Spinning asteroids to make space stations? (probably not)

[geronl]

Not definitive but worth discussing.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU9dCWY7G2M&t=218s

Hullo, it's Scott Manley!

[Doug Loss]

He neglected to consider the possibility of melting a nickel/iron asteroid and then inflating it like a balloon:

http://www.scifiideas.com/science-2/colonizing-asteroid-cores/
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=10446.0

[Cripplecreek]

I think you would need to build a skeletal structure around them.

For that matter wrap them in chain link like we do to prevent rockfalls.

[Cripplecreek]

The guy sounds very smart but he's ignoring some things.  He talks about needing 40 million Saturn V rockets on the surface of Ceres to increase the spin rate but the torque needed could be much diminished by tethering those rockets at a distance from the surface. Still a very large amount of energy needed but less than his example. Basically a large sprocket vs a small sprocket.

Also, if you can place enough mass at the ends of the tethers mentioned above and move it inwards that should also help increase the spin rate.

He's also talking about specific time frames which I don't think are necessary.

[geronl]

He neglected to consider the possibility of melting a nickel/iron asteroid and then inflating it like a balloon:
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I wonder if he has thought much about that. It'd give him something to ponder while playing Kerbal Space Program.

[geronl]

I think you would need to build a skeletal structure around them.

For that matter wrap them in chain link like we do to prevent rockfalls.

That much chain-link would be heavy, but I am sure a lattice/net made of lighter but strong material could work.