Asteroid-Mining Plan Would Bake Water Out of Bagged-Up Space Rocks - Galt's Gulch

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Asteroid-Mining Plan Would Bake Water Out of Bagged-Up Space Rocks

Posted by AJAshinoff 8 years, 7 months ago to Science

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Although this concept is wrought with pitfalls its an intriguing idea. To harvest water from these asteroids could allow for cheap fuel for space exploration. How they intend to catchup to, and influence the movement of these asteroids, without their impacting the movement of other asteroids near Earth, is a serious concern. Even so, cool stuff.

SOURCE URL: http://www.space.com/30582-asteroid-mining-water-propulsion.html

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Posted by sjatkins 8 years, 7 months ago

Also the Near Earth asteroids contain richer concentrations of various minerals than can be found in best remaining minds on earth. Many asteroids have clays and ices that various volatiles for water, breathable air and rocket fuel can be extracted from. Best of haul you don't have to haul it out of earth's gravity well to have use of it the exploitation of space.

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Posted by CircuitGuy 8 years, 7 months ago

It reminds me of Europeans sending people to the Americas looking for gold. My understanding is there wasn't enough gold to justify the trip, but putting people off in a distant and foreign environment to fend for themselves had unexpected amazingly-positive consequences.

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  Posted by AJAshinoff 8 years, 7 months ago
  
  The minerals alone would be worth the effort, I just question whether it can be done with this balloon method rather than mining relatively stationary asteroids in the belt between Mars and Earth . Redirecting an asteroid, and the kinetic effect of it hitting other asteroids, could prove catastrophic in many ways.
  
  Of Interest Something I picked up doing research, the majority of gold on Earth is a result of meteorites slamming into the Earth.
  
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    Posted by sjatkins 8 years, 7 months ago
    
    Forget about the main belt. There are asteroids minable galore much closer to earth. Start with those. It is not that hard to direct an asteroid into GEO orbit or an earth moon Lagrange point.
    The richest nickel mine on earth was from an ancient pure metal meteor.
    
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