Quote from: RobotBeat[PRI has] a realistic early business plan that doesn't rely solely on just burning capital investment and which is technically very feasible.In all honesty, that remains to be seen. They still might burn thru capital without return.
[PRI has] a realistic early business plan that doesn't rely solely on just burning capital investment and which is technically very feasible.
You are assuming US jurisdiction. Outer Space is outside the US Territorial waters, so the 'Law of Nations' probably applies instead of the 'US Constitution'.Planetary Resources and its machines could be arrested and tried before say a Chinese court. The charge may be something like committing an 'Unauthorised activity in space'.
You do know that it's a little early to answer all these questions, right?
Western representatives successfully argued that western miners and prospectors were performing valuable services by promoting commerce and settling new territory. In 1865, Congress passed a law that instructed courts deciding questions of contested mining rights to ignore federal ownership, and defer to the miners in actual possession of the ground.
Quote from: A_M_Swallow on 04/25/2012 11:52 pmYou are assuming US jurisdiction. Outer Space is outside the US Territorial waters, so the 'Law of Nations' probably applies instead of the 'US Constitution'.Planetary Resources and its machines could be arrested and tried before say a Chinese court. The charge may be something like committing an 'Unauthorised activity in space'.Nope.The OST specifically mandates that nations are responsible for their nationals and their stuff in space. The Chinese could not arrest PR for space activities any more than the Chinese could arrest the captain of a US ship in the middle of the Atlantic.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 04/26/2012 04:40 amYou do know that it's a little early to answer all these questions, right?Thats not acceptable ! Everything needs to be planned out precisely 30 years in advance by a central planning committee.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 04/26/2012 04:40 amYou do know that it's a little early to answer all these questions, right?It most certainly is not. if someone talks about new trillion $$$ industries then they had better have the processes and economics worked out, at least in principle.
Quote from: Bill White on 04/25/2012 08:45 pm Strip out the other stuff using various chemical processes.If the asteroid fragment is metallic ... then Mond process would allow pure nickel and pure iron to be stripped off the fragment ...That will increase the PGM concentrations before dropping to Earth.How are you going to solid [solidify?] nickel iron alloy to particulate form in zero G?
Strip out the other stuff using various chemical processes.If the asteroid fragment is metallic ... then Mond process would allow pure nickel and pure iron to be stripped off the fragment ...That will increase the PGM concentrations before dropping to Earth.
How do you propose moving the process stream in zero G?
What are the waste products and how are they disposed of?
What is the likely mass of the plant (including all supporting infrastructure?
What product rate is likely?
Many non-metallic elements and compounds could simply be boiled off with direct application of focused solar energy, again increasing PGM concentration.
What are these compounds in a nickel-iron asteroid? What temperatures are required? What happens to them after they have been "boiled off'?
Quote from: Robotbeat on 04/26/2012 04:40 amYou do know that it's a little early to answer all these questions, right?It most certainly is not. if someone talks about new trillion $$$ industries then they ahd better have the processes and economics worked out, at least in principle.Remember Fritz Haber? Brilliant chemist, engineer and innovator. Thoughts that extracting gold from seawater would be a great way to pay of German debt. The $$$ value of gold in seawater is immense and there was a proven market and a need to generate national income. Great idea, came unstuck because of the process issues. Remember the various schemes to mine Mn nodules on the seafloor? Great in situ value, they are also rich in Ni and Co, the processing of the nodules poses no real challenges metallurgically, it is just the cost of mining them under 5 km of ocean makes them unattractive compared to on-land accumulations.Has anyone actually tried to process iron meteorites, preferably several different types because of the differences in chemistry and mineraology, various milling techniques and then the Mond process? The cost of buying a few 100 kg for bench top tests would be trivial for these guys. But absolutely essential for their credibility.
Apparently Neil deGrasse Tyson will be talking about Planetary Resources on The Daily Show. For some reason I doubt he'll even mention how much all this proves wrong his claims that only governments do exploration.
Quote from: QuantumG on 04/26/2012 06:40 amApparently Neil deGrasse Tyson will be talking about Planetary Resources on The Daily Show. For some reason I doubt he'll even mention how much all this proves wrong his claims that only governments do exploration.Where'd you hear about this? I Googled for a link, but couldn't find one.
My two cents on this thread that is quickly growing out of proportion. (So, my comment will most likely be lost in the mayhem... )I have no clue if Diamandis, Simonyi & co. will be able to pull something of, let alone if they have a valid business case. Time will tell...However, I do know one thing. There seems to be a new mantra among people who have more money than is good for them. It goes something like this: "We have way more money than we will ever be able to spend on earth! Let's spend it on space."To us, the space advocates, enthusiasts, and plain geeks, to us, this can only be good news.Like I said, only time will tell if it will 'change the game' in any way...
Quote from: Danderman on 04/26/2012 04:52 amQuote from: A_M_Swallow on 04/25/2012 11:52 pmYou are assuming US jurisdiction. Outer Space is outside the US Territorial waters, so the 'Law of Nations' probably applies instead of the 'US Constitution'.Planetary Resources and its machines could be arrested and tried before say a Chinese court. The charge may be something like committing an 'Unauthorised activity in space'.Nope.The OST specifically mandates that nations are responsible for their nationals and their stuff in space. The Chinese could not arrest PR for space activities any more than the Chinese could arrest the captain of a US ship in the middle of the Atlantic.It is perfectly legal to arrest a pirate in the middle of the Atlantic, even if he is flying a US flag.
The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty.
Remember Fritz Haber? Brilliant chemist, engineer and innovator. Thoughts that extracting gold from seawater would be a great way to pay of German debt. The $$$ value of gold in seawater is immense and there was a proven market and a need to generate national income. Great idea, came unstuck because of the process issues.