Scope

There is a large overlap in the scientific interests of the asteroid researchers with the asteroid miners.

As part of the Luxembourg government's new in-space utilisation initiative (1), this focused two-day workshop of roughly 30 scientists and engineers seeks to provide an environment for the detailed discussion of specific properties of asteroids with the engineering needs of space missions with in-space asteroid utilization.

Objectives

The objectives of the workshop are to place scientific constraints about particular asteroid properties such as porosity, density, chemical elements, volatile abundance as a function of asteroid type and further about specific asteroids.

New collaborations and partnerships are expected to be formed between the research and industry domains.

Outcomes

• White Paper documenting the questions from the asteroid miners and generally-agreed-upon answers from the asteroid scientists
• Public announcement about the outcomes

Reports and announcements will be made publicly available on a Luxinnovation and Europlanet web site as well as on spaceresources.lu dedicated web site.

(1) "Luxembourg to launch framework to support the future use of space resources", Press Conference Transcript, 3 February 2016, www.gouvernement.lu/5678423/Press-conference-SpaceResources_lu-Transcript.pdf