[Husky]

What has the potential possibility of asteroid mining, and mining of near-Earth comets and perhaps one day minor planets, mean for the future of technocracy and superabundance of resources? Currently, the quality of the ore and the consequent cost and mass of equipment required to extract it are unknown and can only be speculated, but the potential is immense.

Many elements we mine currently on Earth came originally from the rain of asteroids that hit Earth after the crust cooled.

A few extraction techniques:

Surface mining:

On some types of asteroids, material may be scraped off the surface using a scoop or auger, or for larger pieces, an "active grab." There is strong evidence that many asteroids consist of rubble piles, making this approach possible.

Magnetic rakes:

Asteroids with a high metal content may be covered in loose grains that can be gathered by means of a magnet

Just an example of how awesome this could be: a small M-type asteroid with a mean diameter of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) could contain more than two billion metric tons of iron–nickel ore.

[Figlio di Moros]

What it would mean-

Resources are already plentiful, the issue is inefficient extraction methods and the financial markets driving up costs. Asteroid mining would have the same problem, in that if we don't invest in increasing availability and efficiency of space exploration or equipment, private industry will maintain a premium for the exclusive rights to unlimited resources. For instance, diamonds, or the paradox in wages wherein higher wages across the board mean migher consumable income while an individual advantage in lower wages means a higher profit margin. What it means for a post-scarcity is that even though it would freely be able to provide abundant resources to people, private industry is encouraged to take an opposite approach that increases scarcity.

What techniques would be employed-

You provided two good ideas, but without public investments no technique will be realized. Notice how private space travel is fifty years behind sputnik; without public investments in our space program and colonization, the means and technology of mining asteroids will still be out of reach.

[Typhoon]

Very little I imagine, the costs (get to site, mine and potentially process (support operations) materials and ship back) for the relatively modest gains would be too high. Gravity has done a lot of the hard work in aggregating these rocks into larger masses, why go to mine an at maximum 1000 km asteroid when you can go mine a 3300 km planet for less effort and more rewards?

The only reasons I can think of is if that body contained something particularly useful such as a supply of water at a difficult to reach place (stepping stone) or a very very rare and invaluable element for the iPhone.

[Figlio di Moros]

1) Lower escape velocity and easier access.

2) The issue of energy expenditure is addressed through public investments. By increasing funding in space exploration, you build both the means for cheaper surface to LEO transfer, and the infrastructure for LEO launch/return patterns for processing materials.

[Ummon]

Over time I think the barriers to space will become easier due to a) metamaterials (we can almost achieve the tensile strength needed for a space elevator) 2) magnetic launch systems similar to railguns etc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-rocket_spacelaunch c) http://venturebeat.com/2014/02/08/guy-b ... -backyard/ projects like these (though admittedly b & c are only for low mass low earth orbit stuff) d) stuff like Mars One http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/12/opinion/b ... ?hpt=hp_c2

http://www.mars-one.com/

[Ummon]

this is a good one that has to do with asteroid mining. We could really solve limited rare earth's metals doing this. There is so much wealth in space

[TechnocracyTNAT]

"After all, we had one individual last night that said we were going to get iron ore from the moon. You know, they've been reading those what-do-you-call them where they're going to have these spaceships fly to Mars and load up with iron ore and come back. Well, but wait a minute, this is what the American public--they love it if they get things like this, because then what? They don't have to face the reality of existence right here, do they? They can avoid it. Those scientists, those space boys, they'll fix it! I can get really dirty on some of this stuff."

- HOWARD SCOTT, SHAKER-LEE HALL, CLEVELAND 5-1-60
archive.org/details/TheWordsAndWisdomOfHowardScott