NASA Now Accepting Applications From Companies That Want To Mine the Moon

cold fjord writes "The Verge reports, "NASA is now working with private companies to take the first steps in exploring the moon for valuable resources like helium 3 and rare earth metals. Initial proposals are due tomorrow for the Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown program (CATALYST). One or more private companies will win a contract to build prospecting robots, the first step toward mining the moon. Final proposals are due on March 17th, 2014. NASA has not said when it will announce the winner."

Comments

I need NASA's permission to mine the moon now?

[bazmail]

Hey NASA, race ya.

NASA?

[schneidafunk]

I didn't realize NASA owned the moon.

Space 1999, Sorta

[tiberus]

Okay, am I the only one have flashbacks to 13 September 1999, when the nuclear storage facility on Moonbase Alpha exploded sending the Moon hurtling out of orbit?

So, mine the Moon, ship the material to Earth... Um, won't this change it's mass and as a consequence, it's amount of gravity in generates and then it's orbit? Sorry for being all Doom & Gloom here.

Re:Space 1999, Sorta

[Minwee]

Um, the moon has a mass of 73,476,730,900,000,000,000,000 kilograms. A few million tons either way isn't even a dent in that.

There are entirely different reasons why you should worry about huge masses of rock being produced on the moon and thrown down to Earth.

Re:I'm afraid this means war

[GoodNewsJimDotCom]

We're all doomed when they mine away the Helium that's been keeping the moon floating up there. :P