[ExI] [astro] Space firm about to make a big announcement. I take a stab at what it is.

[Eugen Leitl]

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/04/18/space-firm-about-to-make-a-big-announcement-i-take-a-stab-at-what-it-is/

Space firm about to make a big announcement. I take a stab at what it is.

I’m overwhelmed with work right now prepping for a half dozen different
things, but I had to make some comment on a press release I just got in the
mail.

Here’s the important bit [emphasis mine]:

    Join visionary Peter H. Diamandis, M.D.; leading commercial space
entrepreneur Eric Anderson; former NASA Mars mission manager Chris Lewicki;
and planetary scientist & veteran NASA astronaut Tom Jones, Ph.D. on Tuesday,
April 24 at 10:30 a.m. PDT in Seattle, or via webcast, as they unveil a new
space venture with a mission to help ensure humanity’s prosperity.

    Supported by an impressive investor and advisor group, including Google’s
Larry Page & Eric Schmidt, Ph.D.; film maker & explorer James Cameron;
Chairman of Intentional Software Corporation and Microsoft’s former Chief
Software Architect Charles Simonyi, Ph.D.; Founder of Sherpalo and Google
Board of Directors founding member K. Ram Shriram; and Chairman of Hillwood
and The Perot Group Ross Perot, Jr., the company will overlay two critical
sectors – space exploration and natural resources – to add trillions of
dollars to the global GDP. This innovative start-up will create a new
industry and a new definition of ‘natural resources’.

Well now, what could that mean? What natural resources are there in space?
Solar energy might count, but I have a strong suspicion what they’re really
talking about is asteroid mining.

Yes, you heard me. Let me be VERY clear: I’m speculating here. I have no more
info on this than what I’ve quoted there, but it fits what the release says.
Peter Diamandis is a big thinker, to put it mildly. His Wikipedia page should
give you a taste of that. Asteroid mining is big enough for him to be
interested in it! And heck, he said as much in his TED talk.

The engineering behind it would be fearsome. We’re a ways out from being able
to do this, but if we had a big rocket — say SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy (though I
don’t see any SpaceX folks listed in the release) — then getting an operation
to a near-Earth asteroid is feasible. Even a rocky asteroid would have metals
in it, and we can pick in advance one that has a higher abundance of metals.
And like I said in my TED talk, we can move asteroids around if we’re
patient.

If I were being optimistic, I might say something like this could get off the
ground in 20 years or so, depending on several variables, and maybe sooner.
Let me be frank: I don’t think this is a crazy idea.

This’ll take a lot of money… but he seems to have some fairly wealthy people
— billionaires, and more than one — affiliated with this. So whatever idea
he’s got, he’s being backed very seriously for it.

I have lots of other thoughts on this, but I think I’ll hold them back for
now due to lack of info. The press release says the group is planning on
making the announcement on Tuesday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m. PDT. It’ll be
webcast, and I’ll post more info when I get it.

[UPDATE: Heh. MIT's Technology Review came to the same conclusion.]

Image credit: ESA 2010 MPS for OSIRIS Team.

MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/27776/

Are Ross Perot Jr. and Google's Founders Launching a New Asteroid Mining
Operation?

An impressive array of backers are behind the new firm Planetary Resources.

Christopher Mims 04/18/2012

    14 Comments


On Tuesday, a new company called Planetary Resources will announce its
existence at the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery at The Museum of Flight in
Seattle. It's not clear what the firm does, but its roster of backers incudes
Google cofounders Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, filmmaker James Cameron,
former Microsoftie (and space philanthropist) Charles Simonyi, and Ross Perot
Jr., son of the former presidential candidate.

According to the company's press release (below):

    [...] the company will overlay two critical sectors – space exploration
and natural resources – to add trillions of dollars to the global GDP. This
innovative start-up will create a new industry and a new definition of
‘natural resources’.

That sounds like asteroid mining. Because what else is there in space that we
need here on earth? Certainly not a livable climate or a replacement for our
dwindling supplies of oil.

* * *

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 18, 2012

*** Media Alert *** Media Alert *** Media Alert ***

Space Exploration Company to Expand Earth's Resource Base

WHAT:             Join visionary Peter H. Diamandis, M.D.; leading commercial
space entrepreneur Eric Anderson; former NASA Mars mission manager Chris
Lewicki; and planetary scientist & veteran NASA astronaut Tom Jones, Ph.D. on
Tuesday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m. PDT in Seattle, or via webcast, as they
unveil a new space venture with a mission to help ensure humanity's
prosperity.

			Supported by an impressive investor and advisor
group, including Google’s Larry Page & Eric Schmidt, Ph.D.; film maker &
explorer James Cameron; Chairman of Intentional Software Corporation and
Microsoft’s former Chief Software Architect Charles Simonyi, Ph.D.; Founder
of Sherpalo and Google Board of Directors founding member K. Ram Shriram; and
Chairman of Hillwood and The Perot Group Ross Perot, Jr., the company will
overlay two critical sectors – space exploration and natural resources – to
add trillions of dollars to the global GDP. This innovative start-up will
create a new industry and a new definition of ‘natural resources’.

The news conference will be held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle on
Tuesday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m. PDT and available online via webcast.

WHEN:             Tuesday, April 24

			10:30 a.m. PDT

WHO:               Charles Simonyi, Ph.D., Space Tourist, Planetary
Resources, Inc. Investor

Eric Anderson, Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, Planetary Resources, Inc.

Peter H. Diamandis, M.D., Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, Planetary Resources, Inc.

Chris Lewicki, President & Chief Engineer, Planetary Resources, Inc.

Tom Jones, Ph.D., Planetary Scientist, Veteran NASA Astronaut & Planetary
Resources, Inc. Advisor

WHERE:           Charles Simonyi Space Gallery at The Museum of Flight

9404 East Marginal Way South  

Seattle, WA 98108

Event will also be streamed online.
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