Marc Poirier reports that with commercial ventures like Virgin looking to the stars, the beginnings of a full-scale space tourism industry are emerging. Asteroid mining is being explored as a fuel source for our interstellar wanderlust, and it may become a reality in the not-too-distant future. There are a multitude of commercial opportunities in space, stretching from satellite television, radio, and navigation systems, to consumer-facing space tourism, as pursued by companies like the Elon Musk SpaceX and the Sir Richard Branson Virgin Galactic. But one exciting commercial opportunity that has received less attention is the extraction of resources from asteroids and other minor planets, also known as asteroid mining. Once companies mine minerals and volatiles from asteroids, these materials could either be used in orbit or taken back to Earth. The mining process would be a laborious one that would involve launching from Earth, maneuvering into position on the asteroid, collecting ore, and traveling back. The process would be carried out by robots, powered by solar energy, and would require a huge amount of resources. Yet, this exhaustive process offers the potential for high rewards asteroids are often packed with hydrogen, oxygen, and metallic ore. Asteroid 2011 UW158, which passed a mere 1.5 million miles from Earth in July, had a platinum core estimated to be worth over five trillion dollars, according to Forbes. This may seem impractical and futuristic, but several companies are already working towards this goal. People often think of this as a very long-term thing that is far in the future, Chris Lewicki, President and Chief Engineer of an asteroid mining company called Planetary Resources, told International Business Times. Poirier would encourage people to realize that it is happening right now. Planetary Resources is an emerging leader with deep industry expertise... the first and foremost asteroid mining organization.
Resource Portal for I2M Clients, Associates, and Geoscientists
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-