Space Exploration Company Plan to Mine Asteroids

**marcus300** · 01-23-2013, 10:45 AM

http://www.aol.co.uk/video/space-exp...ns_authCheck=1

**Zodiac82** · 01-23-2013, 11:51 AM

interesting....I really cant wait until the day we find other life or they find us....unless its mean the end of life lol....marcus did u see the article a few weeks ago about the 52 planets that has been discovered

**marcus300** · 01-23-2013, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by cancer82

interesting....I really cant wait until the day we find other life or they find us....unless its mean the end of life lol....marcus did u see the article a few weeks ago about the 52 planets that has been discovered

No, please post it for me

**Zodiac82** · 01-23-2013, 12:14 PM

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGd..._planets-75886

**marcus300** · 01-23-2013, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by cancer82

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGd..._planets-75886

woow amazing, I can't get my head around the whole Universe thing but it does interest me alot

**BUTTERYGOODNESS** · 01-23-2013, 02:16 PM

This kinda stuff jut makes me go "oooooooo....awwwwwww (wide eyed)" some concepts are so vast that it's unfathomable and exciting

**Times Roman** · 01-23-2013, 08:04 PM

See gramps?

Alll those years in school and you thought you were just taking up space.....

....it appears you've taken an interest in it too!

**Zodiac82** · 01-23-2013, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by marcus300

woow amazing, I can't get my head around the whole Universe thing but it does interest me alot

science and space exploration type stuff has always interested me also

**Zodiac82** · 01-23-2013, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by BUTTERYGOODNESS

some concepts are so vast that it's unfathomable and exciting

what gets me is all the planets and new solar systems are being discovered and some ppl still cant grasp that we might not bein the only lifeform out there

**marcus300** · 01-23-2013, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by cancer82

what gets me is all the planets and new solar systems are being discovered and some ppl still cant grasp that we might not bein the only lifeform out there

The further we travel, see and hear into space I'm sure we are going to run into something.

**Times Roman** · 01-23-2013, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by marcus300

The further we travel, see and hear into space I'm sure we are going to run into something.

yeah, we'll get out there and find a friggin Walmart! =)

**diesel101** · 01-24-2013, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by Times Roman

yeah, we'll get out there and find a friggin Walmart! =)

Or ET with a bad attitude!LOL

**Zodiac82** · 01-24-2013, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by marcus300

The further we travel, see and hear into space I'm sure we are going to run into something.

:fingerscrossed:

**Zodiac82** · 01-24-2013, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Times Roman

yeah, we'll get out there and find a friggin Walmart! =)

lol Wally Space World

**Flagg** · 01-24-2013, 12:37 PM

Marcus you ninja! I was going to post about this! lol!

Anyways, here's where I saw the article:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/22/39...ation-revealed

From what I gather, this is more of a "we hope to" rather than "we will" be mining for asteroids. Im not surprised, there could potentially be tons of raw material and water on these asteroids. There is one hitch...shit like this is expensive, and they havent really shown where or how they will finance this. In the long run, it will pay off massively and this is simply a question of "when" they will do this. Earth doesn't have infinite resources so it makes sense we'll have to start mining the rest of the solar system. This will ironically be humanities first real step into space exploration.

**marcus300** · 01-24-2013, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Flagg

Marcus you ninja! I was going to post about this! lol!

Anyways, here's where I saw the article:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/22/39...ation-revealed

From what I gather, this is more of a "we hope to" rather than "we will" be mining for asteroids. Im not surprised, there could potentially be tons of raw material and water on these asteroids. There is one hitch...shit like this is expensive, and they havent really shown where or how they will finance this. In the long run, it will pay off massively and this is simply a question of "when" they will do this. Earth doesn't have infinite resources so it makes sense we'll have to start mining the rest of the solar system. This will ironically be humanities first real step into space exploration.

I was waiting your input

If you anything else of interest on this subject and the Universe please post it Flagg

**Flagg** · 01-24-2013, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by marcus300

I was waiting your input

If you anything else of interest on this subject and the Universe please post it Flagg

My biggest worry isn't things like oil running out, its fresh water! Technology will kick in when fossil fuels reach burn out phase, because we'll have no choice.

There simply is no substitute for fresh water. The technology to convert saline water into fresh is very, very expensive and really bad for the environment. Plus I dont think it's a good idea to start depleting sea levels. Asteroids usually have a lot of fresh water locked up in ice as well as cobalt and platinum.

There are three possible ways of mining asteroids for use on earth (pulled these from online):

1) Bring raw asteroidal material to Earth for use.
2) Process it on-site to bring back only processed materials, and perhaps produce propellant for the return trip.
3) Transport the asteroid to a safe orbit around the Moon, Earth or to the ISS. This can hypothetically allow for most materials to be used and not wasted.

EDIT: Water itself is expensive to transport. One cubic meter of water weighs 1 tonne! Im not sure how transporting stuff through space works with everything being near weightless, but it will be the getting it down from orbit to earth that will be the hard part.

I could see this being a precursor to building bases on Mars and the Moon and using them as "stop overs" between earth and asteroids.