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maybe in 50 years, we will be mining asteroids for precious metals...


I am sure in 50 years it would be 2064 and we would be a decade away from fusion. Just kidding about fusion, I hope...


"In space, a single platinum-rich 500 meter wide asteroid contains about 174 times the yearly world output of platinum, and 1.5 times the known world-reserves of platinum group metals (ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum)." -- Planetary Resources, http://www.planetaryresources.com/asteroids/composition/ (take with as many grains of salt as you feel like)

But hey, I'm sure they can spare a mission to retrieve us some gold sooner or later. :P


With that much/many valuable metals there, there would have to be plenty of gold, too. I have no doubt that gold will be mined and retrieved, because it has industrial value. Not to mention its incredible economic value, and because gold.


I am sure Elon Musk is working on this...


Maybe in 50 years, we'll be mining those asteroids and Saturn's rings for water.




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