This is so unreal my brain has trouble deciding it's not a prank.
Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
11–20 of 221 posts
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#12How much is the Unobtainium gonna go for?
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#13My inner ten-year old is leaping up and down with excitement right now. I've got visions of OMNI magazine illustrations from the 1980s in my head, with watercolors of mining ships and stylish orange-suited astronauts.
It's been so long since the future felt like it would match up to the optimistic sci-fi of a few decades ago, that I'd nearly forgotten. I know this is just one announcement of an intention, but I don't care, I'm going to go ahead and start dreaming again about seeing space elevators and terraformed moons and planets in my lifetime.
Great story to read before bed.
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#14I'm surprised at how invigorated this news is making me feel, like a weight has been lifted. SpaceX is great, but until now they've mostly been talking about missions that would have to be paid for by the government and subject to the agonizing budget-cutting that seems to happen every time an exciting mission is planned. If these guys succeed, it will emancipate the future of space exploration from congressional budget meetings forever. I don't think I realized how depressed I was about that whole situation until now. This is almost absurdly audacious and I love them for it.
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#15I hate to admit it, but my brain initially processed the headline as:
"Google execs have backed an asteroid mining venture. In other news, James Cameron has been unveiled."
Then, after that horrendous attempt at comprehension, it came up with this, which was only slightly better:
"James Cameron has unveiled an asteroid mining venture that is backed by Google execs."
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#16If mines are such ugly, destructive things, why is it that I find this development so beautiful?
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#17My inner ten-year old is leaping up and down with excitement right now. I've got visions of OMNI magazine illustrations from the 1980s in my head, with watercolors of mining ships and stylish orange-suited astronauts. It's been so long since the future felt like it would match up to the optimistic sci-fi of a few decades ago, that I'd nearly forgotten. I know this is just one announcement of an intention, but I don't…
Totally with you man. Let the nay sayers nay.
It's activities like these that inspire the Human race as a whole. I don't even care if it's successful. Just to attempt such a grand idea is a great achievement.
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#18If mines are such ugly, destructive things, why is it that I find this development so beautiful?
Is it because asteroids are already ugly?
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#19It really bugs me when billionaires do the same thing I would do with billions of dollars before I have billions of dollars to do them with.
Seriously. Space mining and pressure from environmentalism is going to turn this whole field into rivers of gold ... in the sky.
Re: Asteroid Mining Venture Backed by Google Execs, James Cameron Unveiled
#20How do I get a job as a space miner?
I think the comment about becoming a robot is accurate in its way, the 'pick' of a space miner is likely a semi-autonomous front loader equivalent which can process for a particular mineral/substance.
However, if you read the article (either the parent or the NYTimes one) you will see that there is some thought about bringing an asteroid to one of the Lagrange points or into a Lunar orbit (something that would make the chance of it getting away and hitting Earth unlikely). In that scenario one could imagine living in one of those inflatable habitats where you worked while you operated your remote mining pick.
Getting to and from that point would probably involve a 'loan' from the mining company, which you could pay off by mining the asteroid. Of course while you lived up there you would need things like food and stuff but you could get that at the company store. And rather than actually charge you for it they will just put it on your tab. You know, you load 16 tons, and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. :-)
As part of one of the lunar exploration projects I was looking at various ideas for processing lunar regolith into something more useful than just dirt. Water is pretty straight forward, basically it sublimates off stuff in a vacuum and you collect it and store it. Platinum is a different story, some sort of chemical/catalyzing process is required that does not require re-charging the chemical packs either at all or very often.