[sleavelessinseattle]

RW...It seems like it ought to be possible to create a Giant Solar reflector and Just MELT an asteroid in place...And then scoop up the different levels of molten metals and minerals by their position in the molten core.Heaviest in the center and then progressively lighter...like an Everlasting Gobstopper of metals!...You could use a ceramic soda straw to pierce the blob of magma to the right depth and just suck up the target molten product...or "freeze it onto the probe by pumping gas or water into the space to cool the magma into solid form...like dipping a candle....He stuck in his thumb and pulled out Plumbium and Said Oh what a good boy am I!!!

[RightWhale]

Yeah, well that's the right idea. Implementation will be a little different, but solar power will be the power source and the materials will be sorted. No time to wait for gravity sorting on such a small body.