The US Geological Survey Is Getting Serious About Space Resources and Mining

space.com ^ | September 4, 2018 07:00am ET | Leonard David

[BenLurkin]

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is starting to earnestly evaluate space resources for future mining. Since its establishment in the 1870s, the USGS has focused pretty much solely on Earth. But now it's also investigating what benefits may or may not exist in tapping extraterrestrial water, minerals and metals.

The agency seeks to portray accurately how humanity could exploit off-Earth assets — a no-nonsense approach that contrasts with the pie-in-the-sky estimates of trillions of dollars of profit proffered by some less scientifically minded space-mining advocates.

…

….Laszlo Kestay, a research geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.

"The USGS has been paying steadily increasing attention to the issue of space resources for the last several years," ... "The drivers for this are diverse, he said. For example, the U.S. human space program seems to be focusing on missions to deep space, where space resources are extremely valuable. Furthermore, commercial efforts to extract space resources are growing in maturity.

Kestay pointed to the USGS' increased responsibility for the Landsat satellites, a venerable series of Earth-observing spacecraft. The USGS is now considered one of the U.S. space agencies, he said.

...

"Lunar ice would be a good example of a resource that we do not understand well enough to provide estimates with much precision," Kestay said.

Attempting such an assessment could still be "useful," he said, because it can identify the most critical information that future missions need to collect.

"It is also perhaps counterintuitive that we have a much better understanding of ice on Mars than on our own moon, but NASA's 'follow the water' strategy [on the Red Planet] has provided a wealth of knowledge," Kestay said. "Finally, it is clear, even before we undertake a full-blown assessment, that there are significant resources in space to assess!"

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Great! Maybe they can put together a prospectus and attract some private investors. Good luck, guys!
 

[wastedyears]

I know it wouldn’t be a lot at first, but over time, the extra tonnage that didn’t develop on the planet will add up.

[raiderboy]

Hell no!! Those doped up parasites living off of working people can’t be beat. That is why only people that pay income taxes should VOTE!!

[The Duke]

cost / benefit

[bkopto]

But now it's also investigating what benefits may or may not exist in tapping extraterrestrial water, minerals and metals.

This is just a ruse. They really want to start regulating outer space. The bureaucrats hate freedom.

[Vince Ferrer]

This is kind of fitting. We don't think about it much now, but in between the Louisiana purchase and the 1890s there were decades where not much was really known about what was inside the continent. It was just too difficult for most people to get into the west, let alone get back to the settled east coast and let people know what was there.

In this period there were photographic expeditions by the USGS, mapping the interior, especially for railroad routes, and for natural resources. The first photographs taken of the Rocky Mountains were taken by the USGS.

[Radix]

We need good ‘Tractor Beam’ technology in order to bring all of that Space stuff here without risking the lives our Astronauts. .

[enduserindy]

My dad talked about mining gold from asteroids thirty years ago. He was a terrible father but he was also a genius. He said the problem with mining said gold was radiation. Of note he was also an engineer and worked at San Onofre nuclear plant.

[marktwain]

The “Space stuff” is more valuable in space than it is here.

[Cvengr]

Yes, but how will you redistribute the mass so keep an even keel?

[marktwain]

I wrote a paper on the potential of mining the apollo and amor asteroids 35 years ago.

[enduserindy]

What’s your thought on radiation levels in gold from space? My dad said in the eighties recycled gold from electronics had the potential to be radioactive. He said gold on asteroids would be exposed to high levels and that gold could retain it for a very long time.

[mindburglar]

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2003-03/1046983737.Ph.r.html

Found that. Gold would only stay radioactive for about a month.

[mindburglar]

That’s why Goldfinger’s plan was stupid.

[enduserindy]

Well I think this would be a good investment in light of that.

[Windflier]

I know it wouldn’t be a lot at first, but over time, the extra tonnage that didn’t develop on the planet will add up.

I once saw a scientific calculation of the amount of dust that falls onto planet earth from outer space each day. The tonnage was staggering.

The amount of minerals we bring back from space will never come close to that.

[Born to Conserve]

Everything you’ll ever need to know about mining asteroids:
https://www.amazon.com/Islands-Space-Planetoids-Dandridge-Cole/dp/B0007DZSR0

[wastedyears]

There’s dust that doesn’t burn upon hitting our atmosphere? Is that diamond dust or something?

[Windflier]

There’s dust that doesn’t burn upon hitting our atmosphere? Is that diamond dust or something?

Dust motes from space don't fall to earth with near enough velocity to burn up in our atmosphere. They're almost weightless, individually.