The private Chinese space company Origin Space has announced preparations for the launch of the first spacecraft in the history of this country to extract useful resources outside the Earth. A small robotic probe, dubbed NEO-1, will be launched into Earth orbit this November.
The company explains that NEO-1 is not a mining machine. Its weight is only 30 kilograms and its main task will be space reconnaissance. However, the next probe, which is scheduled to launch in a couple of years, will most likely already be a full-fledged space miner. The robotic probe NEO-1 is planned to be launched into a sun-synchronous orbit, at an altitude of about 500 kilometers above the Earth's surface. His target will be asteroids.
βThe challenge is to master all aspects of hunting for small space objects: learn to detect asteroids, perform docking maneuvers, manage groups of interceptor ships,β commented Yu Tianhong, co-founder of Origin Space.
The launch of the device as a second payload will be carried out using a Chinese Long March launch vehicle. As IEEE Spectrum magazine points out, China also plans to launch the Yuanwang-2021 orbital telescope in 1. In fact, it will become a competitor to NEO-1. It has been nicknamed βLittle Hubbleβ because one of its tasks will be to search for asteroids that could both pose a danger to Earth and be potential sources of valuable resources.
As for Origin Space, in late 2021 or early 2022, the company is going to launch the NEO-2 robotic probe. It is currently under development, so the details of it are not yet known. However, the company indicates that the next mission is planned to land on the surface of the moon.
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Source: 3dnews.ru