Planetesimal

TECHNICAL DEFINITION

A planetesimal is a solid object, ranging from kilometers to hundreds of kilometers in size, formed in protoplanetary disks through accretion of dust and ice, representing an intermediate stage in the formation of planets.

BACKGROUND

Space exploration is the physical investigation of outer space by uncrewed robotic space probes and through human spaceflight.

SYNONYMS & ALIASES

• Protoplanet
• planetary embryo
• asteroid (early stage)
• minor planet

USAGE NOTE

Understanding planetesimal formation and collisions is key to modeling the early evolution of planetary systems.

DEVELOPERS

Organizations developing technology related to Planetesimal.

• AstroForge

  A company focused on asteroid mining and in-space resource utilization, aiming to extract valuable materials from celestial bodies which are remnants of planetesimals.

• NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

  Through various missions like OSIRIS-REx and Psyche, NASA studies asteroids—believed to be remnants of planetesimals—to understand early solar system formation and potential resource utilization.

• ESA (European Space Agency)

  Conducts missions such as Hera (part of the AIDA mission) to study asteroids, which are key to understanding the formation and evolution of planetesimals and the early solar system.

• JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

  Known for the Hayabusa missions, which successfully returned samples from asteroids (remnants of planetesimals), providing direct insights into their composition and the early solar system.

• TransAstra

  Developing technologies for in-space resource utilization, including optical mining of asteroids, which involves processing materials from these primordial bodies.

• OffWorld

  Developing industrial robotic systems for operations on Earth, the Moon, and asteroids, with a long-term goal of enabling resource extraction from celestial bodies, including planetesimal remnants.

• Honeybee Robotics (a part of Blue Origin)

  Specializes in developing advanced robotic systems and tools for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) in space, including drilling and sampling technologies that could be applied to asteroids (planetesimal remnants).

• Bradford Space (formerly Deep Space Industries)

  While now focused on propulsion and other space systems, its heritage includes Deep Space Industries, which was a pioneer in developing technologies for prospecting and harvesting resources from asteroids, which are considered planetesimal remnants.