Artificial spin-up and fragmentation of sub-kilometre asteroids

The article demonstrates the feasibility of artificially increase the spin rate of asteroids about 200 m in diameter beyond the limit in which they begin to disrupt. In the proposed concept a tethered satellite of less than a few tens of kilometres length anchored to the asteroid surface is employed as a mean to exchange angular momentum with the celestial body and increase its spin rate. Simple calculations based on angular momentum and energy conservation show that a 200 m diameter asteroid can be spun-up to critical rotation speed in less than one year with current technology.The scheme can be utilized as a unique scientific tool to characterize the asteroid internal structure and composition.