It seems that Humans have taken a huge step toward mining the asteroids – instead of eye-rolling, pointing to such (now defunct) companies like Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries, or crying FOUL! about allocating resources to mining in SPACE!! when there are problems here on Earth that need the money far more than we need to be playing with spaceships and pretending we’re Star Wars/Star Trek/whatever Fantasy world you want to live it…What about Minneapolis bull-dozing homeless encampments???? We need to house them all! (https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/homeless-encampment-near-quarry-shopping-center-closure/89-9ee415ae-73a8-49b1-b83b-2128a41440e2)...
Individuals and companies seem to be talking about not only SOLUTIONS, but also about environmental issues (not in order to ban mining the asteroid) in order to make certain we don’t just carry current mining practices and problems into space and create problems for “future generations” to deal with. It appears we’re seriously discussing all of the issue above!
For example, where both PR and DSI seemed to be interested in building the industry from the ground up, one company is considering using technology that’s already on the shelf: “AstroForge is another company that believes space mining will become a reality. Founded in 2022 by a former SpaceX engineer and a former Virgin Galactic engineer, AstroForge still believes there is money to be made in mining asteroids for precious metals…To keep costs down, AstroForge will attach its refining payload to off-the shelf satellites and launch those satellites on SpaceX rockets…There’s quite a few companies that make what is referred to as a satellite bus. This is what you would typically think of as a satellite, the kind of box with solar panels on it, a propulsion system being connected to it…we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel…”
It's interesting that one of the articles I read was titled, “The Problems With Space Mining No One Is Talking About”. “The United Nations takes the view that space exploration should be done for the benefit of all. It is reasonable for society, which is being asked to fund investment in enabling technologies, to ask in return not only for a lack of harm from asteroid mining but for an equitable share of the positive benefits gained.” There’s sound philosophy and deep intent to avoid expanding “ ‘the mindset of colonialism to a truly cosmic scale.’ This mindset of colonialism is deeply intertwined with many of the stated motivations for resource exploitation in space and its ability to equip human expansion into the Solar System.”
Philosophers suggest that “ethics and anticolonial practices are a central consideration of planetary protection.” They recommend the space science community consider the ethics “short-term impact of largely unrestrained resource extraction on wealth inequality...This legacy of colonialist decision-making harming Indigenous people throughout history has left a stain on the profession of mining — a legacy space miners would do well to avoid.”
As well, “Weighing…ethical issues may become necessary in the face of climate change and ecosystem collapse. Planetary scientist Philip Metzger argues space mining will allow solutions to Earth’s increasing energy demands that are not currently feasible, such as beaming solar energy via microwave to Earth…there is little doubt that a human presence in space will entail harvesting resources from Near Earth Asteroids…a team of researchers from the University of Nottingham in Ningbo, China, examined the potential impact of asteroid mining on the global economy…market forces, environmental impact, asteroid and mineral type, and the scale of mining, they show how asteroid mining can be done in a way that is…for the benefit of all humanity.”
It also avoided one of the issues I’m curious about: with the ability to mine, refine, and transport the raw product, comes the ability – if not the practical methods and hardware – to MOVE an asteroid. If an entity like a government, company, or even individuals have a clearly demonstrated WAY to move an asteroid, what will prevent them from AIMING an asteroid at either a belligerent nation, island, or even a location and dropping it on that belligerent if they continue to refuse to give the “asteroid controller” what they want?
Obviously, rocks fall from space on Earth all the time. It’s also clear the SIZE of the object impacting Earth determines the degree of destruction. From the asteroid that slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago and sealed the demise of the dinosaurs, reshaped the planet, its environment, and initiated the rise of mammals; it also gave rise to the phrase “extinction event” – but a meteorite strike doesn’t HAVE to be an “extinction event! On February 15, 2013 a meteorite slammed into the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia. While it injured over a thousand people, and damaged property, “The blast was stronger than a nuclear explosion, triggering detections from monitoring stations as far away as Antarctica. The shock wave it generated shattered glass and injured about 1,200 people.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRrdSwhQhY0 )
While Chelyabinsk was clearly a natural event, what would prevent disgruntled asteroid miners from doing the math (just because they’re miners doesn’t mean they’re stupid!), targeting a rock and sending it down to land in the laps of a particular group – or Board of Directors of the controlling corporation, for example?
All the philosophizing aside, THIS might be an issue we deal with sooner rather than later…
I’ll be looking at the other articles and mining (so-to-speak) an idea for my next post on this subject!
Resources: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/09/space-mining-business-still-highly-speculative.html ; https://impakter.com/the-problems-with-space-mining-no-one-is-talking-about/; https://phys.org/news/2022-11-asteroid-world-economy.html; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360895801_Asteroid_Mining_Opportunities_and_Challenges; https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/untold-riches-from-asteroid-mining-the-problem-no-one-is-talking-about-71662979594608.html ; https://theconversation.com/can-we-really-deflect-an-asteroid-by-crashing-into-it-nobody-knows-but-we-are-excited-to-try-190865
Individuals and companies seem to be talking about not only SOLUTIONS, but also about environmental issues (not in order to ban mining the asteroid) in order to make certain we don’t just carry current mining practices and problems into space and create problems for “future generations” to deal with. It appears we’re seriously discussing all of the issue above!
For example, where both PR and DSI seemed to be interested in building the industry from the ground up, one company is considering using technology that’s already on the shelf: “AstroForge is another company that believes space mining will become a reality. Founded in 2022 by a former SpaceX engineer and a former Virgin Galactic engineer, AstroForge still believes there is money to be made in mining asteroids for precious metals…To keep costs down, AstroForge will attach its refining payload to off-the shelf satellites and launch those satellites on SpaceX rockets…There’s quite a few companies that make what is referred to as a satellite bus. This is what you would typically think of as a satellite, the kind of box with solar panels on it, a propulsion system being connected to it…we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel…”
It's interesting that one of the articles I read was titled, “The Problems With Space Mining No One Is Talking About”. “The United Nations takes the view that space exploration should be done for the benefit of all. It is reasonable for society, which is being asked to fund investment in enabling technologies, to ask in return not only for a lack of harm from asteroid mining but for an equitable share of the positive benefits gained.” There’s sound philosophy and deep intent to avoid expanding “ ‘the mindset of colonialism to a truly cosmic scale.’ This mindset of colonialism is deeply intertwined with many of the stated motivations for resource exploitation in space and its ability to equip human expansion into the Solar System.”
Philosophers suggest that “ethics and anticolonial practices are a central consideration of planetary protection.” They recommend the space science community consider the ethics “short-term impact of largely unrestrained resource extraction on wealth inequality...This legacy of colonialist decision-making harming Indigenous people throughout history has left a stain on the profession of mining — a legacy space miners would do well to avoid.”
As well, “Weighing…ethical issues may become necessary in the face of climate change and ecosystem collapse. Planetary scientist Philip Metzger argues space mining will allow solutions to Earth’s increasing energy demands that are not currently feasible, such as beaming solar energy via microwave to Earth…there is little doubt that a human presence in space will entail harvesting resources from Near Earth Asteroids…a team of researchers from the University of Nottingham in Ningbo, China, examined the potential impact of asteroid mining on the global economy…market forces, environmental impact, asteroid and mineral type, and the scale of mining, they show how asteroid mining can be done in a way that is…for the benefit of all humanity.”
It also avoided one of the issues I’m curious about: with the ability to mine, refine, and transport the raw product, comes the ability – if not the practical methods and hardware – to MOVE an asteroid. If an entity like a government, company, or even individuals have a clearly demonstrated WAY to move an asteroid, what will prevent them from AIMING an asteroid at either a belligerent nation, island, or even a location and dropping it on that belligerent if they continue to refuse to give the “asteroid controller” what they want?
Obviously, rocks fall from space on Earth all the time. It’s also clear the SIZE of the object impacting Earth determines the degree of destruction. From the asteroid that slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago and sealed the demise of the dinosaurs, reshaped the planet, its environment, and initiated the rise of mammals; it also gave rise to the phrase “extinction event” – but a meteorite strike doesn’t HAVE to be an “extinction event! On February 15, 2013 a meteorite slammed into the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia. While it injured over a thousand people, and damaged property, “The blast was stronger than a nuclear explosion, triggering detections from monitoring stations as far away as Antarctica. The shock wave it generated shattered glass and injured about 1,200 people.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRrdSwhQhY0 )
While Chelyabinsk was clearly a natural event, what would prevent disgruntled asteroid miners from doing the math (just because they’re miners doesn’t mean they’re stupid!), targeting a rock and sending it down to land in the laps of a particular group – or Board of Directors of the controlling corporation, for example?
All the philosophizing aside, THIS might be an issue we deal with sooner rather than later…
I’ll be looking at the other articles and mining (so-to-speak) an idea for my next post on this subject!
Resources: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/09/space-mining-business-still-highly-speculative.html ; https://impakter.com/the-problems-with-space-mining-no-one-is-talking-about/; https://phys.org/news/2022-11-asteroid-world-economy.html; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360895801_Asteroid_Mining_Opportunities_and_Challenges; https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/untold-riches-from-asteroid-mining-the-problem-no-one-is-talking-about-71662979594608.html ; https://theconversation.com/can-we-really-deflect-an-asteroid-by-crashing-into-it-nobody-knows-but-we-are-excited-to-try-190865
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