Further, study of the captured space rock could teach researchers how to efficiently extract water from asteroids a resource that could be an off-Earth source of radiation shielding and rocket fuel for journeying spacecraft.
Trash tiles could, for example, bolster the space radiation shielding around the astronauts' sleeping quarters or perhaps a small area in the spacecraft that would be built up to serve as a storm shelter to protect crews from solar flare effects, NASA officials said.