From: mikkelhaaheim@gmail.com   
      
   I suspect that the NASA prize is looking for an option that is inexpensive,   
   lightweight, and low volume footprint. Inexpensive because NASA has a limited   
   budget, lightweght because they probably want it to be deployable with the   
   SLS/Orion, and low    
   footprint for the same reason. A high yield solution is quite simple. You   
   ground up the regolith, dissolve it in a liquid, pass the solution through a   
   large plasma torch or RF helicon, sort the rsultant particle stream with a   
   large magnetic field, and    
   collect the individual elements in suitable containers for each. The problem   
   is that you will probably need a dedicated military grade nuclear reactor to   
   run the assembly, or a solar array too large to send in a single launch. The   
   latter has too much    
   mass and too great a footprint. The former costs too much, and will face a lot   
   of political opposition. It might prove to be the most viable solution, but it   
   means that NASA would need to rethink its mission philosophy.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)