Urban Centers Drift Across Cosmic Vastness

 

For four billion years, the Universe’s clock has ticked since its inception. During this cosmic journey, Earth, Mars, and other planets endured relentless meteorite bombardment. These space rocks, remnants of the solar system’s birth, congregated in the asteroid belt—a region nestled between Mars and Jupiter. From pebbles to the colossal Ceres (measuring 950 kilometers in diameter), these celestial wanderers drift through vast distances.

 

Asteroids provide important information about how planets and other celestial bodies may have formed.

 

Despite occupying a vast orbit, the asteroid belt constitutes only 1% of Earth’s mass. Yet, occasional collisions propel debris across the solar system. Mars, in close proximity, bears the brunt. Meanwhile, meteors continue their cosmic ballet, drawn by gravitational fields or veering into distant orbits.

 

These asteroids harbor both promise and peril. While they hold clues to our cosmic origins, they also pose a threat. Astronomical calculations predict a future collision with Earth, akin to the cataclysmic events that eradicated the dinosaurs. To safeguard our planet, programs track nearby asteroids and devise preventive measures—detonation or course alteration—to avert disaster.

 

The position of the asteroid belt between Mars and Saturn

 

Asteroids, often overlooked, harbor hope and intrigue for Earth’s future. They serve as valuable archives, potentially containing the organic materials that sparked life on our planet. As humanity eyes distant planets, the need for space cities—transit hubs—becomes apparent. These ambitious projects, lacking Earth-sourced materials and facing exorbitant transport costs, turn to the asteroid belt, approximately 320 million kilometers from the sun.

 

Around 50,000 asteroids await repurposing as raw construction materials for these space cities. Their current economic insignificance will transform as they become the building blocks of our cosmic outposts. Engineers envision hollowing out suitable asteroids, propelling them into orbits near the sun using jet engines, and constructing cities within their cavernous interiors. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky’s words echo: “One day, we will learn to ride asteroids as we ride horses now.”

 

Leading space institutions meticulously track asteroids, aiming to study and sample them. Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe, launched in 2014, rendezvoused with the Ryugu asteroid[1], returning samples to Earth in 2019. These precious specimens may reveal insights into life’s origins. Meanwhile, asteroid 101955 Bennu, discovered in 1999, looms as a potential collision threat[2]. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission recently collected surface components from Bennu for analysis.

 

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Captures a Sample of Asteroid Bennu 

 

Scientists anticipate discovering carbonates in the collected samples—a substance transported by river waters on Earth’s surface as limestone rocks erode and settle in ocean depths.

 

Spectral readings from Osiris-REX’s samples reveal unexpected carbonate deposits, hinting at Bennu’s past. Perhaps the original celestial body, from which Bennu separated, boasted an intricate river network spanning kilometers. Water may have seeped through surface cracks, leaving behind these telltale traces[3].

 

Further investigations, including a gravity study by the University of Colorado, unveil significant structural variations within Bennu. Notably, the asteroid harbors a voluminous cavity—potentially accommodating multiple football fields. This discovery rekindles hope that asteroids could serve as future space cities for Earth’s intrepid migrants.

In contemplating the grand design of the cosmos, we discern a profound truth: the One who granted dominion over Earth to humanity, enabling us to thrive and multiply, has also laid a celestial path. Among the stars, these waystations—asteroids—await our attention. With modest adaptations, they could serve as temporary abodes for our journey to other promising planets. This cosmic vision resonates with the wisdom found in the holy Quran, Surah Luqman, verse 20 (31:20):

“Do you not perceive that Allah has made all that is in the heavens and on Earth subservient to you? His blessings, both evident and concealed, abound. Yet some dispute without knowledge, lacking guidance or an illuminating scripture”.

 

---

[1] . NASA, solar system exploration, MISSIONS › HAYABUSA 2.

[2] . The Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale is a logarithmic scale used by astronomers to assess the risk of future collision of near-Earth objects (NEOs).

[3] . VICTOR TANGERMANN, NASA Spacecraft Finds Evidence of Ancient Rivers on Asteroid, Futurism, OCTOBER 8TH 2020.