NASA says space mining can solve climate change, food security and other Earthly issues
Space agency’s energy advisor says not to just think about countries when talking about continuing humanity outside Earth
Space mining is a reality, so the public and private sector need to collaborate, not compete, to advance humanity, a top NASA official told CNBC on Friday.
Alongside tourism, mining is a major hot-button area of research in the multi-billion dollar space industry.
Asteroids are rich with minerals that are rare on Earth. One platinum-rich 500 metre-wide asteroid could contain about 174 times the world’s yearly output of the metal, and 1.5 times the known global reserves of platinum-group metals, according to US firm Planetary Resources, one of the major asteroid mining players.
The hope is that asteroids near Earth can become developed into mining centres that can send refined materials, rare metals and even clean energy to Earth, Jose Cordeiro, NASA’s energy advisor, told CNBC.
So much energy lies beyond Earth that it can help resolve Earthly issues, such as climate change, water and food security, he added.
But with any new frontier lies the thorny issue of regulation.
“We shouldn’t think about countries when talking about the universe, we should be talking about planets. Thinking just about the USA, Russia or China is not the way to go, we have to think about humanity and its continuation outside Earth,” Cordeiro explained.
Interplanetary travel is important for the future of humanity, just as artificial intelligence is for the human condition, he insisted.
“Going to the Moon was fundamental for humanity and a trip to Mars will do the same...We simply need more collaboration.”
