James Cameron’s latest far out idea: Asteroid mining? – by Michael Lewis (Toronto Star – April 24, 2012)

The Toronto Star, has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

Former NASA scientists backed by high-profile billionaires including Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, Google co-founder Larry Page and U.S. businessman Ross Perot Jr. appear poised to unveil the world’s first commercial space mining venture.

Speculation is that the company will map out plans to mine metals from asteroids captured in orbit near the Earth.
 
A California startup company has issued an invitation to a press briefing Tuesday at Seattle’s Museum of Flight to unveil a project that will “create a new industry and new definition of natural resources . . . to expand Earth’s resource base.”

While the invitation from Planetary Resources Inc. keeps details under wraps, it says the project “will overlay space exploration and natural resources . . . to add trillions of dollars to the global GDP.”
 
Once the stuff of apocalyptical science fiction, experts say the idea of mining asteroids is audacious, but not implausible.
 
Iain Christie, chief executive of Ottawa’s Neptec Design Group, a NASA contractor, said he believes a commercially viable space mining operation could be established well within our lifetimes.
 
“It is certainly out there, but nothing is going to happen unless someone tries it.”
 
He said scientists and engineers have been working on technologies including space propulsion systems that would allow the movement of asteroids, many of which are composed almost entirely of rare metals not found in comparable concentrations on Earth.
 
Moreover, he said space mining could help alleviate demands on the planet’s dwindling supply of industrial commodities while sparing the environment from the ravages of mining for resources such as platinum.

And while studies have concluded it is feasible to retrieve metals from asteroids using existing or near-term technologies, he said there is a “leap of faith” in some of the propulsion schemes being developed.

For the rest of this article, please go to the Toronto Star website: http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1166680–james-cameron-s-latest-far-out-idea-asteroid-mining