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Would you rather fund a manned mission to mars or lay the groundwork for asteroid mining?
Posted on 7/19/17 at 8:44 pm
Posted on 7/19/17 at 8:44 pm
Both are going to be astronomically expensive, and NASA seems to be finally acknowledging that the manned Mars mission is going to take a hell of a lot longer and be vastly more expensive than we thought (this should have been obvious).
Instead of pursuing Mars would our money be better served really pushing hard on asteroid mining? Put the US in the forefront of a new industry that could potentially have huge returns as well as still incentivizing the development of new space tech, most crucially a more affordable method to orbit.
Asteroid mining
Asteroid mining is the exploitation of raw materials from asteroids and other minor planets, including near-Earth objects.[1] Minerals and volatiles could be mined from an asteroid or spent comet then used in space for in-situ utilization (e.g. construction materials and rocket propellant) or taken back to Earth. These include gold, iridium, silver, osmium, palladium, platinum, rhenium, rhodium, ruthenium and tungsten for transport back to Earth; iron, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, aluminium, and titanium for construction; water and oxygen to sustain astronauts; as well as hydrogen, ammonia, and oxygen for use as rocket propellant.
Instead of pursuing Mars would our money be better served really pushing hard on asteroid mining? Put the US in the forefront of a new industry that could potentially have huge returns as well as still incentivizing the development of new space tech, most crucially a more affordable method to orbit.
Asteroid mining
Asteroid mining is the exploitation of raw materials from asteroids and other minor planets, including near-Earth objects.[1] Minerals and volatiles could be mined from an asteroid or spent comet then used in space for in-situ utilization (e.g. construction materials and rocket propellant) or taken back to Earth. These include gold, iridium, silver, osmium, palladium, platinum, rhenium, rhodium, ruthenium and tungsten for transport back to Earth; iron, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, aluminium, and titanium for construction; water and oxygen to sustain astronauts; as well as hydrogen, ammonia, and oxygen for use as rocket propellant.
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Posted on 7/19/17 at 8:50 pm to DavidTheGnome
I'd rather screw scarjo
This post was edited on 7/19/17 at 8:52 pm
Posted on 7/19/17 at 8:50 pm to DavidTheGnome
Mining for sure. Would make all other space exploration vastly less expensive.
Posted on 7/19/17 at 8:56 pm to DavidTheGnome
Posted on 7/19/17 at 8:58 pm to DavidTheGnome
Mine for unclaimed bitcoins then use the yuge PROFITS to do what I want.
Posted on 7/19/17 at 9:00 pm to DavidTheGnome
I think asteroid mining would significantly benefit humans more than us landing on a dead planet.
Posted on 7/19/17 at 9:03 pm to DavidTheGnome
Both were done decades ago.
Posted on 7/19/17 at 9:08 pm to DavidTheGnome
I'd rather build a loop around baton rouge or widen i10.
Both of those would impact me long before anything else mentioned.
Both of those would impact me long before anything else mentioned.
Posted on 7/19/17 at 9:13 pm to DavidTheGnome
Asteroid mining and it isn't a close call. Getting after resources that aren't in a deep gravity well seems like a no-brainer.
But we have to mine out the Earth first before it becomes economically viable.
Our robot descendants might inherit all this. We won't.
But we have to mine out the Earth first before it becomes economically viable.
Our robot descendants might inherit all this. We won't.
Posted on 7/19/17 at 9:13 pm to DavidTheGnome
Not sure how much cheaper mining asteroids would be. Did y'all baws watch Armageddon?
Posted on 7/19/17 at 9:16 pm to foshizzle
quote:
But we have to mine out the Earth first before it becomes economically viable.
I think the economics manifests not from returning the materials to earth (although that's a possibility, albeit very, very carefully) but rather they are already out of the gravity well to utilize for development in space.
Posted on 7/19/17 at 9:31 pm to DavidTheGnome
Let's mine the asteroids!
Posted on 7/19/17 at 10:16 pm to DavidTheGnome
First off both are just publicly stunts. Basically they are today's moon shots. Exciting and dangerous, but they have no return on investment. Ya, ya I know, without the moon program we wouldn't have space pen, freeze dried ice cream, and Tang! Almost 50 years later, there still is no economic reason to go back!
The best thing Mars accomplishes is discovery of life, and second best is fossilized life. Worse case a big useless freezing ball off worthless dust in a freezing extremely thin and useless atmosphere.
What, pray tell, can we mine cheaper on an asteroid than on earth. Even a mine in Antarctica in winter would be easier, cheaper, and more friendly to human life. Already have water and atmosphere. Don't need to go up and in down a gravity well, and help is only days away.
So since I must choose, Mars is probably more scientifically rewarding and inspirational.
The best thing Mars accomplishes is discovery of life, and second best is fossilized life. Worse case a big useless freezing ball off worthless dust in a freezing extremely thin and useless atmosphere.
What, pray tell, can we mine cheaper on an asteroid than on earth. Even a mine in Antarctica in winter would be easier, cheaper, and more friendly to human life. Already have water and atmosphere. Don't need to go up and in down a gravity well, and help is only days away.
So since I must choose, Mars is probably more scientifically rewarding and inspirational.
Posted on 7/23/17 at 1:55 pm to Gaspergou202
quote:
What, pray tell, can we mine cheaper on an asteroid than on earth
Although there may be reasons where it's economically viable to return those materials to earth, the biggest benefit is that they are already in space - thus no need to spend an enormous sum of money getting them there. If we are ever to develop space it makes far more sense to acquire the materials already in zero g.
A manned mission to mars seems does seem to currently be a waste imo. That's not to say it won't be in the future, but NASA's primary focus should be on developing cheaper means to space.
Posted on 7/23/17 at 2:03 pm to DavidTheGnome
quote:ISWYDT
Both are going to be astronomically expensive
+1 on the "Rather conjugate scarjo's action verbs"
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