[ExI] Mining the Sky SL Talk I gave today

[Adrian Tymes]

--- On Mon, 4/26/10, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> I have heard that suggestion, but my intuition is that
> there all materials
> on asteroids are more valuable in interplanetary space than
> they are on the
> deck.

In the long run, almost certainly.  Eventually there will be
a use for them up there.

For the first asteroid, or even the first few?  No.  There is
no immediate use for them up there, because there is nothing
and no one to make use of them up there.  The point is to set
up the conditions where such people and things will come to
be up there - but you still have to fund the mission before
that happens.  And before that happens, they're far more
valuable down here - again, for the first few.

> In any case, I continue to think none of it would be worth
> the cost to
> re-enter the atmosphere for the small amount any material
> is increased in
> value here vs in space.

Current spot price of platinum, USD per kg, for delivery to
points on Earth's surface: 56,200.

Current spot price of platinum, USD per kg, for delivery to
orbit: 0.

A thing is worth what someone will pay for it.  Also, you
can't get from X to Y by simply assuming you are already at
Y.