A newly unveiled company with some high-profile backers — including filmmaker James Cameron and Google co-founder Larry Page — has announced plans to mine near-Earth asteroids for resources such as precious metals and water.
Planetary Resources, Inc. intends to sell these materials, generating a healthy profit for itself. But it also aims to advance humanity's exploration and exploitation of space, with resource extraction serving as an anchor industry that helps our species spread throughout the solar system.
Registered Member #305 Joined: Sun Jan 28 2007, 10:02PM : Posts: 341
Yes Neil deGrasse Tyson said last week this project would be announced today. When they go public, I will buy as much stock as possible although I probably won't be alive to cash in on it. But my daughter will. Our government is too narrow minded to believe in what NASA can do for our economy so it will be left up to the private concerns. This news is wonderful though. Nice to know there are those out there that still believe in discovery...
Registered Member #2093 Joined: Fri Mar 12 2010, 11:24PM : Posts: 543
Science question- if we take remove resources from off planet sources and add them to the earth's resources won't that change the mass of the earth? And if the earth's mass change won't our orbit also potentially change and potentially also our revolution and rotation speeds? Do we know how much additional (or less in the case of shipping trash off planet) is required before a change is affected?
Registered Member #659 Joined: Sat Sep 15 2007, 01:32PM : Posts: 8634
every bit of the earth started in outer space. Meteorites land every day, and those that break up in the atmosphere end up here also. I wonder how they plan on catching something going a trillion miles an hour and slowing it down enough to control it to an orbit where it could be mined at a profit. I don't see it happening anywhere but in the movies. Of course Andy Griffith was doing it thirty years ago. Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.
Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
"I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same"
WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!
Science question- if we take remove resources from off planet sources and add them to the earth's resources won't that change the mass of the earth? And if the earth's mass change won't our orbit also potentially change and potentially also our revolution and rotation speeds? Do we know how much additional (or less in the case of shipping trash off planet) is required before a change is affected?
we shift so much crap all around the earth that I don't think it will matter I don’t need your attitude thanks, I have one of my own!
Registered Member #305 Joined: Sun Jan 28 2007, 10:02PM : Posts: 341
bills grandson wrote ...
every bit of the earth started in outer space. Meteorites land every day, and those that break up in the atmosphere end up here also. I wonder how they plan on catching something going a trillion miles an hour and slowing it down enough to control it to an orbit where it could be mined at a profit. I don't see it happening anywhere but in the movies. Of course Andy Griffith was doing it thirty years ago.
The average speed of an asteroid is 25 kilometers per second, which is almost 56,000 miles an hour. Asteroids can gain much greater speeds than that, however. For example, the closest known asteroid to the sun, JG6, designated an asteroid 2004, travels at a speed of around 67,000 mph.
Not that big a deal considering the earth orbits the sun at about 66,500 mph.
We have already put a rocket on an asteroid.
Trillions of miles per hour, ummm NO. If you are going to talk science then do some simple research before you talk.
But yes you are right, we are all "star stuff". Carl Sagan.
Registered Member #659 Joined: Sat Sep 15 2007, 01:32PM : Posts: 8634
we have "crashed" a rocket on an astroid. O'K. 56,000 is not quite a trillion. I can see being able to time to be in the right spot but to be able to move at 56,001 miles per hour to land on it would be tough. The pictures show actual people on the surface. Seems simple to ride it around the sun and hop off on the return route but you might get a little hot. Now if you plan on altering the orbit to turn it into a moon circiling the earth that you can jack hammer at your own pace I can see tons of problems with the. And I don't think I want anyone to try it. The cost of chipping off pieces would far exceed any profit. And volume does not help even the cost I think as an investmant I would sooner put my money in enron. Even for pure science I don't see a reason for NASA or anyone else to try it. We can tell what they are made of as they go by. Mining and living on the moon would be a much better investment. and if we plan on real space exploration that is where we should start. Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.
Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
"I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same"
WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!
Registered Member #29 Joined: Sat Oct 14 2006, 12:45PM : Posts: 2998
Precious little (i.e. nothing) is said about how to get the material back to Earth gracefully, NOT TRIVIAL! Let's say it's refined first (how?!); still not trivial. Anyway, I gotta hear a lot more before I'm a believer. BTW, note the scoffing when someone dared to even MENTION a Moon Colony ... huh. "I was goin' faster than I'd ever gone before, when I fell off." - 'Little' from "Little Faus and Big Halsey" "Microsoft is very sorry." - David Pogue, "The Missing Manual" series, Vista edition "Don't bother me; I'm clinging to my guns and Religion." - bc
World's Greatest Inventions (in increasing order of importance): - Bubblewrap - On/Off Switch - Spitzer Boat Tail
The universe is the limit: New company to mine asteroids
