[first_pr]

Others obviously have too...and they form an opposite opinion of yours....but *shrug*, your entitled to that belief.

this isn't a matter of belief or pessimism (for any conventional definition of the term anyway), it's just that I can seem to find anything, anywhere, that can build a sensible argument to explain how they are going to practically achieve these feats they are talking about.

Mining is a complex process that requires a lot of energy input... it will never be a simple as sending an excavator up to an asteroid and let it start digging...

If other people have thought about this then I'd love to see them present a sensible plan to achieve it.

Some people think that it will be a matter of decades... Given that there are centuries worth of currently economic mineral resources on Earth I just struggle to see why you would go off world to find the same stuff that is here, let alone how you would achieve it.

Like I said before, it would take mineral prices magnitudes higher then they currently are to make exploitation of mineral resources on asteroids commercially viable and if this were the case, it would be highly likley that the prices would drive a change in end use behavior rather then in supply.

[AlistDakisa]

I think, at least initially, any "off-world" mining would be done by the colonies, for the colonies. No point bringing it all the way back here to make a metal beam to send back there to make a structure. In that respect the mining would not be done for profit but for necessity - any profit would be a long way off. Because of this, a private company is less likely to be the first and initially all of the set-up will have to be done by a government type agancy...

That may well be the case...My point is that it should be undertaken within 50 years...

[omaculer]

this isn't a matter of belief or pessimism (for any conventional definition of the term anyway), it's just that I can seem to find anything, anywhere, that can build a sensible argument to explain how they are going to practically achieve these feats they are talking about.

Mining is a complex process that requires a lot of energy input... it will never be a simple as sending an excavator up to an asteroid and let it start digging...
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Why not E-Mail the company concerned...put your thoughts and opinions....Listen to there thoughts and opinions.
Then let us know how you went.
Remember, we were never going to fly heavier then air machinery either.

[Efksqhyu]

For me I give asteroid/Off Earth mining 50 years and I have also said that up there somewhere.

as a matter of contrast here... the timeline required to get from mineral discovery through to first production (here on Earth) is generally upwards of a decade. Now we already have in place a legislative framework around this stuff... how long do you think it will take for world governments to decide upon a legislative framework for something that doesn't even exist yet. Then think about the environmental hurdles and all this before we've even solved the technological problems.

It's also worthy to point out that in the last 50yrs the achievements of the space exploration industry haven't exactly taken great leaps either. we have the same propulsion and communications technology now as we did then and even though robotics technology has increased, a lot has to do with assess increased levels of of mobile computer processing power.

For mine, the foreseeable future here is a couple of centuries

I understand we can't see into the future, but equally I'm not driving a flying car, nor do I have a jet pack, or power my home by nuclear fusion.

[KlaraNovikoffaZ]

My point is that it should be undertaken within 50 years...

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Why 'should' it? We don't have any off world colonies (or proper plans to even attempt them) and we aren't that short of local ore.

[h98hhYxM]

Mining is a complex process that requires a lot of energy input... it will never be a simple as sending an excavator up to an asteroid and let it start digging...
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Really? How do you know that?
Never say never...

See, that's the problem...You speak of today.
You need to realise that we are speaking of the future when technology is bound to be in advance of what you perceieve now.
It will never happen at present levels of technology and progress...but in 10, 20, 30, 50 years?

[RSAccountssy]

50 years for asteroid/Moon mining would be highly likely once they decide to make an effort...and that may well be the case before we all know it.

could you explain why you think it would be highly likely? and I mean provide a tangible argument to support your position. Also, what set of circumstances would you see as leading to these outcomes?

[kennyguitar]

or power my home by nuclear fusion.
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You do, indirectly.

[ligeplodore]

You do, indirectly. i go really green and use gravitational energy. indirectly of course.

.

[leangarance]

The moon is quite different from an asteroid. It has significant gravity, though if you saw the first men walking on the moon, or have seen a repaly of that film, you would notice their gait was somewhat different from people walking on the earth.

[dayclaccikere]

Who knows, we could all be dead in a nuclear apocalypse by 2013.

[sttrqiss]

could you explain why you think it would be highly likely? and I mean provide a tangible argument to support your position. Also, what set of circumstances would you see as leading to these outcomes?

Likely bases on the Moon and Mars...because we'll have the technology to do it...Testing our abilities once it does all start by getting stuff back to Earth....Being the first to do it.... progress....to pass the technology necessary to other areas of space exploration and/or research...yes and probably even c#@$ waving...but we all do that don't we...part of human nature.

Now diddly, I really need not go too much further then what I have just said, but if you still cannot see reasons for asteroid mining, then there is plenty about it on the net...Even probably NASA and ESA.

[toreesi]

Who knows, we could all be dead in a nuclear apocalypse by 2013.

I think a zombie apocalypse is more likely in the next 50yrs than asteroid mining...

[Buhoutsoupfap]

Who knows, we could all be dead in a nuclear apocalypse by 2013.

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Unlikely, or so the Mayans say...

[dyestymum]

So we'll enter into costly, dangerous, technically difficult commercial operations just because we can?

[aideriimibion]

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Unlikely, or so the Mayans say...

Anything is possible.

[KevinDonae]

Has Clive Palmer expressed any interest yet...

until then it's got no hope in hell of ever happening...

[AlexClips]

Likely bases on the Moon and Mars...because we'll have the technology to do it...

...Even probably NASA and ESA.
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What is NASAs offical positon on a Moon Base at the present time? What is NASAs offical positon on a Mars Base at the present time?What is NASAs offical positon on even sending a person to Mars at the present time?

[himecthekWiff]

Now diddly, I really need not go too much further then what I have just said, but if you still cannot see reasons for asteroid mining, then there is plenty about it on the net...Even probably NASA and ESA.

You've provided no substantial argument to support your side, I't suggest you need to go into a lot more detail.

As for reasons, like I said I can see minerals extraction as a potential source of fuels or constructions materials for off world bases, but as far a commercial extraction goes, I fail to see a reason.

[engideNedmupe]

What minerals are we expecting to find in asteroids that is not already available on Earth?