Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Mining an Asteroid for Water and Precious Metals Isn't as Crazy as it Sounds
Popular Science ^ | 04/24/12 | Clay Dillow

Posted on 04/24/2012 5:20:08 PM PDT by KevinDavis

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 last
To: JRandomFreeper

Those guys made their billions milking the system. They are not going to stop now.


41 posted on 04/24/2012 8:08:15 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Government is the religion of the sociopath.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper
I am skeptical of that.

And there has been economic return from space. Billions of dollars worth. Already.

42 posted on 04/24/2012 8:10:45 PM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
Prove it. Diamadis, for example. Give examples where he's made billions milking the system.

/johnny

43 posted on 04/24/2012 8:14:14 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

Worship your dotcom sluts. I don’t care.


44 posted on 04/24/2012 8:17:37 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Government is the religion of the sociopath.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper
What do you consider a "return"? American tax payers have invested half a trillion in NASA alone? God knows what the military has spent.

Seen in the year-by-year breakdown listed below, the total amounts (in nominal dollars) that NASA has been budgeted from 1958 to 2011 amounts to $526.18 billion dollars—an average of $9.7 billion per year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_NASA

45 posted on 04/24/2012 8:18:16 PM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: DManA
AT&T and other telecoms make billions from space. Farmers make and don't lose billions with space technology. DishTV does quite a nice business. As does Hughs network with sat internet service.

A commercial comsat costs billions to put into orbit. You think companies do that for funsies? They do it for ROI.

Some do fail, but not as often as when we first started.

/johnny

46 posted on 04/24/2012 8:20:33 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
In other words, you don't have a clue, and no facts to support you.

/johnny

47 posted on 04/24/2012 8:22:02 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: DManA
NASA should be shut down. Period. I don't consider taxes taken at gunpoint an investment.

However.... commercial launches of commercial payloads have been going on as well. Those, I approve of.

/johnny

48 posted on 04/24/2012 8:24:19 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

I’ve sort of lost track of the argument.

Has our collectivist investment in space been worth the cost?

That is an extremely complex question, one which I am not qualified to answer right now.

What is the proposition on the table?


49 posted on 04/24/2012 8:28:12 PM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: DManA
What is the proposition on the table?

Is a private venture into mining asteroids crazy, and if so, why?

/johnny

50 posted on 04/24/2012 8:34:45 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

Unless it’s our money, it’s none of our business.

That being said, I would not invest my money in the project. None of the people who paid for the Channel Tunnel made a dime.


51 posted on 04/24/2012 8:37:56 PM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: DManA
That's what happens with government involvement.

I appreciate our conversation tonight. You have raised good points, and were not outright dismissive of a new (old) idea, even if you don't think it's a good investment.

I respect that much more than those that dismiss the new with the smug assurance of the entrenched.

Thank you.

/johnny

52 posted on 04/24/2012 8:45:54 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

Private bonds were issued for the Chunnel. They all were defaulted on.

It’s an interesting question for someone like me who is thoroughly libertarian oriented. Is there a limit to what humans can accomplish if we are restricted to voluntarily means?

It’s worth thinking about.


53 posted on 04/24/2012 8:55:45 PM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

All the discussion today revolves around how do we help people; what can we do to create jobs; we need to do more to help people.

It is a completely different perspective to come at it from the direction of - what can humans become?”

If you are coerced into feeding half the city that’s one thing. If you are coerced into spreading humanity across the galaxy - ?


54 posted on 04/24/2012 9:01:34 PM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: DarthFuzball
But if your living and working in space you need to have water that was hauled hauled up and out of a very deep gravity well.

Good point. I wasn't thinking of that angle.

55 posted on 04/25/2012 2:34:53 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson