[marktwain]

There are no asteroids with a composition sufficient to justify a cost/benefit for a mining mission.

The composition of the asteroids; the costs of mining them; and the prices one might obtain for materials mined from them, are all unknowns.

Here is an example of what I mean. If an icy asteroid could be recovered, perhaps with a solar powered ion "tug", at a cost of 100 million dollars; and the icy asteroid had only 100,000 gallons of water; how much would that be worth in orbit? Water currently costs about $2,700 per kg to be put into orbit. (that much water has a mass of a bit less than 400,000 kg

100,000 gallons of water in orbit, would then be worth at least $2000 per lb,or $8,000 per gallon.

$8000 x 100,000 gallons = 800 million dollars.

That sounds like a profit to me.

Rocket fuel can be made from water in orbit, as well.

Rough numbers, but you get the idea.

[marktwain]

Sorry, I converted from lb to kg for the cost to orbit. $2000 per lb, should be $2000 per kg.

[KingLudd]

$2000 per lb,or $8,000 per gallon

A gallon of water on earth weighs 8 lbs. A gallon probably weighs a lot less on an asteroid.

[G Larry]

Nice for the classroom, but not in the real world.

Too many orbital mechanics issues to overcome to get product to a useable location.

You can't get sufficient energy in place to change orbits of the objects in motion.

[SunkenCiv]

And be sure to check out marktwain's discussion of asteroid mining!

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