Space Mining will make Big Business even Bigger *DELETED*

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thereiwas

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Just what we need - an even bigger Exxon. Just as a cautionary tale, read the SF novel "Heavy Time" by C. J. Cherryh. In it a large Earth-based mining company operating in the asteroid belt cuts corners, risks lives, etc, in the pursuit of profit, leading to their eventual ouster by force.
 
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qso1

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holoman:<br />Instead of destroying our planet for lumber, oil, and gas we can do what humans do best, explore new worlds for new material, elements, and expanded coloization being possible.<br /><br />Me:<br />IMO, humans are best at finding the cheapest way to do something even if it requires plundering earthly resources rather than develop space resources. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>
 
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dragon04

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One thing I've always wondered in regards to asteroid mining, is just how does one go about de-oribiting thousands and thousands of tons of ore or finished product?<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>
 
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annodomini2

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Why de-orbit, use it for contruction material in orbit? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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Boris_Badenov

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You would use something like the IRDT Inflatable Reentry and Descent Technology <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>
 
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dragon04

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Don't see that working real well for 50 ton, hundred foot long steel I-beams manufactured in space or raw materials in large quantities.<br /><br />In order to be cost-effective, quantities on industrial scale would have to be "downloaded" at a time.<br /><br />Without low velocity re-entry, I just don't see this happening any time soon. Which would defeat the purpose in mining asteroids in terrestrial terms.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>
 
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docm

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I see little use for heavy conventional I-Beams in space. Trussed beams make much more sense given their high strength/mass ratio. Same for composite trusses. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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Boris_Badenov

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The first materiel brought to Earth from space will be PGM's. And they will probably be in the form of ingots. There is no current reason to mine iron in space & bring it to Earth, it's too cheap here on the surface. <br /> PGM's offer a way to eliminate oil use.<br /><br /> Lunar platinum and alcohol fuel cells <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>
 
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thereiwas

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In the book I referenced, the mining company is very large (as it would have to be). So large that it musters its own military forces. Throwing them out of the asteroid belt kicks off an interplanetary war that lasts decades. Make that interstellar war, because FTL drive is soon invented. Parts of that war are discussed in several more novels by the same author.<br /><br />The initial conflict is presented from the point of view of some independent miners who have to deal with the "corp-rat" (their term) suits.
 
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tigerbeetle

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It is more likely that PGMs will be used off Earth for space related industry. There are many crucial processes that require them for either catalysts or for other alloying. It is unlikely they will be produced in large enough quantities to export to Earth.
 
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