Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2013/01/22/new_asteroid_mining_firm_deep_space_industries/
Another new asteroid-mining firm: 'First commercial space fleet'
Plus 'breakthrough' in space manufacturing
Posted in Science, 22nd January 2013 06:05 GMT
A new space mining venture is all set to do battle with James Cameron’s asteroid mining outfit in an industry that isn’t even certain to be possible yet.
Deep Space Industries will announce “the world’s first fleet of commercial asteroid-prospecting spacecraft” later today in Santa Monica. The cosmic drill firm’s founders, “who include leaders in the space field”, will also be unveiled.
Adventurer and film-maker James Cameron announced early last year that he would join forces with Googlers Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, along with former Microsoftie Charles Simonyi and others, to set up his own asteroid mining biz, Planetary Resources.
Unfortunately for all prospecting space-goers, the actual technicalities of mining any asteroids in any sort of meaningful or profitable way are somewhat daunting, as more than one Reg hack has pointed out. However, Deep Space Industries is promising an animated video that shows off not just its spacecraft but “a breakthrough process for manufacturing in space”.
The company also claims to be “pursuing an aggressive schedule” for its mining ventures. ®