[meteorite-list] Capturing asteroids in orbit

[Darren Garrison]

On Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:20:17 -0700 (PDT), you wrote:

>I wonder if it would possible to send some machines to the asteroid belt to capture some whole asteroids and bring them to Earth? Or would they be drifting too quickly in their orbits to capture with the current technology? Also would decent-sized samples from such captures be available to collectors? 
>

It would-- with technologies that are theoretically possible but not yet
invented.  You would need Von Neuman machines

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replicating_machine

that are designed to build fusion rockets (along with more of themselves)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_rocket

You would need vast amounts of ice for fuel, though-- you'd either have to find
a very icy asteroid or send the machines to a comet to steer that to the
asteroid to use as fuel.  

There may be one or more factor that will in the future be found to be
impossible, but for now in theory sufficently advanced science and technology
should be able to manage it.