

[0027] When the local extraterrestrial body is an invading asteroid that has a risk of impacting the Earth, the ejection device installed on the invading asteroid is used to push the invading asteroid to change its orbit through the reverse thrust generated by the ejected material to avoid impacting the Earth. If the invading asteroid is valuable for mining, the ejection device will change its orbit and speed and park it in the required orbit for mining.

[0028] The above method steps can be repeated.

[0029] The present invention also provides a space mining device to implement any of the above methods.

[0030] The space mining equipment has a device that uses electric energy to generate electromagnetic force to accelerate and eject extraterrestrial matter. The optional schemes include at least an electromagnetic ejection scheme, a centrifugal accelerated ejection scheme, an elastic material that accumulates force and then releases the elastic force in a short time, and a mechanical force projection scheme. Among them, the electromagnetic ejection scheme and the centrifugal accelerated ejection scheme are both easy to achieve a higher speed.

[0031] Preferably, a space mining device comprises an electromagnetic ejection device and an energy device, wherein the electromagnetic ejection device is fixed on an extraterrestrial body. When in operation, the electromagnetic ejection device points to a target direction, and the coil of the linear motor accelerates the armature to propel the material of the extraterrestrial body to eject it in the target direction.

[0032] The energy device is a solar panel or a nuclear power generation device, which provides electrical energy for the electromagnetic catapult device. The electromagnetic catapult device includes a power supply system, a base, a track, a linear motor coil arranged along the track, an armature, etc. The power supply system provides a short-term high-power discharge for the linear motor, accelerates the armature to a predetermined speed within a shorter track, and the armature pushes the material to be ejected away from the extraterrestrial body along the track direction. The armature can be a one-time metal block, conductive metal vapor, or a reusable device. After each ejection, the armature returns to the initial position and is reused. The armature can be connected to a support plate, a concave spoon or a clamping device to facilitate the fixing of the ejected material during the ejection acceleration process. In special cases, extraterrestrial material that has been processed into a conductive metal material suitable for the shape of the track, or a metal product extracted from extraterrestrial minerals can be used as an armature and also as the ejected material.

[0033] The ejection device is fixed on a celestial body, or temporarily fixed on an extraterrestrial body, and relocated and refixed as needed. If the extraterrestrial body has sufficient gravity, such as on the moon or Mars, then the electromagnetic ejection device can be placed on the surface of the celestial body or in a pit to ensure that it remains balanced and stable during operation.

[0034] The theoretical maximum speed of electromagnetic catapults can reach hundreds of km / s. Existing electromagnetic catapults can already reach a speed of 11 km / s, while the theoretical maximum speed of rocket engines ejecting materials is only 7 km / s. Therefore, electromagnetic catapults have greater propulsion efficiency and potential than rocket engines.

[0035] The application scenarios of the present invention are mainly in vacuum space environments and low-gravity environments, such as the surface of the moon and on asteroids. There is no air resistance, and the electromagnetic catapult is more efficient, and there is no loss of ejection speed due to air friction. In a low-gravity environment, the kinetic energy of the electromagnetic catapult is lower because of the speed loss caused by overcoming gravity. For example, an electromagnetic catapult working on the surface of the moon only needs to accelerate the ejected material to 1.7km / s to enter the lunar orbit. The ejected material reaches 2.4km / s to reach the lunar escape velocity and can be launched to the surface of the earth or orbit around the earth. If on Mars, the density of the atmosphere is only 1% of the earth's atmosphere, and the escape velocity of Mars is only 5km / s, the electromagnetic catapult also has better performance than on Earth.

[0036] If it is an asteroid with negligible gravity and escape velocity, the ejection speed of the electromagnetic ejection device mainly considers the flight time to reach the target location. For example, if the material mined is ejected from the asteroid belt 180 million km away from the earth back to the earth orbit, if the material speed of the electromagnetic ejection reaches 4km / s, it only takes one and a half years to reach the earth orbit. For near-Earth asteroids with lower mining difficulty, the time required is even shorter. This is a technical solution that can realize multiple extraterrestrial mining and sampling and return to the earth with a successful mission.

[0037] When the electromagnetic ejection device ejects the material, the recoil generated acts on the extraterrestrial body, and also generates a reverse thrust on the extraterrestrial body to accelerate the extraterrestrial body. For asteroids with lower mass, through multiple electromagnetic ejections, the asteroid can be accelerated to a suitable speed to fly in the target direction, realizing the overall transportation and mining of the asteroid. Assume that the orbit of the mining target asteroid is 0.2 astronomical units away from the earth at the closest distance, 30 million kilometers, with a diameter of about 70 meters, a mass of 1 million tons, and a speed close to the direction of the earth's movement. An electromagnetic ejection device is set on the target asteroid, and through multiple reverse ejections of material, the target asteroid is pushed to fly in the direction of the earth's orbit. When the ejection material speed reaches 10km / s, only 100 tons of material need to be ejected cumulatively by electromagnetic ejection to accelerate the target asteroid weighing 1 million tons to 1km / s, and it only takes one year to enter the earth's orbit, successfully realizing the overall mining of the asteroid. If the ejection material speed reaches 20km / s, only 25 tons of material need to be ejected cumulatively by electromagnetic ejection to achieve the same effect. Under the condition that the ejection speed requirement is low and the ejection quality requirement is not high on the moon, a solution can be designed so that the base can slide. In this way, the recoil generated by the electromagnetic ejection can offset the kinetic energy through the frictional heating between the base and the lunar soil, avoiding the impact on the lunar orbit and rotation speed.

[0038] In the scenario of defending against asteroids from hitting the Earth, assuming that the electromagnetic catapult accelerates 100kg of material to 10km / s, the kinetic energy reaches 5 billion J, and a launch requires 1,400 kWh of electricity. The energy consumption is about the power generation of solar panels of the same size on China's "Tiangong" space station in two days. A material with 5 billion joules of kinetic energy hits an invading asteroid with a mass of 100,000 tons and a diameter of about 30 meters, which can cause catastrophic consequences. Assuming that all kinetic energy is converted into thrust, a 10m / s orbital deviation of the invading asteroid can be achieved. It only takes one month in advance to achieve the above 5 billion joules of kinetic energy impact, so that the 100,000-ton invading asteroid will deviate from its position by about 26,000 kilometers when it reaches the Earth's orbit, avoiding a direct impact. If the device is small, each time 10 kg of material is ejected to reach a speed of 10km / s, the kinetic energy of a single ejection is 500 million joules, and the accumulated kinetic energy of 10 consecutive ejections is the same. If a larger mass, more times, and higher kinetic energy impact can be achieved, a better orbit change effect can be achieved for the invading asteroid, and orbit change and defense against larger mass invading asteroids can also be achieved. When the DART spacecraft launched by the United States with a mass of 550kg and a speed of 6km / s hit the Dimorphos asteroid with a diameter of 160 meters, the kinetic energy of DART was about 9.9 billion joules. The scheme of the present invention can achieve the orbit change of the invading asteroid by multiple ejected materials hitting the invading asteroid. There is no need to consume a large amount of rocket engine fuel, and the ejection device only consumes electrical energy, and the marginal cost of multiple reuse is extremely low.

[0039] Preferably, the electromagnetic catapult device should also be provided with a kinetic energy recovery device, which is arranged at the rear end of the track. A kinetic energy recovery coil is arranged along the rear end of the track to achieve kinetic energy recovery and deceleration of the armature that needs to be reused. The electric energy recovered by the kinetic energy is charged into a battery pack or a capacitor pack for use in subsequent ejection work.

[0040] Preferably, at least part of the linear motor coils of the electromagnetic ejection device are made of superconducting material.

[0041] The projectile device of the present invention works mostly on the dark side of an extraterrestrial body or in areas such as craters where direct sunlight is difficult to reach. The temperature in these areas is close to or even lower than the temperature of liquid nitrogen, and existing low-temperature superconducting materials can enter a superconducting state under such temperature conditions. Therefore, using superconducting materials as the conductive material of the coil of a linear motor or as the conductive material of a power supply line can greatly reduce the mass and volume of the equipment, making it easier to achieve the strong magnetic field and large current required for the operation of the linear motor, thereby improving the efficiency of the equipment. The armature only needs to cover a thin layer of superconducting material on the surface of a hard substrate to achieve a superconducting effect.

[0042] Preferably, a space mining device comprises a centrifugal ejection device and an energy device, wherein the centrifugal ejection device is fixed on an extraterrestrial body; when in operation, the ejection direction points to the target direction, the motor drives the spiral arm to rotate and accelerate, the material of the extraterrestrial body is temporarily fixed at the end of the spiral arm, and when the material reaches a predetermined speed and tangential direction, the spiral arm releases the material to eject it in the target direction.

[0043] The advantage of the centrifugal ejection device is that the motor structure is simple, and it can be slowly accelerated for a long time to reach a predetermined speed, and does not require a high-power discharge power supply system for the electromagnetic ejection device. The swing arm can be a rigid material, such as the swing arm of a centrifuge; it can also be a flexible material, like the iron chain connecting the ball and chain. When rotating, the centrifugal force naturally straightens the swing arm, and the effect is similar to that of a rigid swing arm. The swing arm can be one or more than two. The center of gravity balance point of the swing arm when it rotates is connected to the motor shaft, and the end of the swing arm away from the longer end of the motor or the position near the end is used to fix the ejected material. The swing arm and the ejected material can be fixed by clamping, supporting, etc. The shorter end of the swing arm is connected to a counterweight to maintain balance during rotation. The counterweight can be a mineral, rock, etc. from an extraterrestrial body.

[0044] The application scenarios of the present invention are mainly in vacuum space environments and low gravity environments, so there is no need to consider air resistance. The centrifugal ejection device also does not require a shell, and there is no need to artificially create a vacuum environment. The input electrical energy can be efficiently converted into the kinetic energy of the ejected material through the motor. When the material reaches a predetermined speed and the tangential direction of the centrifugal motion coincides with the target direction, the ejected material on the spiral arm is released, and the material can be thrown away from the extraterrestrial body and fly in the target direction. At the same time, a force in the opposite direction is also generated and transmitted to the extraterrestrial body through the motor shaft, generating a reverse driving force. If the counterweight at the other end of the spiral arm is designed to be released, then when the predetermined speed is reached, the ejected material and the counterweight are released at the same time. The counterweight and the ejected material are ejected in opposite directions, with the same kinetic energy and different speeds, and the reaction force of the ejection does not act on the shaft or the motor. If the counterweight does not hit the surface of the asteroid after being released, the asteroid will not be affected during the ejection process.

[0045] When the centrifugal ejection device rotates, there is also a gyroscopic effect, which can act on the asteroid and change the asteroid's movement posture.

[0046] Preferably, the centrifugal ejection device should also be provided with a kinetic energy recovery device, which can be an independent motor connected to the rotating shaft of the centrifugal ejection device, or the motor itself that provides power for the centrifugal ejection device can recover kinetic energy, and the recovered electrical energy is stored in a battery pack or a capacitor pack for use in the next ejection operation.

[0047] Preferably, at least part of the motor coil of the centrifugal ejection device is made of superconducting material.

[0048] Preferably, a space mining device should also have a beacon device, which is ejected in the same target direction as the material from the extraterrestrial planet, and the beacon device contains a power source and can emit optical signals or radio signals.

[0049] The beacon device is used to display the trajectory of the ejection or the position and speed of the ejected material. In the vast and dark space, the ejected material is small in size and is difficult to be directly observed by optical telescopes. There are at least three uses for the beacon device. The first is to eject an independent beacon device that can emit optical or radio signals in the ejection direction in advance, which is convenient for observing and testing the ejection path in advance, and also for the receiving device at the destination of space mining to reach the area to capture the captured material in advance. The second is that the beacon device can be ejected at the same time as the ejected material and fly together. The third is that the beacon device can also be connected to the ejected material to more accurately indicate the position of the ejected material.

[0050] The optical signal can be a laser light source pointing in the direction of the observation device, so that it can be observed at a longer distance with lower power. It can also be a pattern composed of multiple light sources to facilitate the judgment of flight attitude. Both optical signals and radio signals can be set to start when they reach the observation range in the late or mid-late stage of the flight to save energy. The power supply of the beacon device can be a battery or a solar cell.

[0051] Preferably, the beacon device connected to the ejected material can also be provided with an engine and fuel, as well as a corresponding controller, to implement operations such as changing the trajectory and speed of the ejected material, so as to improve the accuracy of the material reaching the target position and improve the success rate of being captured.

[0052] Preferably, a pointing device is also provided to control and adjust the projectile direction of the projectile device. The pointing device can be two mutually perpendicular rotating shafts, one end of which is fixed to the base and the other end drives the projectile device to change the target direction.

[0053] Preferably, a collection device should also be provided to collect the extraterrestrial material required for excavation on the extraterrestrial body without human landing and transport it to the ejection device. The collection device collects rocks on the surface of the extraterrestrial body by picking up, collects debris and dust by digging, collects materials below the surface of the body by drilling, and can also assist in blasting to reduce the difficulty of collection.

[0054] Preferably, a packaging device should also be provided to process, trim and package the collected extraterrestrial material and then provide it to the ejection device. During the packaging process, a beacon device can be connected to the surface of the extraterrestrial material.

[0055] Preferably, the packaging device wraps a heat-insulating material on the surface of the ejected material, so that the ejected material has the ability to pass through the atmosphere.

[0056] Preferably, multiple ejection devices can work simultaneously on an extraterrestrial body, with the first ejection device also serving as a verification device, and subsequent landing ejection devices can increase the total propulsion capacity and accelerate the completion of space mining.

[0057] Preferably, a capture device should also be provided, which is arranged at or near the end point of the target direction, and the mined material is captured by means of synchronous flight attachment capture by a spacecraft or by means of a capture net.

[0058] When spacecraft conduct mining and drilling work on the low-gravity surface of an asteroid, it is necessary to solve the problem of adhesion and fixed force on the surface of the asteroid.

[0059] Therefore, a method for attaching a spacecraft to the surface of an asteroid that can be easily implemented is also provided: The spacecraft releases one or more cables, which wrap around the asteroid one or more times, and then tightens the cables to bind the spacecraft to the surface of the asteroid, thereby fixing the spacecraft and facilitating the force applied to the spacecraft during mining work on the asteroid. Asteroids can also be captured and towed in this way.

[0060] The method of releasing the cable and orbiting the asteroid can be to launch the front end of the cable from a spacecraft flying around the asteroid and temporarily fix it to a point on the surface of the asteroid. After that, the spacecraft will orbit the asteroid once or more and then land near the front end of the cable to capture the front end and tighten the cable. The spacecraft can also release a small spacecraft to carry the front end of the cable around the asteroid once or more, and then the two spacecraft will meet to tighten the cable.

[0061] Small-sized asteroids with negligible gravity are generally single solid rock blocks. The surface morphology can be easily observed to determine the position of the asteroid's center of gravity, which is relatively easy to achieve through the cable fixation of this method. Large-sized asteroids with a certain gravity will absorb a large amount of dust and broken rocks on the surface, but at least have a large mass core. Through the cable fixation of this method, as long as the asteroid's mass core is fixed when tightening the cable, a good fixing effect can be achieved. The method of determining the position of the asteroid's mass core can be through the impact analysis of shock waves.

[0062] The method and device of the present invention utilize the material of an extraterrestrial body as a working fluid for propulsion and acceleration in space, and rely on electrical energy to achieve a propulsion effect without the need for working fluid fuel. At the same time, the spacecraft attaches to the back of an asteroid and navigates within the solar system, and the asteroid itself also serves as a protective barrier to prevent small meteorites on the forward route of the navigation from impacting and damaging the spacecraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of using an electromagnetic catapult to eject material from the lunar surface back to Earth orbit.

[0064] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the working of the centrifugal ejection device on an asteroid. Implementation

[0065] Example 1: Using an electromagnetic catapult to eject material from the lunar surface back to Earth orbit. In the polar regions of the moon, there are long-term sunlight areas and long-term shadow areas, which are suitable for priority development and construction of lunar bases. This solution is to launch a spacecraft carrying an electromagnetic catapult from the earth, land in the polar region of the moon, install the electromagnetic catapult horizontally or at a low elevation on the lunar surface, and the target direction of the launch is toward the Earth orbit or the Earth's surface. The direction of the electromagnetic catapult is calculated by subtracting the deflection caused by the gravity of the moon and the earth from the predetermined speed.

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown, the base 64 of the electromagnetic ejection device is placed or fixed on the surface of the moon 10, and a linear motor coil is arranged inside the track 61 along the direction of the track. The ejection destination is the earth 00 or the orbit around the earth. The rear part of the track 61 is the kinetic energy recovery track 62, and the kinetic energy recovery coil is arranged inside it. The track 61 and the kinetic energy recovery track 62 are also provided with a battery pack of the power supply system. There are limit devices 63 at both ends of the track. The armature 60 has a support plate for supporting the ejected material 11. The armature 60 is suspended by magnetic force and does not contact the track 61 or the kinetic energy recovery track 62 to reduce friction. The solar panel provided with current for the entire ejection device is provided in the direct sunlight area on the surface of the moon. When working, the solar panel generates electricity and stores it in the battery pack. The astronauts collect and obtain the ejected material 11 on the surface of the moon and place it on the support plate of the armature 60. After the battery pack is fully charged, high-power power is supplied to the linear motor coil in the track 61. The linear motor coil generates a magnetic field to drive the armature 60 to accelerate linearly, and the ejected material 11 reaches a predetermined speed. After the armature moves to the kinetic energy recovery track 62, the armature 60 decelerates, the material 11 and the support plate of the armature 60 separate, and continue to fly towards the target direction by inertia. The kinetic energy of the armature 60 is recovered in the kinetic energy recovery track and converted into electrical energy to charge the battery pack to achieve kinetic energy recovery.

[0067] In the verification phase, the ejected material can be carried from the earth with the ejection device. In the scientific research phase, the ejected material is lunar soil and rocks used for scientific research. In the future, the ejected material can be helium 3, which is scarce on the earth but can be used as nuclear fusion fuel. Fuel produced by in-situ technology on the moon can also be ejected into orbit around the moon as a space refueling station for rockets landing on Mars. Under the condition of astronauts landing on the moon, the ejected material is manually harvested, processed, packaged and transported to the ejection device. Under unmanned conditions, the relevant work is completed by a robotic arm, and the power of the ejection device is provided by solar cells. The ejected material can be packaged and added with a beacon device to facilitate reaching the target location and being successfully captured. If the material is wrapped with insulation material or a parachute device is added, it can be ejected directly to the earth, and after passing through the atmosphere, the lunar material can be received on the ground or in the sea. If the electromagnetic catapult is highly efficient, the energy consumption of electromagnetically launching one ton of material from the moon to reach the Earth's orbit at a speed exceeding the lunar escape velocity will be less than 20kW.h. The transportation cost will be much lower than that of existing technical solutions, and the transportation volume and frequency will also be greatly increased. The catapult can also be reused, further reducing costs.

[0068] Example 2: The centrifugal ejection device for landing on an asteroid propels the asteroid into the Earth's orbit to achieve space mining. After the target asteroid is explored and its mining value is determined, a spacecraft carrying a centrifugal ejection device is launched to land on the target asteroid, and the centrifugal ejection device is fixedly installed on the asteroid.

[0069] like Figure 2As shown, the centrifugal ejection device is fixed on the extraterrestrial body 10 through a base 40, and the motor 20 is connected to the base 40 through a pointing device 41. Two arms are fixed on the rotating shaft 21 of the motor, and the distal end of the arm 30 fixes the ejected material 11 through a fixing device 32, and the arm 31 fixes the counterweight material 12 through a fixing device 33. The counterweight material is also collected from the extraterrestrial body 10. In order to better achieve balance during rotation, the fixing device 33 can be changed to be fixed at different positions on the arm 31 away from the rotating shaft 21. The material 11 or the counterweight material 12 of the extraterrestrial body is collected and transported by the collection device 50. The electric energy required for the operation of the centrifugal ejection device and the collection device 50 is provided by the solar panel 51, and the solar panel 51 should be set on the sun-facing side. When working, the collection device 50 obtains the material 11 and the counterweight material 12 to be ejected from the surface of the extraterrestrial body, and transports them to the respective fixing devices 32 and 33 for fixing. The motor starts to rotate and accelerate, and the arm rotates in a direction perpendicular to the paper. When the rotation speed reaches a predetermined speed and the tangent direction of the movement of the substance 11 is aligned with the target direction, the fixing device 32 releases the substance 11 and ejects the substance 11 away from the extraterrestrial body 10 at high speed. At the same time, the extraterrestrial body 10 obtains reverse thrust through the ejection device. Depending on the work requirements, the ejection target direction is different. For example, when controlling the rotation of the extraterrestrial body 10, the arms 30 and 31 of the ejection device are in Figure 2 The ejection is performed in the motion posture shown in the figure, so as to realize the reverse thrust perpendicular to the paper surface to push the extraterrestrial body 10 to stop or accelerate its rotation. When it is necessary to eject upward perpendicular to the surface of the celestial body 10, the spiral arms 30 and 31 move to the posture perpendicular to the paper surface, and when the tangent direction coincides with the vertical upward direction of the extraterrestrial body 10, the fixing device 32 releases the material 11 to eject it from the extraterrestrial body 10, and the ejection device obtains the reverse thrust to accelerate the flight in the reverse direction. The fixing device 33 can also release the counterweight material 12 while the fixing device 32 releases the material 11, and the counterweight material 12 hits the extraterrestrial body 10 to allow the extraterrestrial body 10 to obtain the reverse thrust.

[0070] Asteroids with a certain mass have enough gravity to attach rock debris. The rocks attached to the surface of the asteroid are picked up by a mechanical device and fixed at the end of the spiral arm of the centrifugal ejection device, and the ejection work is repeated. The purpose of the early ejection work is to stop the rotation of the asteroid. The mid-term ejection work is to use the reaction force of the ejection to accelerate the asteroid to the direction of the earth's orbit. The later ejection work can accurately change the orbit and speed of the asteroid to park in the orbit around the earth or the orbit around the moon. After the first centrifugal ejection device successfully works, more centrifugal ejection devices or electromagnetic ejection devices can be launched to land on the asteroid to further improve the propulsion capability and shorten the mining and transportation time. After the asteroid is transported to the destination, the asteroid's stellar material can be collected and separated, ejected to a location where conditions permit utilization and smelting, or smelting equipment can be launched to land on the asteroid to smelt the materials required for production on the spot and then eject the products to the required location. With the development of the earth's space technology, the material launched into space is only about a few thousand tons. The largest single-unit mass spacecraft, the International Space Station, has a mass of only 400 tons. If the space mining of the present invention is realized, the mass of space equipment can be increased exponentially. It is even possible to hollow out an asteroid as a space station, which has better ability to resist impacts from space debris and defend against damage from cosmic rays. Asteroids captured by space mining can be transported to geosynchronous orbit and used as mass anchors for space elevators. It is also possible to build deep space telescopes with better performance based on captured asteroids.

[0071] Embodiment 3: A near-Earth asteroid defense plan to prevent asteroids from hitting the Earth. The first is based on a captured asteroid, using a projectile device fixed on the captured asteroid to eject the material on the asteroid to hit an invading asteroid that has the risk of hitting the Earth. Because there is no air resistance in space, there is no requirement for the shape of the ejected material. The larger the mass and the higher the speed, the greater the kinetic energy of the material. By repeatedly impacting the invading asteroid with the ejected material, the accumulation of kinetic energy can also be achieved to change the orbit of the large-mass invading asteroid and reduce the risk of hitting the Earth. The second is based on a captured asteroid, and the ejection work is repeated by the ejection device fixed on the captured asteroid to push the captured asteroid to accelerate multiple times. After multiple accelerations accumulate enough kinetic energy, the whole will hit the invading asteroid to achieve the change of orbit of the invading asteroid or break the invading asteroid. The third is to directly launch a projectile to land on the invading asteroid, and push the invading asteroid to gradually deviate from its orbit by the reverse thrust generated by the ejection of rocks on the surface of the invading asteroid, thereby reducing the risk of hitting the Earth. The energy of the ejection device is supplied by solar cells or nuclear power devices. The earlier the invading asteroid is discovered, the earlier the defense work can be carried out, and the earlier the orbit of the invading asteroid is shifted, the better the defense effect can be achieved. Therefore, based on the space mining technology of the present invention, a device for deep space detection of invading asteroids can be installed on a captured asteroid, and the asteroid can be transported to an orbit far away from the earth, so as to achieve earlier discovery of invading asteroids. An ejection device can be installed on a captured asteroid, and the asteroid can be transported to an orbit far away from the earth, so as to achieve earlier ejection of the invading asteroid and achieve better asteroid defense effect.

Claims

1. A space mining method, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1: Materials are harvested from extraterrestrial bodies; S2: material is transported to the ejection device; S3: Matter is ejected from the extraterrestrial body in an ejection device using electrical energy.

2. A space mining method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps should also be included: S4: The material is ejected by the ejection device and flies towards the target direction.

3. A space mining method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The following steps should also be included: S5: The extraterrestrial body flies towards the target direction with the help of the reverse thrust generated by the ejection of material by the ejection device.

4. A space mining device, characterized in that: A device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A space mining device according to claim 4, comprising an electromagnetic ejection device and an energy device, characterized in that: The electromagnetic ejection device is fixed on the extraterrestrial body; when working, the electromagnetic ejection device points to the target direction, and the armature accelerates and pushes the material of the extraterrestrial body to eject it towards the target direction.

6. A space mining device according to claim 4, comprising a centrifugal ejection device and an energy device, characterized in that: The centrifugal ejection device is fixed on the extraterrestrial body; when working, the ejection direction points to the target direction, the motor drives the spiral arm to rotate and accelerate, the material of the extraterrestrial body is temporarily fixed at the end of the spiral arm, and when the material reaches a predetermined speed and tangential direction, the spiral arm releases the material and ejects it in the target direction.

7. A space mining device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: There should also be a beacon device, which is aimed in the same target direction as the material ejected from the extraterrestrial planet. The beacon device contains a power source and can emit optical signals or radio signals.

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