Abundant Planet dot ORG - Asteroid Mining Website

[joertexas]

http://www.abundantplanet.org/

Kindred spirits here, it seems. I'll leave it to Mark to contact them on behalf of PERMANENT.

JR

[Rhyshaelkan]

Found through Abundant Planet.
http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/1994/94JE02141.shtml

Another nice research paper done on the wealth NEAs represent.

While I am still not sold on the necessity of a manned mission. Or bring 'em back to LEO(you would need the fail-safe thrust, otherwise things could get BAD, and bring about the very disaster PERMANENT is trying to avoid). PGM asteroids would be the best return on investment in the near term. Allowing funds towards expansion for a Lunar base and the ultimate goals of PERMANENT.

[Sam Fraser]

That's a good find, joertexas. Definitely kindred spirits. They're also a 501(c)3 non-profit and have their own book.

Compare asteroid mining with what's planned to expand the Olympic Dam uranium mine in South Australia:

http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/08/olympic-dam-and-other-uranium-projects.html

Estimates are at least US$5 billion:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/olympic-dam-to-expand/2007/10/03/1191091194057.html

I'm sure you'd love a lecture from Mark and I about how a crewed asteroid mining operation could be done for less. :cool:

[Sam Fraser]

Another mega-project that's been approved:

The Gorgon project plans to develop the Greater Gorgon gas fields, located between 130 km and 200 km off the north-west coast of Western Australia.

The project, which the government has estimated to cost A$50 billion, will be the largest resource project built in Australia

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIntegratedOilGas/idUSSYD42884920090818

Supply deals worth billions of dollars have already been inked with various companies and countries.

[klaks]

He's got a good course curriculum too on materials to study regarding asteroid mining.

[Sam Fraser]

Yes, klaks, see "2. Previous plans and proposals" here:

http://www.abundantplanet.org/curriculum

[Sam Fraser]

Following up on the planned Olympic mine expansion, the greed and shortsightedness of politicians never fails to surprise me:

Expansion at BHP Billiton Ltd.’s Olympic Dam mine, the world’s largest uranium deposit, is unlikely to proceed because of the Australian government’s planned mine profit tax, Morgan Stanley said.

“Our modeling of this project shows that the resources super profits tax reduces the net present value of the project to an extent that it becomes negative,” analyst Craig Campbell said today in a report. The expansion may cost between $20 billion and $40 billion, he said.

Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd plans to introduce a 40 percent tax from 2012 on mine profits.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-15/bhp-olympic-dam-expansion-unlikely-on-tax-morgan-stanley-says.html

[Sam Fraser]

Following up on the planned Olympic mine expansion, the greed and shortsightedness of politicians never fails to surprise me:

Expansion at BHP Billiton Ltd.’s Olympic Dam mine, the world’s largest uranium deposit, is unlikely to proceed because of the Australian government’s planned mine profit tax, Morgan Stanley said.

“Our modeling of this project shows that the resources super profits tax reduces the net present value of the project to an extent that it becomes negative,” analyst Craig Campbell said today in a report. The expansion may cost between $20 billion and $40 billion, he said.

Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd plans to introduce a 40 percent tax from 2012 on mine profits.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-15/bhp-olympic-dam-expansion-unlikely-on-tax-morgan-stanley-says.html

Over a year has passed since my last post on the Olympic Dam expansion, and only now has BHP Billiton "received environmental approval from the federal and South Australian governments":

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ENF-Olympic_Dam_expansion_gets_environmental_approvals-1010114.html

However, strict conditions were applied to the approvals. BHP Billiton will be required to commit to more than 150 conditions and obtain numerous licences and approvals. The conditions include establishing an offset area of about 140,000 hectares, biodiversity conservation and environment protection management programs and a comprehensive compliance strategy.

Harder for greenies to protest our offworld mining operations without their own oxygen supply. :cool: