Mineral Extraction Scenarios From an Asteroid via Optimization Considering Rotational Dynamics

This study examines how removing surface materials affects the rotational dynamics of an asteroid to design efficient asteroid mining plans. The simulations solve Euler’s equations and track variations in the inertia tensor, angular momentum, and energy throughout the removal process. Two distinct methods (random and optimized) are employed to remove 30% and 70% of the total asteroid mass. Findings demonstrate that random removal results in large deviations from the initial angular velocity, most noticeably when a greater percentage of the asteroid’s mass is removed. It is also shown that random removal leads to irregular shapes as they gain angular velocity with higher percentages of mass removal. The optimized removal strategy achieves substantially lower dynamical error even when large portions of the surface are extracted and suggests excavation sites should be symmetrical, especially along the z-axis, while avoiding excessive polar areas, to preserve rotational stability. This paper shows the effectiveness of targeted material removal in maintaining dynamical stability and structural integrity and offers practical guidance for the safe and efficient design of future asteroid mining missions.