10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
[AOS14-P01] Construction of an artificial ecosystem on the asteroid Vesta
Keywords:Vesta, artificial ecosystem, space colony, asteroid
We have been studying the construction of a space colony with a population of about 150 people on the asteroid Vesta through one common graduate course, "Manned Space Studies" at Kyoto University. In order to build a space colony, what should be considered is not only survival methods and technological issues, but social formation objectives, social systems, relations with other celestial bodies, occupations of residents, currency systems, etc. This paper focuses on the construction of an artificial survival zone on Vesta.
Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, there is a region called the main belt, where the orbits of asteroids are concentrated. Vesta is the third largest asteroid in the main belt. Its diameter is 530 km (major diameter) and 468.3 km (minor diameter). Its surface gravity is 0.30 m/s^2 because of its small mass compared to Mars and the Earth's Moon. Its orbital radius is 2.362 AU, which is farther from the sun than the earth, and its surface temperature is 223 K at maximum due to the absence of an atmosphere. The orbital period is 3.63 years, while the rotation period is 5.342 hours, which is very short.
Vesta was explored and observed by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from 2011 to 2012. This exploration provided information on Vesta's topography and a detailed geological map. Vesta's surface is composed of basalt, but its interior is layered with an olivine mantle outside an iron and nickel core. Numerous craters exist on the surface, the largest of which, Rheasilvia Crater, covers most of Vesta's southern hemisphere. The equatorial craters are also known to be particularly rich in hydrogen, suggesting that hydroxyl groups or water may exist bound to minerals. The Marcia crater near the equator of Vesta is known to have a vertical hole 1 km wide and 200 m deep. Following the discussion on the construction of a lunar base, we considered the construction of a small society in the vertical hole in the Marcia crater, which has been discussed as a promising option from the viewpoint of radiation protection.
The elements necessary for survival are considered: electricity procurement, air supply, food production, water circulation, radiation protection, and emergency escape methods.
Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, there is a region called the main belt, where the orbits of asteroids are concentrated. Vesta is the third largest asteroid in the main belt. Its diameter is 530 km (major diameter) and 468.3 km (minor diameter). Its surface gravity is 0.30 m/s^2 because of its small mass compared to Mars and the Earth's Moon. Its orbital radius is 2.362 AU, which is farther from the sun than the earth, and its surface temperature is 223 K at maximum due to the absence of an atmosphere. The orbital period is 3.63 years, while the rotation period is 5.342 hours, which is very short.
Vesta was explored and observed by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from 2011 to 2012. This exploration provided information on Vesta's topography and a detailed geological map. Vesta's surface is composed of basalt, but its interior is layered with an olivine mantle outside an iron and nickel core. Numerous craters exist on the surface, the largest of which, Rheasilvia Crater, covers most of Vesta's southern hemisphere. The equatorial craters are also known to be particularly rich in hydrogen, suggesting that hydroxyl groups or water may exist bound to minerals. The Marcia crater near the equator of Vesta is known to have a vertical hole 1 km wide and 200 m deep. Following the discussion on the construction of a lunar base, we considered the construction of a small society in the vertical hole in the Marcia crater, which has been discussed as a promising option from the viewpoint of radiation protection.
The elements necessary for survival are considered: electricity procurement, air supply, food production, water circulation, radiation protection, and emergency escape methods.