Asteroid Mining

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, cygonaut
> Rick Brooks,
>
> I'm interested in successful space development and first
extracting from
> near earth asteroids - not belt asteroids. Belt asteroids, dormant
comets,
> and the outer rings of Saturn would come later.
>
> The moon and Mars are just Nevada's in space. They have no
economic value
> except tourism and, I expect, prostitution, gambling, and speedy
marriage
> services. There's nothing to export and most everything needs to
be imported
> and all of that will come from either earth or the (cheaper) space
miners or
> that station above you that's been well stocked by earth or the
(more
> likely) space mining co's.
>
> George
>
You are welcome to your beliefs. I feel the moon is important as as
starting point. If you see nothing to export from the moon, I'm
afraid there is not much more to export from near earth asteroids.

And they are moving. Some may come nearer earth than the moon. But
not for long.

If something goes wrong on the moon, you are a fixed distance from
earth. On a near-earth asteroid, you are moving further and further
away.

To try to learn mineral extraction and possibly refinement while
traveling briefly toward earth, then away, is clearly asking for
trouble.

A baby learns to crawl before he (or she) can walk. And learn to
walk before running.

I am afraid we will need the moon for resources not laborously
lifted from earth and to learn how to work away from earth.

It would be interesting if we had some kind of data on how often an
asteroid comes within say 4 times the radius of the lunar orbit. And
about how big they are.

It seems to me to be silly to ignore all the resources of the moon
and sit out there in space hoping an asteroid might come by.

Rick Brooks