Dear Friends,
Why go into space? Money, that’s why. There is money to be made there. Not a pittance for lugging some gawking tourists there. I’m talking pay off national debt money. The scenarios are as varied as human imagination.
Mining a Near Earth Asteroid (NEAR) for example. The person or firm who figures out to build and get an automated mining and smelting operation on a NEAR as it passes close to Earth. Then in the two or so years when it returns to Earth’s vicinity, perhaps using a spring loaded catapult, it sends the refined ore to Earth’s orbit to be picked up there. Returning every few years sending another few tons of rare metal to Earth. NEARs that are Nichol/Iron and have sufficient mass have tons of platinum and other valuable metals. Metals that are rare on Earth but common in asteroids. (As have been found in meteorites). I dunno, what’s a few tons of Monozite or Dysprosium worth these days?
Companies that build infrastructure can be well placed when a technology fruits. Provided they are innovative and have an ear for the demands of the markets. Some ideas are probably useful in sheltering people on the moon as are for polar habitats. There are as many possibilities as are companies. No one knows what could possibly be needed.
Rather than get tedious I’ll cut to the chase. This example of mining a NEAR for say a few tons of rare metals every few years placed in Earth’s orbit would not only make the owners of such a device Rothschild wealthy but would have ripple effects throughout the world economy.
Some of the metal would probably be used in Earth orbit to manufacture goods that are impossible to make and cast in gravity. Glassy metals for example. These new products would improve the standard of living for the worlds people in ways that we cannot fathom. Some of the metal would be sent to Earth. Tons of some rare metal dumped on the worlds commodity market would spike the price down for a short time. That would in turn drive up demand to make use of the new resource on the worlds markets. Lowering the price of goods and improving the standard of living for the people of the world.
Of course the people or person who thinks of a feasible way to mine NEARs will be wealthier than Bill Gates. Wars are fought over less money. That won’t make then bad people. Improving the lot of man makes them heroes. Winners that make winners of all the rest of us… Who would begrudge them money?
