A recent article written by Irene Klotz and posted on Yahoo News dated Wednesday, January 23, 2013, informed readers about a new company intending to mine asteroids in deep space for raw materials. This expository article, entitled "Into deep space: second U.S. firm takes aim at mining asteroids" is very informative about the possibilities of retrieving resources from a source outside the limitations of our planet.
Ms. Klotz reports that a team of entrepreneurs and engineers presented their plans for a space mining company that intends to find nearby asteroids and tap them for their raw materials. The first mission is planned for 2015, and would send a small spacecraft called "Firefly" on a six-month trip to evaluate a suitable asteroid. It is stated that "the 55-pound satellite, about the size of a laptop computer would be launched aboard a commercial rocket carrying a communication satellite and robotic probe."
Mr. David Gump is the founder of the company called Deep Space Industries which is based in Santa Monica, California. Mr. Gump has also co-founded three other space and technology companies, "including Astrobotic Technology, which is focused on exploration and development of lunar resources." These companies plan to collect gases and metals from asteroids which can be turned into fuel and used in three-dimensional printers to make components for building solar cells in space. His goal is to build a fleet of robotic ships to pull resources for fuel and to mine valuable minerals from asteroids that can then be used on Earth.
John Mankins, a former NASA Jet propulsion Lab manager, who attended the presentation states that, "the technology may not have been used in space for the exact purposes that we propose, but the fundamental technologies are really at hand." Although the technology exists to go forward with these missions, the cost is another factor. "The cost of a Firefly mission would be about $20 million," half expected to come from government and research institute contracts and half from sponsors.
I find this type of research and information fascinating because it proves that our technology is becoming so advanced that we will be able to accomplish amazing things in the near future both on and off our planet. It is obvious that if we cannot make the necessary changes to the way we currently treat our Earth, we will be forced to explore finding our resources elsewhere. This article informs us that there are people who are actively paving the way for future generations to find necessary resources in space. This is an area of exploration that greatly expands our current limits.
Ms. Klotz reports that a team of entrepreneurs and engineers presented their plans for a space mining company that intends to find nearby asteroids and tap them for their raw materials. The first mission is planned for 2015, and would send a small spacecraft called "Firefly" on a six-month trip to evaluate a suitable asteroid. It is stated that "the 55-pound satellite, about the size of a laptop computer would be launched aboard a commercial rocket carrying a communication satellite and robotic probe."
Mr. David Gump is the founder of the company called Deep Space Industries which is based in Santa Monica, California. Mr. Gump has also co-founded three other space and technology companies, "including Astrobotic Technology, which is focused on exploration and development of lunar resources." These companies plan to collect gases and metals from asteroids which can be turned into fuel and used in three-dimensional printers to make components for building solar cells in space. His goal is to build a fleet of robotic ships to pull resources for fuel and to mine valuable minerals from asteroids that can then be used on Earth.
John Mankins, a former NASA Jet propulsion Lab manager, who attended the presentation states that, "the technology may not have been used in space for the exact purposes that we propose, but the fundamental technologies are really at hand." Although the technology exists to go forward with these missions, the cost is another factor. "The cost of a Firefly mission would be about $20 million," half expected to come from government and research institute contracts and half from sponsors.
I find this type of research and information fascinating because it proves that our technology is becoming so advanced that we will be able to accomplish amazing things in the near future both on and off our planet. It is obvious that if we cannot make the necessary changes to the way we currently treat our Earth, we will be forced to explore finding our resources elsewhere. This article informs us that there are people who are actively paving the way for future generations to find necessary resources in space. This is an area of exploration that greatly expands our current limits.
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