Asteroid Mining

Space exploration has taken a new twist yet again.  Start-up company Planetary Resources announced it is preparing to send unmanned spacecraft to earth-orbiting asteroids for mining.   According to Planetary Resources, 1,500 asteroids are “energetically as easy to reach as the moon.”  Planetary Resources claims asteroid mining would aid in the retrieval of valuable materials to bring to earth, such as platinum. 

Planetary Resources is seeking government support to complement the financial backing already provided by investors.  Planetary Resources hopes to send its space craft “Arkyd” into a low-Earth orbit, targeting mineable asteroids, in a few years’ time.    

Source:

http://www.examiner.com/article/asteroid-mining-may-soon-become-next-stepping-stone

Interested in teaching your students more about space science? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode Space Science – Everyday Astronauts.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Interested in speaking to students about space science? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com