Video: Arkyd Observation Technology for Prospecting Resources on Asteroids

Developing the most advanced and cost efficient observation technologies is absolutely essential to the success of our mission to prospect for asteroid resources in the Solar System. That is why at Planetary Resources’ asteroid prospecting spacecraft factory in Redmond, WA. – we are innovating on these technologies today.
Our series of Arkyd spacecraft will venture out to our asteroid targets to learn more about their contents and prospect them for the valuable resources that will both improve life on Earth and enable humanity to extend its economic sphere into the Solar System. In order to successfully analyze the composition of these asteroids, we are pushing the boundaries of capability and cost efficiency with observation technologies that will tell us exactly what each asteroid is composed of, from up close.

Dr. Matthew Beasley, Senior Optical Systems Engineer at Planetary Resources, is at the helm of the development of these observation technologies in our Optical Laboratory.

This year, we will be launching two technology demonstration Arkyd spacecraft that will test these technologies. The Arkyd 3 Reflight mission (A3R) currently scheduled to launch in April 2015, and a larger 6U evolution of this spacecraft, the Arkyd 6 (A6), currently scheduled to launch in December 2015.