Hey, that's MY gold up there! [OT]

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/nasa-applauds-private-plan-to-mine-asteroids

24-4-2012 05:34 PM EDT
NASA Applauds Private Plan To Mine Asteroids

NASA has finally weighed in on the ambitious plans revealed Tuesday by billionaire-backed private company, Planetary Resources, to mine near-earth asteroids using a fleet of robotic drill-bearing robots. NASA’s associate administrator for communications David Weaver provided TPM with the following statement:

“This project aligns well with our national space policies and goals. President Obama has set the United States on an ambitious path for deep space exploration, seeking to send humans to an asteroid for the first time and ultimately to Mars. As NASA leads this effort, we will certainly look to take advantage of private-sector resources and data. This commercial interest affirms our path forward – a path that relies on private-sector partnerships and innovation to reduce the overall costs to the taxpayer, create jobs and advance our space exploration program.”

Reported by Carl Franzen

Interesting opinion piece at WIRED.COM regarding the legality of mineral claims on celestial objects.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/05/opinion-asteroid-mining/

Psalm 24:1,2
The King of Glory Entering Zion.
A Psalm of David.
"1 The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers."

Deuteronomy 10:14
“To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.”

The startup of two asteroid-mining firms — along with the rise of private spaceflight companies such as California-based SpaceX — is a sign that humanity may finally be taking real steps toward the long-held dream of permanent space settlement, Tumlinson said.

"One company may be a fluke," he said. "Two companies showing up? That's the beginning of an industry."

A fly-by of resources

You have probably heard about the DA14 asteroid set to give the Earth a close-shave, tomorrow (15/2).

What you probably haven’t heard is that it may be worth nearly $200 billion, according to prospective asteroid miners, Deep Space Industries. Launched in 22 Jan, the company intends to do the same with Planetary Resources,another contender; harvest our space visitors' resources.

The prediction of $65 billion of recoverable water and $130 billion of recoverable metal, may be kind of a guess (the consistency of the asteroid is not clearly known); however it can clearly illustrate the abundance of other asteroids' resources waiting to be extracted. Deep Space Industries officials do not intend to go after the DA14, since its orbit makes it too difficult to chase it down.

"While this week's visitor isn't going the right way for us to harvest it, there will be others that are, and we want to be ready when they arrive," Deep Space chairman Rick Tumlinson said in a statement on Tuesday.

The whole idea of space mining involves reducing the amount of material launched from Earth to high-orbit. Current costs are at least $10 million to send 1 ton of material into orbit.

Space rock water could be turned into rocket fuel, and asteroidal metals could provide the basis for manufacturing a space industry, building spaceships and other human habitats. And all this off the planet. Deep Space plans to send robotic scout probes to potential targets in 2015, with sample-return missions shortly thereafter, and possibly beginning space mining operations in about 2020.

Info on the DA14 asteroid: http://on.fb.me/YX9I4i

Info on asteroid mining: http://on.fb.me/11GiKIq

-CHD

Source: http://www.space.com/19758-asteroid-worth-billions-2012-da14-flyby.html