[ExI] Nukes was less expensive energy

[Dennis May]

I wrote:
 
> I see automated and remote mining and manufacturing
> ahead of human presence as the way to get space
> industrialization done on the cheap.  A few high value
> products and materials would be worth sending back
> to Earth.
 
Keith Henson wrote:

> But perhaps you have ideas I missed.  Can you be 
> specific about what could be mined or manufactured 
> in space and sent back to earth at a profit?
 
Low-g mining done remotely on asteroids and ice bodies
can process nickel-iron for further infrastructure building
on low-g and free flying structures.  The first generation
involves many small remote control mining devices to
build the technology.  There is good reason to believe
heavy metals would have collected in the cores of 
whatever failed planet bodies became the asteroid belt.
 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907132044.htm  
"During the formation of Earth, molten iron sank to  
its centre to make the core. This took with it the vast  
majority of the planet's precious metals -- such as  
gold and platinum. In fact, there are enough precious  
metals in the core to cover the entire surface of Earth  
with a four-metre thick layer."  
"Our work shows that most of the precious metals  
on which our economies and many key industrial  
processes are based have been added to our planet  
by lucky coincidence when the Earth was hit by  
about 20 billion billion tonnes of asteroidal material."  
A busted up core in the asteroid belt should have more 
"Ore" than the surface of the Earth does.  The more
valuable ores could be shipped back to Earth.

I'm not interested in holding out for grand schemes
that never happen.  I want to see tiny remote control
mining operations demonstrating and keeping what
they mine and build upon.  Every government effort
is abandoned without leaving something to build 
upon.  Iron-nickel can be built upon and added to
creating a basis for ever expanding mining.  The up
front cost is the remote control center back on Earth 
and getting the small mining devices to the places
they can start mining and manufacturing.  At some
point enough infrastructure can be built remotely
to do repairs on existing infrastructure and simple
repairs to the remote control devices.  Avoid the
manned expenses until enough infrastructure exists
to justify it.  Remotes can build up resources in
advance to reduce the manned expenses.

Everyone would like there to be a golden egg
waiting in space to pay the way for industrialization.
If you wait for the golden egg it many never happen.
I say create the opportunity.

A remote mining demonstrator fusing iron-nickel
dust into useful structures might go a long way
towards opening up capital.

Dennis May
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