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Mystery company backed by James Cameron and Google executives may be an asteroid mining project
The Verge ^ | 04/18/12 | Adi Robertson

Posted on 04/18/2012 5:01:07 PM PDT by KevinDavis

MIT's Technology Review has just gotten news of a mysterious new project that claims it will "create a new industry and a new definition of 'natural resources.'" Space exploration company Planetary Resources will be unveiled in a conference call on Tuesday, April 24th. Besides the audacious announcement, which promises to "overlay two critical sectors — space exploration and natural resources — to add trillions of dollars to the global GDP," what makes this unique is its high-profile support group. The venture is backed by Google executives Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, director James Cameron, and politician Ross Perot's son, among others.

(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: space
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1 posted on 04/18/2012 5:01:21 PM PDT by KevinDavis
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To: Jack Hydrazine; ELS; ToxicMich; Cronos; A_perfect_lady; Art in Idaho; perplyone; TheOldLady; ...

2 posted on 04/18/2012 5:02:44 PM PDT by KevinDavis (Go Mitt Go!!!)
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To: KevinDavis

Yeah, but Newt Gingrich is an “idiot” for saying we should go back to the Moon...


3 posted on 04/18/2012 5:04:02 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (Ich habe keinen Konig aber Gott)
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To: KevinDavis

People laughed at Newt Gingrich when he talked about space mining. But he knew what he was talking about, and that’s obviously where it’s at. That’s where the money is going.


4 posted on 04/18/2012 5:04:26 PM PDT by livius
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To: livius; All

That is true.. Just as long NASA is not doing it, I’m fine with it.. I may invest in this company..


5 posted on 04/18/2012 5:11:20 PM PDT by KevinDavis (Go Mitt Go!!!)
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To: KevinDavis

Good. The private sector is finally stepping up. We can finally kill off NASA soon.


6 posted on 04/18/2012 5:11:59 PM PDT by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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To: KevinDavis

Going to the moon is important, as it will be a support base for asteroid mining. This provides an alternate site, besides Earth, for a water source.


7 posted on 04/18/2012 5:14:50 PM PDT by SatinDoll
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To: KevinDavis

I’d like to think so but there are some big legal hurdles to overcome if he hopes to make any money.


8 posted on 04/18/2012 5:16:22 PM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: KevinDavis

... politician Ross Perot’s son, among others.”

Ross Perot is a politician?


9 posted on 04/18/2012 5:18:27 PM PDT by ngat
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To: KevinDavis
If this interests anyone they should ABSOLUTELY read Jerry Pournelle's 'A Step Farther Out'

A 30+ year old book that explains how to do this and a lot more.

10 posted on 04/18/2012 5:20:19 PM PDT by DarthFuzball ("Life is full of little surprises." - Pandora)
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To: Lurker

” We can finally kill off NASA soon.”

To be replaced with the Space Division of the EPA.


11 posted on 04/18/2012 5:22:08 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Rebelbase

UNSA (UN Space Arm) according to the late James P. Hogan.


12 posted on 04/18/2012 5:26:20 PM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
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To: KevinDavis

BUMP


13 posted on 04/18/2012 5:30:24 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: KevinDavis

I am sure it violates some UN Space Treaty somewhere. I wonder what happens if they get involved.


14 posted on 04/18/2012 5:33:47 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: GeronL; All

I’m not worried about the UN..


15 posted on 04/18/2012 5:35:10 PM PDT by KevinDavis (Go Mitt Go!!!)
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To: KevinDavis

me either.

I’m just wondering if they’d object at some point


16 posted on 04/18/2012 5:38:36 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: KevinDavis

Stop Big Space from raping the pristine asteroid belt!!!

/s

They’re going there for the unobtanium, which, of course, is owned by The Prople!


17 posted on 04/18/2012 5:42:06 PM PDT by citizen (Romney doubters: Better check your Obama yard sign. The neighbor dog just took a leak on it...again.)
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To: KevinDavis
This could be a three-fer:

1. Mine materials from asteroids and send back to earth
2. Launch materials from belt toward earth so that they end up landing in Iran.
3. Resulting dust will counteract whatever bad effects there are of global warming.

18 posted on 04/18/2012 5:43:08 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: KevinDavis

Not impossible. For example, just the near Earth asteroid 433 Eros is 21 miles by about 9x9 miles in size, but is believed to have more of several valuable metals such as platinum group metals than exist in the entire crust of the Earth.

It has an irregular orbit and at one point comes within 100 million miles to Earth. NASA has already landed one probe on it.

So if a robot mining, ore concentrating probe landed on it, it could mine and concentrate the ore into a big ball of crude metals. And because 433 Eros is rotating, a cable could be run from it with the ball on the end, to give it great momentum, that when detached would hurl it towards where Earth was going to be.

Once close enough, the ball could be collected in near orbit and brought to Earth. Platinum alone is already worth about $1600/oz.


19 posted on 04/18/2012 5:44:52 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("It is already like a government job," he said, "but with goats." -- Iranian goat smuggler)
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To: citizen

Ok, so us OWS people can’t spell - what of it?

PS - You should pay my student loan.


20 posted on 04/18/2012 5:44:52 PM PDT by citizen (Romney doubters: Better check your Obama yard sign. The neighbor dog just took a leak on it...again.)
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