NEO Mining Question

It would be more economical to mine the asteroid where it's at. No
sense in moving it closer to earth when you can move, at less
expense, the materials and goods that you can get out of it.

Any stockpiling should probably be done at Lunar L5.

Also, we've got to stop thinking so much about distances in space
when the real element is time. The costly thing is any earth
launching. Beyond earth the big deal is time.

Also, let's add still another deminsion to the picture: Near Objects.
Besides NEO's, we need to think in terms of Near Me Objects. This
allows hopping thoughts, interstellar material acquisition, and chain-
reaction growth scenarios to possibly enter our brains. Asteroids
will allow life to explode into deep space. You don't launch from
earth to go to each and every asteroid or space rock. You want to go
from where you happen to be at the moment and that may not at the
moment be earth. It just makes more sense (and saves energy) this
way.

George

--- In spacesettlers@y..., Ravenart@a... wrote:
>
> In a message dated 2/23/02 8:48:26 PM, tango_dancer@h... writes:
>
> << I see two classes of feasible scenario for mining NEA. I would
> appreciate people's feedback on which they think is most plausible
> and any flaws in logic, physics or engineering that I've made.
Also,
> I don't consider it feasible to move an entire asteroid. The
kinetic
> energy required for a mass of that huge size is mind moggling. >>
>
> I'm sorry but the issuse is really the time not engery. You have
to decide
> how much time you can effort to expend and time can be created.
You can use
> a very low engery to move this mass, all you need is to plot a
course of
> orbit about 5 to 10 years ahead of appointment. Steal a page from
Orion
> Project's plan for creating a starship and set off a nuke to just
nug it
> toward the direction you want in Newtonian math. In few years, you
will have
> it close to earth. Now if you're in a hurry then engery become
more
> important because you have shorter time window. if you're really
in a hurry,
> then your plan for sending a ship out to start a mining base become
more