Protect the solar system from a mining 'gold rush' by creating a 'space wilderness' that preserve...

Mailonline ^ | 05/13/2019 | Ian Randall

[BenLurkin]

Researchers from the US Smithsonian Institution and King’s College London argue for preserving seven-eighths of the solar system as official 'space wildernesses.'

This regulation would protect planets, moons and other bodies from unchecked mining and other types of industrial exploitation.

But its core aim would be to ensure that humankind's expansion into our star system is undertaken manageably to avoid a future where all the resources are gone.

…

It will be challenging to decide which aspects of our star system should be protected from the space mining industry, the researchers wrote in their paper.

However, areas that might merit a 'space wilderness' status include Mars' Valles Marineris, the solar system's largest canyon in the , as well as Olympus Mons, the largest known shield volcano which is two-and-a-half times Mount Everest in height.

The assignment of protection will require much complicated debate.

'Do we want cities on the near side of the moon that light up at night? Would that be inspiring or horrifying?', Dr Elvis asked.

'And what about the rings of Saturn? They are beautiful, almost pure water ice.

'Is it OK to mine those so that in 100 years they are gone?

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

Photon-intermediate direct energy conversion - works with fusion or fission.

A reactor in space can be very simple. No need for all the shielding. No need for all the safety stuff. In other words dirt cheap. Trail the reactor behind the asteroid on a tether with electrically melted water flowing back into the reactor to act as cooling water and pipe the steam back up to the asteroid to propulsion nozzles. That way we dont end up with an enormous chunk of radioactive ice.

Hell, drop a a bunch of water and gas asteroids on Mars and start terraforming it. It took a long time (billions of years) for Mars to lose its atmosphere the first time.