Will moon mining be banned?

[natr0n]

 

[silentbogo]

@natr0n
No-o-o-o-o... I'd rather have a disco comeback, than Season 11 about the Nazi moon base conspiracy...

 

[Steevo]

What a retarded idea. We have a planet made of the same stuff under our feet, and are willing to risk potentially destabilizing the moon and thus its effects on earth like tides that power a shit ton of our weather and help control oxygen and CO2 levels, as we know little about its structure in order to make a buck?

At the end of times there will be some asshole who says "For a short while we were able to create a glorious amount of wealth for our shareholders before we destroyed it all".

If anything we need to focus on creation of electric energy from stable and green sources like nuclear, geothermal and other sources. The abundance of power is what makes life easy and can allow us to achieve other great things, like using magnetic stabilized rail guns to get things into orbit instead of chemical rockets. Creation of safe short range wireless energy systems above or in roads for electric cars and trucks, smaller batteries, refrigeration for better food transport and storage. Nuclear transport ships instead of the fuel oil burners that pollute.

 

[Jetster]

Someone has been playing too much Eve

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I thought there was really nothing of value on nor in Luna. Additionally, it has to be damn valuable to make it worth the cost of getting it back to Earth. It just seems like an all around stupid proposition to me, especially for for-profit businesses.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

I am ok with regulated mining but only stuff that makes viable and reasonable sense ,h3 mining and such ,I mean only stuff we can't get here.
I like eco and green and all that but solar panels and turbines are not made out of leafs so I'm all for it conditionally.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

i think that minerals mined on the moon will predominantly stay on the moon.

Mine, process, 3 d print and build a moonbase -- all without even having to send any one there........

 

[MrGenius]

"Deep space mining is a lucrative business Ms. Daniels."

(see 1:35)

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I think economics will solve space mining so long as governments don't incentivize nor subsidies it. The profit margins will dictate what can and can't be mined.

i think that minerals mined on the moon will predominantly stay on the moon.

Mine, process, 3 d print and build a moonbase -- all without even having to send any one there........

I don't really have a problem with that. I still doubt enough resources are in/on the moon to even build a moon base.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Oxygen is the most common element, followed by silicon and iron.

The release of oxygen from the crust could be the most useful for a moon base, or for providing oxygen supplies for interplanetary ships.

 

[FYFI13]

one wondering ... if they mine it, it will diminish the mass of it ... thus it will affect the effect that the moon has on earth, right?

that can't be good nonetheless ...

Do you even realize mass of the moon and amount of resources we would mine from it? It's like filling up your swimming pool from the ocean.

 

[Palladium]

I think economics will solve space mining so long as governments don't incentivize nor subsidies it. The profit margins will dictate what can and can't be mined.


I don't really have a problem with that. I still doubt enough resources are in/on the moon to even build a moon base.

I think you vastly overestimate the competence of corporate capitalism.

 

[R-T-B]

I think you vastly overestimate the competence of corporate capitalism.

I think everyone here massively overestimates the value of the moon, at least economically speaking.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Titanium on the moon is primarily found in the mineral ilmenite, a compound that contains iron, titanium and oxygen. If humans one day mine on the moon, they could break down ilmenite to separate these elements.

Furthermore, Apollo data indicated that titanium-rich minerals are more efficient at retaining solar wind particles, such as helium and hydrogen. These gases would likely be vital resources in the construction of lunar colonies and for exploration of the moon.

The highest abundance of titanium in similar rocks on Earth hovers around 1 percent or less, titanium on the moon range from about 1 percent to a little more than 10 percent.

Galilleo picture recorded through three spectral filters and combined in an exaggerated false-color scheme to explore the composition of the lunar surface as changes in mineral content produce subtle colour differences in reflected light.

If one metric ton of material was removed everyday from the Moon it would take 200 million years to deplete 1 % of its' mass.........

 

[AsRock]

As if humans not destroy enough already....

We destroy the moon we will only know about it for a short while. . And yes we need to learn to look after what we have before screwing up other places.

Why you think the Matrix was such a hit .

 

[GreiverBlade]

Do you even realize mass of the moon and amount of resources we would mine from it? It's like filling up your swimming pool from the ocean.

do not underestimate humans ... it will happen if they let them do it ...

and yes, i do realize the mass of the moon.

Titanium on the moon is primarily found in the mineral ilmenite, a compound that contains iron, titanium and oxygen. If humans one day mine on the moon, they could break down ilmenite to separate these elements.

Furthermore, Apollo data indicated that titanium-rich minerals are more efficient at retaining solar wind particles, such as helium and hydrogen. These gases would likely be vital resources in the construction of lunar colonies and for exploration of the moon.

The highest abundance of titanium in similar rocks on Earth hovers around 1 percent or less, titanium on the moon range from about 1 percent to a little more than 10 percent.

Galilleo picture recorded through three spectral filters and combined in an exaggerated false-color scheme to explore the composition of the lunar surface as changes in mineral content produce subtle colour differences in reflected light.

If one metric ton of material was removed everyday from the Moon it would take 200 million years to deplete 1 % of its' mass.........

well lucky for us then ... in 200mio yrs human will be long extinguished ... (or somewhere else in the galaxy/universe) soooo no need to care of the consequences then

The moon has less of an effect as time goes on anyway. It is moving steadily away from the Earth, although at such a slow, almost imperceptible rate that it will be a billion years or more before the moon is finally free of our gravity and the Earth becomes nearly uninhabitable because of the loss of the moon.

If anything, mining the moon and bringing mass to Earth, will actually slow the rate at which the moon pulls away from us, due to less mass there and more mass here.

@Knoxx29, it's not about going there. It's about mining.

mmhhh not wrong ... as usual you are the most correct user on that forum ... instead of bashing, you give a valid point (which i also thought about ... but since human are rather "destroyer" than "savior" i shadowed the actual fact that the moon is slowly going away from earth) well humans will go extinct in way less than billions year from today ... they are actually working on it ...

 

[dorsetknob]

Mining on the Moon should be permitted only as a preliminary to excavating and Building a INTERNATIONAL subterranean Base
where Man (and woman) will be a little Safer from Radiation and impact Damage.
There will still be a need for Some surface installation's But Most of it should be Subsurface

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

I like cheese

 

[dorsetknob]

wot about

 

[R-T-B]

Wait the moon is made of cheese?

Fuck my vote, mine it all!

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

 

[Totally]

I have the feeling that it won't be riiggggghhhhht up to the point, someone screws up and a chunk of the moon ends up falling on us. Afterwards the Mining Co. CEO buys some airtime on TV to say with questionable sincerity "We're Sorry."

 

[hat]

It seems a little early to be talking about mining the moon...

 

[MrGenius]

It seems a little early to be talking about mining the moon...

You must have skipped over the link in post #1. Let me quote from it for you...

Moon Express, the first private company in history to be granted permission to travel beyond the Earth's orbit, says it will mine the moon for riches.

The Silicon Valley startup was given permission by the United States government to plan a lunar mission last year and has since raised investment to the tune of $45m (£35.55m).

It aims to make the trip by the end of this year and hopes to acquire Helium 3 and Platinum-grade material to invest in further trips and to create a "multi-planetary society".

Naveen Jain, chairman and co-founder of Moon Express, appearing on CNBC, said: "We're going to land on the moon this year – and I've been waiting to say that for so long.

"It is going to be this year and the first mission is going to be a robotics mission and we're going to be exploring the moon for the natural resources.

 

[hat]

Granted I didn't read the entire story... but it just doesn't seem feasible to me to actually mine the moon. Maybe I'm wrong...