We hear more often now of private industry taking aim at extraterrestrial mining. What do you think - is this a good idea?
Featured this week on Science Friday podcast:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201204274 (http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201204274)
"A private company has unveiled plans to mine precious metals and water from nearby asteroids. Planetary Resources co-founder Eric Anderson discusses the various stages of the mining process and how the excavated minerals could impact future space exploration and innovation on Earth."
(http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z459/daves8500/SpaceEconomy_7-s.jpg)
A poster discussing the asteroid mining operation. Image courtesy Planetary Resources, Inc.