From: sylvia@not.at.this.address   
      
   On 20/05/2010 10:06 PM, Alain Fournier wrote:   
   > Michael Turner wrote:   
   >   
   >>> So, does any one have any idea how we should mine asteroids?   
   >>>   
   >>> Alain Fournier   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Most of the H2O in asteroids is minerally bound. Lots of asteroids   
   >> have hit the Moon. We even know where they've hit: the craters are   
   >> easily visible.   
   >>   
   >> Yes, some asteroids out past Mars might have concentrations of ice.   
   >> But crossing such huge distances takes time, and you run into a   
   >> problem called The Time Value of Money: sometimes it doesn't matter   
   >> how much something would be worth if you could get it instantly as   
   >> long as there's some investment that would pay off sooner.   
   >   
   > That is a problem. I don't think that it necessarily kills the concept.   
   > It probably does kill the idea of mining the Kuyper Belt to send water   
   > to LEO. But the outer main belt is just a few years away,   
      
   The money clock doesn't start when the vehile sets off on its outward   
   journey to the Kuyper Belt, but much earlier, when vehicle development   
   begins, because that's when you start paying out money. Throw in the   
   risk element (which also has a monetary cost), and a viable business   
   looks very iffy indeed.   
      
   Sylvia.   
      
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