In a few days, asteroid 4660 Nereus will approach Earth and cross its orbit. If this object will not represent any danger despite the fact that the agencies monitor it carefully, it represents a significant financial windfall due to the presence of numerous deposits.
Not long ago, we mentioned the near-Earth asteroid 4660 Nereus (or Nereus), with a diameter of 330 meters, barely larger than the Eiffel Tower. However, this object will cross the Earth's orbit this Saturday, December 11 at a distance of approximately four million kilometers . If this distance seems important, it is rather small when you consider the immensity of space.
You should know that Nereus regularly passes near our planet. Its next passage will occur on March 2, 2031 at a distance of seventeen million kilometers. After another more distant pass in November 2050, the asteroid will approach closer to Earth than ever on February 14, 2060 at a distance of "only" 1.2 million kilometers.
Each pass represents an ideal opportunity to observe this object and, of course, to learn more about him. It must be said that if the latter does not represent any danger, the space agencies have a rather particular interest in it.
While 4660 Nereus is of undeniable scientific interest, its commercial value is also one of the main reasons for its monitoring. It is estimated that this value would be around five billion dollars . According to scientists, the asteroid indeed contains large deposits of iron, nickel and cobalt. However, in 2018, we mentioned in particular the concerns of manufacturers of electric vehicles regarding the lack of cobalt. The global supply is currently limited and the interest of benefiting from a new source of supply no doubt.
Discovered in 1982 by astronomer Eleanor F. Helin, Nérée was initially at the heart of an exploration project which would have been carried out by the Hayabusa probe of the Japanese space agency (JAXA). However, the delay in the launch of the probe forced the project managers to redirect it to 25143 Itokawa, another near-Earth asteroid. In 2020, the Japanese probe also brought rock samples from another asteroid to Earth:162173 Ryugu.
Despite the abandonment of the exploration project, Nérée remains an important target for the various agencies spatial. Thus, it may well be that one day, this object will actually be visited and possibly exploited for commercial purposes.
