[from occupied ga]

One 30-foot-wide asteroid, 2008EA9, will actually be in the right place for this technique in 2049

And what benefit does this 30 ft lump of rock have over any other 30 foot lump of rock already on the surface of the earth? Typical space cadet stuff. Spend a 100 million dollars and get nothing for it but a rock.

[bolobaby]

Here’s the benefit: not having to launch raw materials into orbit for later construction of space stations and space faring vehicles.

Launching stuff is very expensive per pound. If, instead, you could launch a small metal producing factory, that could produce hundreds of times it’s own weight in metal from mined asteroids, it would have astronomical savings.

Pun intended.

[Errant]

benefit does this 30 ft lump of rock have over any other 30 foot lump of rock already on the surface of the earth?

Some of these rocks are almost solid nickel for one and contain even more valuable elements. Another reason would be that it offers possibilities of becoming a building block for a better space station. It would offer much more protection from solar radiation and space junk. It could also be used to block or deflect an incoming asteroid - saving the planet from serious catastrophe or the life on earth from annihilation. How much would that be worth? ;)