this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2024

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Discussion: What is the Future of Mining on Asteroids? (self.futurology)

submitted 7 months ago by Endward23 to c/futurology

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This thread is for a open discussion of the named question.

Do you believe that miningoperation on asteroids are possible? Or not? Why?

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[–] Endward23 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Metal meteoroids are mostly iron, which is cheap on Earth and of little use in space.

As far as I understand your point, the mining in space needs a entire new infrastructure and new methodes in terms of metallurgy and all that.

[–] ProfessorPeregrine@reddthat.com 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I think I'm saying that mining on asteroids will probably never be profitable or realistic (with a possible exception of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen CHON once people are living on orbit). Mining on other planets might require understanding different geology and maybe different refining technology. Anything mined on a planet will likely stay there. But there just won't be any ores on asteroids because they never had a chance to differentiate into higher and lower concentrations of various useful metals.

[–] Endward23 1 points 7 months ago

Got it.