Also more valuable elements – gold and platinum group metals. The value of precious metal reserves is estimat in different ways, some scientists put the amount at $10 quintln. And the cost of all the resources of the Main Asteroid Belt is estimat at $700 quintlon, which is almost $90 billion for every inhabitant of the Earth. If we consider not such large asteroids, scientists say that even in a small celestial body with a diameter of about a kilometer, the metal fraction can reach 200 million tons. It is mostly iron, with some nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals, which could be worth over $150 billion.
The lack of technology that would
In a special database they collect approximate data on the Turkey Phone Number List cost of more than 600 thousand asteroids. The sums are bas on mass and spectral type. For example, the value of Ryugu, whose soil sample has already been obtain on Earth, is estimat at $82.76 billion, and the possible profit is $30.08 billion. Missions for loot or science? will not be carri out soon. Currently, all missions are research only. There are several reasons. Allow such heavy loads to be deliver to Earth and land safely at the same time. In addition, modern chemical rocket engines are very harmful to the atmosphere.
The cost of extracting gold will be more
They require a lot of fuel, and there are limit supplies USA CFO on Earth. On one side of the scale – the delivery of millions of tons of fossils from space, on the other – the atmosphere and, possibly, life on Earth in general. Therefore, new, more environmentally friendly engines are ne. Mining in space is an expensive process: Than the profit from the sale. Lack of infrastructure in space: for example, you ne refueling points, robotic stations, a foundation for mineral processing. At the same time, it is important to take into account that the process will take place in zero gravity, the choice of technology depends on this.