Future Thoughts: Will Astroid Mining ever become a thing?

[worlddefenseorg]

Astroid Mining! 
Money Making or Unrealistic Reality?
Astroid Mining is something that I see on the news sometimes...
And it brings about real questions!
The side that supports that Astroid Mining will exist: state that it will eventually become a thing with enough funding, and it will be extremely profitable.
The side that does not support it say that the technology required to make it is currently so far off from our current abilities that it will never become a thing and that we should focus on making money in realistic ways, like actually mining.
What are the islander's thoughts?

[Jontua]

I believe there will be a point in the near future where digging new minerals from the Earth will be more difficult than getting the same resources from asteroids. And I don't believe there are other realistic options as the exponential growth of humans will force us to get new minerals from somewhere.

[Aersoldorf]

Waste of taxpayer money on a pipe dream.

[Valentian Elysium]

See Jontua's post

[Venvee Republic]

I disagree with Aersoldorf. Asteroid mining is the future for a space faring nation. There are huge amounts of rare minerals in asteroids, enough to crash the prices of them on Earth if done in mass amounts. We just do not have the technology yet. I imagine if we are planning to make it to Mars, the asteroid belt will not seem so big.

and also Aersoldorf, it won't be taxpayer's money going toward it. By that time private enterprises like SpaceX and others will be doing it.

[Aersoldorf]

Apr 19, 2024 20:47:37 GMT -5 Venvee Republic said:

I disagree with Aersoldorf. Asteroid mining is the future for a space faring nation. There are huge amounts of rare minerals in asteroids, enough to crash the prices of them on Earth if done in mass amounts. We just do not have the technology yet. I imagine if we are planning to make it to Mars, the asteroid belt will not seem so big.

and also Aersoldorf, it won't be taxpayer's money going toward it. By that time private enterprises like SpaceX and others will be doing it.

It’s taxpayer funded in that NASA would either be directly or indirectly involved. Seveneves is a pretty good fictional story that goes into quite a bit of detail about mining in space. The only way I can see it happening is if an asteroid gets caught in earth orbit.

[Aersoldorf]

And the private corporations receive insane amounts of subsidies from the government, which is also taxpayer funded.

[Jabberwocky]

All good points, but where there is a profit to be made, industry will follow. The fact that it involves taxpayers' money doesn't prevent things from happening, like sending probes outside the solar system.

[Aersoldorf]

There’s also the probability that the end of days will arrive before technology advances to the point where deep space travel is possible.

[Jabberwocky]

We can't rule that out.

[Aersoldorf]

That’s an entirely different debate I know but it does drive my opinion with respect to the future

[Pantso]

It will be with drones, by private mining corporations, once we become a space-faring people, and it will be dirt cheap to operate. Obtaining the rights to mine an asteroid that is close to a base or colony will be more expensive than actually mining it because shipping costs and times will be prohibitive for asteroids that are far out.

[Aersoldorf]

Apr 22, 2024 19:04:13 GMT -5 Pantso said:

It will be with drones, by private mining corporations, once we become a space-faring people, and it will be dirt cheap to operate. Obtaining the rights to mine an asteroid that is close to a base or colony will be more expensive than actually mining it because shipping costs and times will be prohibitive for asteroids that are far out.

I love how you just brush over the ‘obtaining the rights to mine’ part. To whom should a fee be paid and what gives anyone the right to claim ownership of something they have never visited?

[Jabberwocky]

The same way European whites took over what is now the US: you stake a claim.

[Aersoldorf]

Ah, but they sent people to live here. What he referred to was paying for the ‘right’ to extract minerals from an asteroid that hasn’t been visited by anyone. I find it ridiculous that anyone can claim ownership of a rock in space and then feel justified in charging for the right to use it.

[Pantso]

Apr 23, 2024 9:33:38 GMT -5 Aersoldorf said:

Apr 22, 2024 19:04:13 GMT -5 Pantso said:

It will be with drones, by private mining corporations, once we become a space-faring people, and it will be dirt cheap to operate. Obtaining the rights to mine an asteroid that is close to a base or colony will be more expensive than actually mining it because shipping costs and times will be prohibitive for asteroids that are far out.

I love how you just brush over the ‘obtaining the rights to mine’ part. To whom should a fee be paid and what gives anyone the right to claim ownership of something they have never visited?

That is actually a good point; I didn't think about it. Doesn't change my opinion or vote though; just makes it easier for mining corps to run a profit.