6 replies to this topic

[T C]

James Cameron and a whole bunch of other billionaires from Google are starting...

A MOTHERFUCKING ASTEROID MINING COMPANY

I literally cannot contain my excitement over this. There were rumors a few days ago and I couldn't stop talking about it, and now it's confirmed.

This is, honestly, going to be one of the most controversial, important, and economically impactful acts taken by the human race, ever. The beginning of the commercialization of space, and the staggering amount of resources it will provide us with, are going to completely change human civilization. Maybe not in the first few decades, but after a century or so this is going to look like the biggest step humanity took since harnessing electricity.

And even if it doesnt, ASTEROID MINING. This shit is going to be awesome

[hansman1982]

Now we just need Ben Aflack to man the first shuttle and human civilization will be set.

[Cubbie Blues]

What are the chances they find Unobtainium on a planet with giant blue people on it? Cameron would look like Nostradamus.

[Luke]

This is cool.

Also high on the cool scale is Icarus Interstellar. I've been working with Icarus on a few (unannounced and NDA'd) things since I spoke at the 100 Year Starship conference last fall. The plan... and it is a very believable plan... is to achieve human interstellar flight by the year 2100. Orbital asteroid mining operations mesh with that goal perfectly.

And I think there is even more cool stuff coming in the not too distant future (within the decade, perhaps). I'm also tapped into a sort of a bleeding edge science/technology discussion group, and there has been a lot of chatter on it lately regarding cost-efficiency ratios on some new types of nuclear reactors, orbital solar panels arrays that would beam energy back to earth via microwaves, and some speculative new research that is hinting towards the feasibility of creating some particles that have negative mass and would therefor be capable (maybe) of allowing us to take advantages of some theoretical loopholes that would enable the functional equivalent to faster than light travel.

We're moving into an era of heightened and sustained awesomeness.

[T C]

This is cool.

Also high on the cool scale is Icarus Interstellar. I've been working with Icarus on a few (unannounced and NDA'd) things since I spoke at the 100 Year Starship conference last fall. The plan... and it is a very believable plan... is to achieve human interstellar flight by the year 2100. Orbital asteroid mining operations mesh with that goal perfectly.

And I think there is even more cool stuff coming in the not too distant future (within the decade, perhaps). I'm also tapped into a sort of a bleeding edge science/technology discussion group, and there has been a lot of chatter on it lately regarding cost-efficiency ratios on some new types of nuclear reactors, orbital solar panels arrays that would beam energy back to earth via microwaves, and some speculative new research that is hinting towards the feasibility of creating some particles that have negative mass and would therefor be capable (maybe) of allowing us to take advantages of some theoretical loopholes that would enable the functional equivalent to faster than light travel.

We're moving into an era of heightened and sustained awesomeness.

I want to know every possible, non-confidential thing that there is to know about everything you mentioned haha

[hansman1982]

This is cool. Also high on the cool scale is Icarus Interstellar. I've been working with Icarus on a few (unannounced and NDA'd) things since I spoke at the 100 Year Starship conference last fall. The plan... and it is a very believable plan... is to achieve human interstellar flight by the year 2100. Orbital asteroid mining operations mesh with that goal perfectly. And I think there is even more cool stuff coming in the not too distant future (within the decade, perhaps). I'm also tapped into a sort of a bleeding edge science/technology discussion group, and there has been a lot of chatter on it lately regarding cost-efficiency ratios on some new types of nuclear reactors, orbital solar panels arrays that would beam energy back to earth via microwaves, and some speculative new research that is hinting towards the feasibility of creating some particles that have negative mass and would therefor be capable (maybe) of allowing us to take advantages of some theoretical loopholes that would enable the functional equivalent to faster than light travel. We're moving into an era of heightened and sustained awesomeness.

I want to know every possible, non-confidential thing that there is to know about everything you mentioned haha

I want to know everything, I swear I am not a Russian spy! To think that it took 50 years to go from not flying to landing on the moon and then a mere 150 years to go from the moon to Alpha Centauri is AMAZING. Odd to think that some day, when my kid retires from the Cubs after hurling 15 perfect games, winning 400 games, pitching 7000 strikeouts with only 12 walks and single-handedly winning 10 world series, he might take a vacation to the moon.

[fromthemitten]

Are they going to be mining He-3? That would be awesome