One step backwards (Step zero)

" either path takes us where we should go in the long term. However, for the near term decades I'd perfer working on the moon. It is closer and the scientific / engineering development cycles should be faster.
We can hope. Of course, if it was intended as part of a long term effort of space development, wouldn't it start as a series of entirely a robotic missions rather than just one single human adventure?"

Happy,
While many would prefer to begin our space settlement development on Luna, unless your plan is to go on an Indian or Chinese spacecraft it won't happen prior to 2030, earliest. Wheras, a human mission to at least one asteroid IS on the NASA agenda. Not all long term projects begin with robotics, take the original moon landing, for example. But it's not too hard to envision robots being of a great deal of use in converting or preparing an asteroid for additional Human presence.
While extraterrestrial mining/resource extraction is, indeed, a largely untried area of expertise, I believe that you are incorrect in your assumption that because lunar mining would be more similar in scope to terrestrial work that extraction of useful resources would be faster. Due to the nature of the bodies involved, extraction of useful resources would be many orders of magnitude faster and easier on an asteroid body than on Luna. An asteroid, depending on type, would lend itself much more easily to extraction of resources than the moon.
On the moon most of the metals found near the surface are refactory compounds formed of aluminum and titanium, along with large amounts of calcium, silicon and oxygen, mostly in the form of oxides. Forms of structural metals are mostly found as cores from nickel/iron meteor strikes, many of which have been largely vaporized by impact. The bulk density of the moon is 3.4g/cc which is comparable to that of volcanic basaltic lavas on Earth as compared to a bulk density on Earth of 5.5g/cc due to its dense nickel/iron core. The upshot of this is that aside from aluminum, titanium, silicon for solar cells and of course oxygen and H2O (ice, if accessible), the moon may not be WORTH mining. If we WERE to mine Luna, it would involve large scale deep tunnel mining to extract whatever small amounts of metals there to be found (once we find some). It will also require getting it back OFF the moon for it to be useful in space (though a mass driver can probably do so fairly cheaply).
Asteroids, on the other hand, easily lend themselves to prospecting- simply fire a small explosive rocket at the rock and scan the ejecta with a spectroscope. Many asteroids are huge chunks of nickel/iron that can be processed very easily with little or no excavation. Carbonaceous chondrites vary as to composition from those with high (3-22) percentages of water as well as organic compounds such as silicates, oxides and sulfides to those with lesser percentages of volatiles in combination with between 15 and +55% nickel/iron. Settlement building using a nickel/iron asteroid may be as simple as drilling a shaft into the center of the asteroid, filling it with water, sealing it, spinning the asteroid and then focusing an array of mirrors on it until it becomes molten. The water trapped within will turn to steam expanding the molten steel into a hollow sphere. Of course, this has yet to be done, but theory says it will work. Even if this proves unfeasible, metals can be easily removed and smelted on-site. As to the C-chondrites, well, they basically provide all the OTHER necessities for human habitation- soil, air, water, various amino acids and minerals for a complete ecology- just import plants and animals.

From: Matt Gallimore
Sent: Monday, June 07, 2010 7:49 PM
To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [spacesettlers] Re: : One step backwards (Step zero)

From: Victor Smith victors@...

"...it doesn't seem to me to be an insurmountable obstacle to effect a landing on a NEO at closest approach,...modify the orbit to bring the target rock to Earth at one of the L-Points or even to orbit the planet. "
"... granted, our current level of accomplishment in space industrialization doesn't allow for this, but it's mostly off the shelf tech. "

Some of it is. The reminder of the challenges fall between what we could reasonable infer and thus engineer and that which we are really don't know much. That pretty much describes any extraterrestrial mining and resource extraction. Any plan we pursue (Moon or asteroids) to provide raw materials for space industry is a multi-decade venture. Ultimately either path takes us where we should go in the long term. However, for the near term decades I'd perfer working on the moon. It is closer and the scientific / engineering development cycles should be faster.

"Part of O'bamas' plan for NASA has us visiting an asteroid in the next decade, and with some advanced planning and a bit of a push to the tech boys I could see the mission leaving behind robots that could at least begin the task of mining materials to be utilized, during a follow-up visit, to set up a mass driver propulsion unit and crew quarters installed within the excavations. One small step at a time..."
We can hope. Of course, if it was intended as part of a long term effort of space development,wouldn't it start as a series of entirely a robotic missions rather than just one single human adventure?