They are categorized as “Apollos” (from Apollo class asteroids) and have all orbits that intersect with our planet. The one we’ll see on July 3 is baptized 2004XP14 and is half mile in diameter.
More than three dozen asteroids have flown closer to Earth in the last few years, but scientists say 2004 XP14 is one of the largest to fly by.
Dynalifters avoid the operational drawbacks of a traditional airship associated with takeoff, landing, and ground operations. The conventional airship is difficult to handle on the ground. It requires a large number of people to grab lines during landing, or it must use equipment of some sort to “catch” the airship and attach it to a mooring mast.
The Dynalifter avoids many of these problems [with airships] because it isn’t “lighter-than-air”.
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