There and Back Again: Apollo 12 part spotted?

SpaceRef.com ^ | September 11, 2002 | Paul Chodas

[Question_Assumptions]

Not quite a moon. I think "companion" is a better word. See http://www.astro.queensu.ca/~wiegert/3753/3753.html for more info.

[Calvin Locke]

You mean my 12X63 binocs won't do it? A decent 6" is currently outside my budget.

[RonF]

Actually, take a look at here. Page forward through it. This says that in a rural dark sky, a 12.5" scope ought to be able to see 16th magnitude, but in a bright suburban sky you'd need a 16".

[RadioAstronomer]

Well recovering the old satellites would be a good start.

The rub is the fuel and energy required to accomplish the orbital rendezvous for this endeavor. Is it actually worth the effort to attempt recovery of non-working obsolete space debris? IMHO, it is not.

[RadioAstronomer]

Thanks for the ping :-)

[Brett66]

Looks like Cruithne's closest approach is in 2285 @ 9.3 million miles. We probably won't be visiting it anytime soon.

[cogitator]

Is it actually worth the effort to attempt recovery of non-working obsolete space debris?

Non-working, no (though if recovery was feasible, grabbing an old Saturn launch stage would be cool). The article that I read was about recovering satellites that are still functional but pretty much non-functional due to depletion of maneuvering fuel, or possible some glitches that could be fixed with a bit of new circuitry.

[RightWhale]

should you need a license to mine and astroid

If a person or company wishes the protection of a sovereign state for ground operations, then one would need approval from that sovereign state. Also, thanks to the 1967 UN Treaty on Outer Space, which most countries signed, no country can claim any outer space resources. So, you are in a bind and no smooth-talking sales staff can change that.

[RightWhale]

I am not a country

If a person wished to do business, he would go to the market. The market is in countries. Mine all the asteroids you want, but if you wish to make a dollar you must deliver your product. All countries are prohibited from receiving celestial resources thanks to the 1967 UN Treaty on Outer Space. Before a country can license the business, it must withdraw from the treaty.

[Publius6961]

BUMP

[RightWhale]

"black market."

What, a black market for iron and aluminum? Those being the main products to be expected from space mining, the ones that will turn a profit.

[apillar]

"If a person wished to do business, he would go to the market. The market is in countries. Mine all the asteroids you want, but if you wish to make a dollar you must deliver your product. All countries are prohibited from receiving celestial resources thanks to the 1967 UN Treaty on Outer Space. Before a country can license the business, it must withdraw from the treaty."

But since only the United States and a few of our allies bother to obey International Treaties, that still leaves 2/3 of the earth as a market. Provided that you could mine the moon or asteroids cheaper than you could on Earth (Probably impossible with current technology)

[RightWhale]

that still leaves 2/3 of the earth as a market

What? And suffer the wrath of the UN? Kofi will be disappointed to know of this.