Future of the Space Program Talk

[Ed Bos]

Has anyone else read about the talk on the 24th at the Museum of Flight in Seattle?
http://www.museumtix.com/program/program.aspx?vid=876&pid=13265867

According to the news, the speakers will be announcing a new commercial space venture... Asteroid mining, anyone?
http://www.space.com/15336-planetary-resources-space-exploration-announcement.html

Sounds exciting, so I think I'll go. Anyone else wanna meet up with me there?

[Ed Bos]

Whelp, the media has covered the details of this conference in great detail, so I'll just provide the opinion of a first-hand observer.

I think that the forward-thinking individuals behind the Planetary Resources (www.planetaryresources.com) venture are approaching a huge challenge in attempting to start prospecting asteroids (remotely, via Earth-orbiting satellites) in the next 24 months. I also think that ambition is what it'll take to take the commercial space industry to the next level.

While the investors and key people involved are completely aware of the possibility of several failures that they may make, the attitude in the room was one of excitement at the possibilities and readiness to overcome the challenges that await this project. I am looking forward to big things from this group.

One part of the presentation that I thought might have a positive impact for CAP is the forthcoming availability of the multitude of spaced-based telescopes that Planetary Resources will be making available to educational institutions and others, integrated as part of their overall blueprint for the future. I'm sure our Aerospace Education mission can find a way to benefit from the availability of (relatively) inexpensive space-based telescopes for teaching and programs.

[jimmydeanno]

It's interesting that asteroids are the locale of choice to start these types of expeditions.  Several scientist-type astronauts I've talked to have noted that the moon is really a great untapped resource in terms of solving our future energy needs, etc.

With a significant amount of platinum and heavy helium it seems the logical choice considering it's proximity to where those products would be needed.  The kicker, though, is that the question of ownership is standing in the way.  Although, if it's "internationally owned" like the oceans, I'm not seeing a problem with independent corporations mining there.

[Ed Bos]

Yeah, that seems like a very good question... I believe that may have to do with their plans for the water and minerals they mine.
It seems they're leveraging resources to prepare for more exploration and building in space; that this venture is the first foot forward of further expansion throughout the solar system.

[Spaceman3750]

Isn't there an international treaty prohibiting the commercialization/militarization of space?

[jimmydeanno]

Even as a venture into expanding into the rest of the solar system, the moon would be a great launching point.  With it's low surface gravity, launching projects from that point would use significantly fewer resources (fuel) than launching from earth.  It just seems that expanding into space would include the sending of humans to those destinations, and to figure out how to do that, we should start closer to home.  The creation of a lunar base would provide a starting point for mining operations, scientific discovery, and adaptation to the space environment.

With the discovery of ice water on the moon we have some pretty good building blocks:  a recipe for fusion energy, readily available metals, water, silica, etc.  Use the ISS as a material staging point and I think we'd be pretty well on the way towards colonization.

Seems like a better way to spend trillions of dollars to me, instead of the way we are now

[jimmydeanno]

Isn't there an international treaty prohibiting the commercialization/militarization of space?

From the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty

Bans any military use of celestial bodies, including weapon testing or as military bases.
Bans all exploration and uses of celestial bodies without the approval or benefit of other states under the common heritage of mankind principle (article 11).
Requires that the Secretary-General must be notified of all celestial activities (and discoveries developed thanks to those activities).
Declares all states have an equal right to conduct research on celestial bodies.
Declares that for any samples obtained during research activities, the state that obtained them must consider making part of it available to all countries/scientific communities for research.
Bans altering the environment of celestial bodies and requires that states must take measures to prevent accidental contamination.
Bans any state from claiming sovereignty over any territory of celestial bodies.
Bans any ownership of any extraterrestrial property by any organization or person, unless that organization is international and governmental.
Requires all resource extraction and allocation be made by an international regime.