Asteroid Mining! In RL!

Latrans Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:58 am

So I ran across this thing. It's a big thing. Or, rather, it could be a REALLY BIG thing. Yay Kickstarter?

Anyways, Click me!

Here's the quick version: A company called Planetary Resources is launching a bunch of orbital telescopes to look for mine-able asteroids.

Extra-planetary mining operations are becoming a reality. I'll let that sink in for a moment.

Back on topic... They've got that Kickstarter I linked up there going. It's a one million dollar goal. Big, yes? Well, it's a big thing they're doing. If that goal is reached, they're dedicating one of their telescopes to open public use. It will be the first publicly available orbital telescope in history.

If this hasn't gotten your interest yet, go check out the $25 reward for backing the project. This special telescope will have an external monitor that can display images. Using a secondary camera, they'll display your picture (or picture of choice) on that monitor, take a picture of it and send it to you.

Read that last bit again, specifically the "picture of choice" bit. You could have them display, say, your avatar. In space. With the Earth as a backdrop.

Seriously, go check it out. And maybe spread the word.

Edit:Forgot there was a bit at the beginning from another board that made no sense on this board.