Chinese researchers look at capturing asteroids in Earth orbit for study and $$$

[Matthiasa]

What mineral is there possibly on an asteroid that such a plan would actually produce a profit?? The bigger the asteroid, the higher the energy costs of nudging it into Earth orbit. How much did it cost to bring back a few moon rocks? Name anything that costs even 5% of that amount.

If it were to be covered in helium 3 it could be worth it... but that's just about it for natural things at that cost.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

What mineral is there possibly on an asteroid that such a plan would actually produce a profit?? The bigger the asteroid, the higher the energy costs of nudging it into Earth orbit. How much did it cost to bring back a few moon rocks? Name anything that costs even 5% of that amount.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium

Also, the asteroid would be much closer to earth than the moon, and I'm sure it's possible to develop a cheap (relative to going to the moon to get it) way to drop some rocks from earths orbit to the planet using robotics to mine it off the asteroid.

 

[Svnla]

China will then claim all of asteroids in the universe based on "historic" evidences. <snickering>

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

What mineral is there possibly on an asteroid that such a plan would actually produce a profit?? The bigger the asteroid, the higher the energy costs of nudging it into Earth orbit. How much did it cost to bring back a few moon rocks? Name anything that costs even 5% of that amount.

China doesn't need to make a profit. It just needs to get shit done and they take the long view, not live by the next quarter market results. That's a huge advantage.

Besides, this isn't a real scientific problem, not even an energy delivery one. Don't put nuke reactor motors on the thing, hang a huge solar sail to gradually alter the orbit. That's doable. Returning and asteroid for earth mining doesn't seem efficient, but if you wanted a source of raw material for exploration vehicles you have it right in orbit. Of course new techniques for refining and manufacturing items in space is right there.

When someone wakes up and realizes that Earth launched space vehicles are as dumb as a mud fence and builds a space elevator there will be a way to put hardware into orbit to complete the needed supply chain.

We can have ships moving throughout the solar system in a hundred years. It seems they will most likely have Chinese names.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

just revisiting james burke's excellent connections and found this jaw-dropping gem on apollo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_0OR4JLEeg

"and before you say 'good. waste of money,' in the same period american women spent the same amount on cosmetics"

 

[sdifox]

This is obviously a plot to destroy all western satellites, then drop the Near Earth Objects (NEOs!) on the enemies of Socialism with a Chinese Characteristics.