Asteroid mission
September 19th, 2008 Posted in AstronomyThis could prove interesting:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7623411.stm
European scientists are planning to send a probe to a near-Earth asteroid sometime in the next decade, and to return a sample to Earth. This is particularly promising as it is believed that many asteroids may store extraordinary levels of mineral wealth. The home page for the science mission is here.
Interesting economics question: What turmoil would be unleashed on world markets if, for example, a large supply of Platinum group metals were to be discovered on a nearby asteroid? What would be the mining cost? It seems to me that one of the greatest barriers to space exploration is the lack of incentive. This would be a pretty good one.
