Is Space Mining Feasible?

Roland Piquepaille writes "There is a large amount of precious minerals on the Moon and Mars. Would it be feasible to bring these valuable materials back on Earth? Space.com says that mining specialists and space engineers, who gathered at the latest Space Resources Roundtable, think the answer is yes. But there are many issues to solve. The first one is to build a permanent base. Then, you have to live on space resources. The article looks at other issues, such as strategic and economic potentials, before examining legal concerns about working conditions and extraterrestrial resource ownership. As the article says about lawyers, it 'turns out you can't leave Earth without them.' This summary contains more details and a rendering of a possible commercial Lunar base."

Comments

Really Bad Idea

[missing000]

NASA is a bloated, inept bureaucracy that needs to die. Kill them and set up something akin to the FAA to regulate takeoffs and landings.

That would just be worse. The FAA already regulates atmospheric travel in the US, so I'm sure they are more than capable of regulating rockets traveling through that space.

Setting up more agencies to 'regulate' an industry that has yet to prove commercial viability is insane. Unless there is a breakthrough of major proportions, for-profit space missions are going to be sparse at best.

Would you like to 'regulate' WiFi as well? Infant industries need space to play, not regulations to follow.

Also, there is no real problem with most of what NASA does in terms of exploration. It just has some massive bloat in a few programs (Shuttle, ISS, etc.) that could be overhauled with less expensive and more scientific solutions.

Re:Why so much concern for Earth?

[SharpFang]

Thank you very much, as long as people -think- about war on Earth, I don't wish a highly effective microwave beam on Moon that can be directed at arbitrary place on Earth, effectively frying anyone who opposes whoever controls the beam.