Startup announces asteroid mining venture
Posted: Wed, Apr 25, 2012, 7:35 AM ET (1135 GMT)
A startup company unveiled plans on Tuesday to develop a series of missions to prospect for water and other resources on near Earth asteroids and eventually those resources. Seattle-based Planetary Resources, Inc., plans to launch the first of its Arkyd line of spacecraft within two years. The small spacecraft will remain in Earth orbit, equipped with a telescope and sensors to identify asteroids with high amounts of water and other volatiles. Those asteroids will be visited by later missions, with ultimate plans to extract water ice from them to supply propellant depots. The company is also interested in later extracting precious metals from asteroids. The company is backed by a group of celebrity investors, including Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, and Ross Perot, Jr.
A startup company unveiled plans on Tuesday to develop a series of missions to prospect for water and other resources on near Earth asteroids and eventually those resources. Seattle-based Planetary Resources, Inc., plans to launch the first of its Arkyd line of spacecraft within two years. The small spacecraft will remain in Earth orbit, equipped with a telescope and sensors to identify asteroids with high amounts of water and other volatiles. Those asteroids will be visited by later missions, with ultimate plans to extract water ice from them to supply propellant depots. The company is also interested in later extracting precious metals from asteroids. The company is backed by a group of celebrity investors, including Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, and Ross Perot, Jr.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, March 21
Seven scientific benefits of ESA’s Genesis mission
ESA — 9:33 am ET (1333 GMT) Ukraine Is Suddenly on the Offensive, With Help From Elon Musk
Wall Street Journal — 9:32 am ET (1332 GMT) Starlink Has Privatized Geopolitics
Foreign Policy — 9:30 am ET (1330 GMT) SpaceX rocket blasts off from Vandenberg
San Luis Obispo (CA) Tribune — 9:29 am ET (1329 GMT) Key Space Force C2 Upgrade Still Faces Issues: Pentagon Report
Air and Space Forces Magazine — 9:28 am ET (1328 GMT) |
