the.com/asteroid mining
strip-mining the solar system before the billionaires get bored and move on to mars.
means the proposed extraction of metals, water, and fuel from asteroids for use in space or on earth.
from the idea dates to 1970s space-colonization dreamers like gerard o'neill, but it got a corporate face around 2009-2012 when startups pitched it as the next gold rush, just with vacuum instead of rivers.
target rock valueone metal asteroid could hold trillions in platinum
water is fuelice on asteroids splits into rocket propellant in orbit
gravity helpsnear-zero gravity makes hauling ore absurdly cheap
companies foldedplanetary resources shut down in 2018, sold for parts
for instance
nasa psyche mission — 2023 launch to study a metal-rich asteroid worth studying, not stripping
osiris-rex — nasa probe returned asteroid bennu samples to earth in 2023
planetary resources — seattle startup backed by larry page, dissolved after funding dried up
hayabusa2 — japan's jaxa mission brought back ryugu asteroid dust in 2020