Revisions/updates coming soon Prototype Miner Series 1
ProMiSe 1 is a prototype asteroid miner designed to prove the ability to extract minerals from asteroid core (not surface debris).
The Mission: ProMiSe 1 will launch from Earth via a hired rocket to GTO. From there it will continue its mission to a designated NEA under the power of a small no-board chemical rocket rather than traditional Ion propulsion. It will attach itself to a selected M type asteroid, extract a small sample of ore then blast off the asteroid and return to the sample to Earth. Unlike many other planed missions to asteroids, our mission with extract mineral from the core rock not surface debris. The target asteroid will be an M-type (metal) asteroid since our primary objective is mining asteroids for structural materials such as Iron.
We have chosen the option of chemical propulsion to the asteroid and back because time is a factor in our mission. Unlike NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission (budget $800M) which will not return to Earth until 2023, we need the data and cargo returned as quickly as possible. We are planning a return trip time of about 4 to 6 months total.
Budget In an effort to prove that the cost of space development need not cost the traditionally over inflated values, we will strive to keep within our budget of $3-5M plus LV. Our preliminary figures are indicating expenses far below our budget. Propulsion is by far the single most expensive part of the mission.