An asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter is believed to have enough iron, nickel, and other minerals to be worth $100 Billion for every individual on earth. It’s a chunk of metal 140 miles in diameter. We are sending a spacecraft to investigate.
Of course, there is the small matter of how to bring it to earth. Maybe Elon can figure it out.
As long as they find the right asteroid - a mistake in calculations and it could be a Joe Dirt type of discovery!
I just saw a flash-back of myself at 11 years old, pulling a wagon full of scrap metal I'd collected, going to the junkyard to make about 5 bucks.
If they bring that to earth does that mean my iPhone and computers cost will go down since the rare and precious metals to make these would not be easily attainable? Lol
Imagine that someone finds a way to bring all of the minerals in that asteroid to earth. The price of those materials would plummet. The only reason that such things are expensive is that they are rare and/or difficult to mine. Flood the market with them and they'd be nearly worthless on a pound for pound basis. The total removal of scarcity for some materials would change our society though.
Some idiot would claim he found a rare space snail on the asteroid and tie the whole thing up in court.
I don’t know. The Nostromo was a mining cargo ship in the Alien movie, and look what happened to that crew.
We have now developed small, safe, easily transportable, nuclear reactors that offer the prospect of nearly free energy. If we ever figure out practical nuclear fission, the story is even better.
Between that, and unlimited metal from space, our prosperity would increase tenfold.
That would cover at least until 2030 for VIP dances @ Hiliter