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Mining in space

Entrepreneurs plan to mine asteroids

A private company, Planetary Resources, announced plans this week to start a mission to mine asteroids for gold, platinum and rare minerals.

Asteroids are huge space rocks left over from the failed attempt to make a planet during the formation of our solar system. Varying in size from just 50 metres wide to over 10 miles long, asteroids orbit the Sun like planets.

The first step for Planetary Resources is to find asteroids near Earth which could be mined. There are currently around 150 near-Earth asteroids are thought to be good targets for mining.

To find suitable asteroids, telescopes will be launched into space. These telescopes will search for asteroids with lots of metals, rare minerals or frozen water. Planetary Resources want to start mining asteroids within five to ten years.

As well as mining asteroids, Planetary Resources plans to build a fuel station in space. Some asteroids carry frozen water. Water from asteroids could be broken down to liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for rocket fuel. It could then be used to refuel commercial satellites or space ships, directly in space.

This work will be dangerous and difficult. Planetary Resources plans to use robots to mine the asteroids, make the fuel and carry out refuelling.

Founders of Planetary Resources include the creator of Google, Larry Page, and the film director and explorer, James Cameron.

Scientists aren't convinced. They don't think that mining asteroids would be cost-effective. It will cost a lot of money to build the technology to mine asteroids, fly to the asteroids and then bring the metals back. Nasa is launching an expedition to test the idea of mining an asteroid. They estimate that it will cost $1 billion to bring back 60 grams of metal worth around $2,000.

However, Planetary Resources argue that although the company won't make money straight away, it will be very profitable within a few years.

Click here to see an interactive slideshow about how asteroid mining might work.

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Mining in space

Space it seems, rather than towns such as Berwick-on-Tweed and Gretna, is the new frontier for modern Scotland.

With plans being released this week to mine asteroids for gold, platinum and minerals, Scotland is also at the forefront of many exciting space missions. They are mapping space, searching for extraterrestrial life and sending rockets to Mars.

The first Scottish satellite is already due to be launched in 2013. Built by Glasgow-based company Clyde Space, the satellite will orbit just inside Earth's atmosphere. The satellite, UKube-1 will test new technologies in space.

Last month, the most detailed infra-red image ever taken of our universe was released by a team from the University of Edinburgh. The image from the European Southern Observatory's VISTA telescope shows more than 200,000 galaxies. It even shows the most distant galaxy ever seen.

Glasgow University's new Space Glasgow Research Cluster is working on lots of projects. Next year's unmanned space missions will have parts built by the Space Glasgow Research Cluster. The university is also looking for alien bacteria and making drills to send to Mars.

Navigation systems for spacecraft are being designed at Dundee University's Space Technology Centre. The navigation systems will help spacecraft land safely on planets and asteroids in our solar system.

That's not all! The Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory (ASCL) at Strathclyde University is discovering new ways of travelling in space. ASCL director Professor Colin McInnes said his team has been "working with the European Space Agency and others on solar sail spacecraft". Solar sail spacecraft could travel to planets, asteroids and even the outer edges of the solar system.

Ross White, senior executive of aerospace, defence and marine at Scottish Enterprise, said: "Scotland has loads of capability and lots of fantastic companies and university research laboratories. We're seeing clusters of companies working together, universities working together and, even better, companies and universities working hand in hand on research and development projects."

All of these exciting projects bring money and jobs into Scotland. They will help Scotland's economy to grow. By 2030, Scotland will provide 10% of the UK's space-related employment and income.

Click here to see an interactive slideshow about how asteroid mining might work.

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