We Solve for X: Peter Diamandis and Eric Anderson on space exploration

Problem: If humanity is to move off Earth and become an interplanetary species, it will need an economic reason to do so.

Solution: Near-earth asteroids contain (literally) trillions of dollars worth of resources and materials that could be harvested and brought back to Earth. A number of them are also energetically easier to get to than the surface of the Moon. That tremendous bounty creates a huge incentive for the private sector to create the requisite detection, propulsion and harvesting technology to capture these precious metals and minerals.

Technology: Planetary resources led by Peter Diamandis and Eric Anderson is developing the technology and spacecraft to detect, harvest, capture and bring back these resources from Near-Earth asteroids.

More on we.SolveforX.com.

[MoriartySan]

I think this video changed my life. All I want to do now is work is this industry. As it grows and flourishes.

[ThomasBaxter]

This really gets me going. So so happy to hear people are striving for space with the business model to make it real.

[swordarmstudios]

This isn't utopia. This is man made, incremental progress. It is brilliantly done, represents American Innovation, at its finest, and I wish the best of Luck. Peter Diamandis is of the belief, that if this works, the first people to mine these asteroids will be the planets first trillionares. I cannot be sure that it will be him, or the people that do it with him. But if they do, then the world will be an infinitely better place.

[elainepul]

This was a superior presentation, 30 min went by and it felt like seconds. Even though there might be a problem with the raining even if it is 60 miles per hour there or other projects it could interfere with even though space mining is a major need so are some of the other projects. Loved this presentation.

[elainepul]

Wise and truthful quote on the cradle of humanity.

[ridhouanemathlouthi]

This is just too much impressive .. I dont know what to say, except I wish I would be part of the adventure one day.

[SeanLumly]

This talk was outstanding. Perfect for pragmatic dreamers.

[luongbui]

This is really awesome.

And inspiring.

Of everything being said in this video, one thing get stuck in my head: claiming process.

Because if you can claim something, then someone else can rob it from you.

And if a private entity can build spacecrafts to mine asteroids, then I think is feasible for another private entity to build them for piracy.
"Just" take the pods with processed ore, when they are near Earth.

How long will it takes for "space piracy sector" to emerge?

[Obseltoro]

Muy bueno me gusto la idea y la visión....saludos y éxitos!!!

[tjpld]

I hope I can see the future I'd like to see with +1 million people living in space in my lifetime and can still be part of it. Not when I'm 90 in 65 years. Looking back that in the last 40 years after the moon landing not much has been done makes me skeptical and sad though.

[somerando]

If we could effectively harvest energy and raw materials from space the economy may never stop growing. There are mind bending quantities of resources just in our asteroid belt. Far more than the entire earth. If this pans out and we mine all near earth asteroids, the belt its self would be the next leap forward.

[heckyes]

I think it's because people don't know the difference between critique and questioning versus outright insults. It appears to me that anytime someone has any kind of opposing view as someone they immediately go on the defensive. In other words people have low self esteem and ego issues.

I too love discussion and I think it's the most important thing for our species to be engaging in right now yet it's very difficult to come by on the internet.

[TJRossco]

"Of the 245 tonnes of platinum sold in 2010, 113 tonnes were used for vehicle emissions control devices (46%), 76 tonnes for jewelry (31%). The remaining 35.5 tonnes went to various other minor applications, such as investment, electrodes, anticancer drugs, oxygen sensors, spark plugs and turbine engines.[43]"

I have great respect for Mr. Diamandis and his way of leveraging competition and collaboration to solve great problems and challenge the status quo. However, I would think that his (our) resources would be better used to reduce our need for economic growth and consumption than to find new ways of fuelling it. For instance, the above Wikipedia entry for "Platinum" suggests that replacing the internal combustion engine (should be a priority anyways) and making do without fancy jewellery (any other dudes here even know what platinum looks like?? lol) would eliminate almost 80% of the demand for Platinum. Just a thought. 

[alokbisani]

Fascinating stuff !!!

28:29 Metal Foam: Pt 23 g/cc? is actually only 21.45 g/cc

Air at 15 deg sea level 0.00123 g/cc << Gold 19.32 g/cc << Osmium densest! at 22.587 g/cc

Anyway, a 100 kg platinum at natural density would be 5176 ccs, and a 2m diameter ball is 33.5 million cc. So for the same mass the ratio of density between the two is 1 : 809 !! That is nearly a good 0.1% of the original density! Is this viable, even in space?

[Dgfrmxon]

The value proposition just isn't what they think it is. I was just reading about this on Quora from people who actually work for NASA, and they see it. The price for material transit is just too much, and the limited markets where it's viable just aren't big enough. The only economic thing you'll get is propellant. Problem is, propellant makes space exploration cheaper. Still doesn't give it a product. It may never have a product, the only real case is exploration/colonization oriented

[OktaSomnii]

- this is the first sad "Solve for X" talk I have seen. Hopefully there won't be no other unrealistic talk like that again.

Anyway - THANK YOU GOOGLE !! keep up the GOOD work!!

[arjunsoccer]

Hello! Have you heard about the Tube Cash Exposure? I discovered it on Google Search and listened to fantastic stuff about it. A lot of my mate also advise me to try it

[leapgamer]

It would definitely be negligible. All of the mass of every asteroid in the system combined is less than the mass of the moon.

[ThomasBaxter]

What about processing a volitile rich asteroid?

[Qazic]

The end of economic growth in this millennium is pretty much inevitable given that the laws of thermodynamics dictate that energy is a finite resource. I hope that harvesting raw materials and energy from outer space will delay it.