Existing Multi-Nationals

[Bluesteel]

Does anyone know if any of the existing international mining companies have conducted any research into Asteroid Mining? I'm thinking of the like of Rio Tinto and similar companies. It would certainly impact their profit projections if vast resources became available to Earth from LEO or Legrange, if they had any sense it would be of interest even if it were only a distant prospect at this moment in time. Also, despite these recessionary times, they still have the financial clout to enter the off-world prospecting business quite rapidly, and with considerable resources.

I was going to do some research, but not wanting to 're-invent the bicycle', I thought I'd better ask if PERMANENT had already investigated?

Julian

[Sam Fraser]

Hello, Bluesteel. I don't know of any private, multinational or corporate studies, only publicly researched and published ones. (I think a few Japanese engineering companies have designed hypothetical lunar colonies, but that's about it.) I think this would be hugely beneficial to know, so any research you were able to uncover would be great!

[Bluesteel]

Hello, Bluesteel. I don't know of any private, multinational or corporate studies, only publicly researched and published ones. (I think a few Japanese engineering companies have designed hypothetical lunar colonies, but that's about it.) I think this would be hugely beneficial to know, so any research you were able to uncover would be great!
I had intended to undertake a mini research project along such lines as part of my Planetary Sciences & Astrophysics Degree I'm currently working through with the Open University. So I'll produce a summary of my findings and post here - maybe I'll post any interesting findings as I go, as it'll probably not be until Feb 2010 when I need to submit the final dissertation.

I'll need to devise a mini questionnaire to pop off to a good cross section of companies, so maybe I could post it here first to get some feedback as to the relevance of my questions?

Anyway, it had also occurred to me that if such companies have any intentions toward investigating extra-terrestrial resource harvesting, but as yet no firm plans, they could be potential sources of funding for PERMANENT.

Julian

[Sam Fraser]

Hi, Julian. Yes, I'm sure everyone will want to give feedback. If it helps both PERMANENT and your dissertation, I'm sure you can count us all in. Maybe we can make this a "Project To Do" and others might be able to help with researching this, too?

[Bluesteel]

Hi, Julian. Yes, I'm sure everyone will want to give feedback. If it helps both PERMANENT and your dissertation, I'm sure you can count us all in. Maybe we can make this a "Project To Do" and others might be able to help with researching this, too?
Thanks, that could be very useful.

One of the other related areas I'll also be looking into is the legal, political and psychological impact on societies once the ability to artificially manoeuvre NEO's becomes a reality. I have it in the back of my mind that any organisation that is capable of changing the orbit of an NEO instantly becomes more powerful than any leader of an Earth based Nation or International Group as, an accidental (or deliberate) path change of an NEO to intercept Earth Orbit, if the NEO is sufficiently large, makes nuclear weapons look rather weak in comparison. I think once the public come to terms with the increasing possibility of the potential orbital control of NEOs, there may well be a backlash from the Neo-Luddites - although in this case they may well have a point. So advocacy groups need to be ahead of the game.

Julian