Monthly Archives: August 2012

Kelly Richardson’s Panoramic Martian Landscape Installation

Artist Kelly Richardson’s ‘Marine 9’ Depicts a “Futuristic Mars Landscape” through a 12-meter long panoramic installation of a Martian landscape covered with rovers, at Whitley Bay’s Spanish City Dome.

http://www.kellyrichardson.net

MARINER 9
2012 | 3-channel HD video installation, 49′ x 9′ (variable)
Originally commissioned by Tyneside Cinema, UK
Photo credit: Colin Davison

"One Asteroid to Go, Please" Popular Mechanics

1. Measure It A slew of laser radar sensors measures the dimensions of the asteroid. A spacecraft then deploys its high-strength capture bag to the appropriate size. Inflatable arms and cinching cables unfurl to enclose the asteroid.

2. Bag It The spacecraft bags the rock. The finish on the bag’s exterior ensures that the asteroid doesn’t heat up and lose water.

3. Bring it Home The craft makes the long trip back to lunar orbit. The return trip could take six years; mining commences on arrival.

Read more: “One Asteroid to Go, Please” Popular Mechanics:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/news/one-asteroid-to-go-please-11644867 

Asteroid Mining Mission Overview (Subtitled in Any Language)


Transcript:

“Since 2010, a world-class team has been quietly working to expand humanity’s resource base. Their path forward is to mine asteroids that have high concentrations of water and precious metals.

Everything we hold of value on Earth–metals, minerals, energy, water, real estate– are literally in near-infinite quantities in space. Planetary Resources’ mission is to gain access to natural resources of space by mining near-Earth-approaching asteroids. With technological advances that are coming out of exponential technologies and investors willing to bear the risk, small teams are now able to do what only governments and large corporations could do before. Our vision is to catalyze humanity’s growth both on and off the Earth. We’re breaking new ground.

Now is the time for us to gain access to these resources, and at the end the entire human race will be the beneficiary as we expand our reach beyond the Earth into the solar system. One asteroid may contain more platinum than has been mined in all of history. We’ve been searching for near-Earth objects mainly to assess the hazard of an impact on the Earth.

It turns out that most of these asteroids are not a threat to the Earth, but they do offer potential benefits. They are in Earth-like orbits that offer assessable resources that we can tap into, both for scientific knowledge and returning those strategic supplies to Earth. Resources from asteroids will add tens of billions of dollars annually to the global GDP.

Our plan for opening up the resources of the solar system is threefold. First, we’re going to identify all of the most valuable near-Earth asteroids– where they are, what they’re made of, and how to reach them. Second, we’re going to develop the technology and the capability to transform those resources into valuable materials. And third, we’re going to deliver those materials to the point of need, whether it’s a fuel depot orbiting the Earth or elsewhere in space.

Water sourced from asteroids will greatly enable the large-scale exploration of the solar system.

Our small and focused team will enable the commercial exploration of the solar system. We’re using experts who have gained their experience in NASA and the tech industry, and we’re keeping our goals simple and clear. Planetary Resources is applying commercial innovation to robotic space exploration. We have a need now for the knowledge of what’s on these asteroids.

There are potential resources in space, and the government is taking a scientific and measured approach to exploring them. We can really increase the knowledge that we get and the pace at which it comes back to us by involving commercial innovation and commercial visits to these asteroids. Planetary Resources will help ensure human prosperity by accessing the vast resources of space.

We are going to change the way the world thinks about natural resources.

Please Support: "Fight for Space" Documentary by Paul Hildebrandt

“Fight for Space” is a feature length documentary film that explores the current state and future of the U.S. space program. Since the Apollo era of the 1960s, NASA’s budget has been shrinking and our ambitions in space have been decreasing. A documentary that will examine the reasons why our space program is not all it can be and to show that space IS worth the time, money, and energy that it needs, not for only exploration and scientific reasons but for economic, planetary security, and cultural reasons as well. Also covering the great scientific achievements that NASA is making right now, and examining the new commercial space enterprise by companies like SpaceX, Sierra Nevada, Bigelow, and more. Many problems have occurred in just the past 10 years that have lead to the consistent underfunding of NASA, the cancellation of multiple space systems, and the decline of America’s role in space.

“We are not producing your average space documentary where we show restored footage from the moon landings and CGI galaxy renderings. We are covering the real political and economic issues of the recent past, today, and tomorrow. We are covering both sides of the argument and we promise to produce a fair and objective film.”
“The fact is, the United States as a nation has lost our edge in space, not just as a leader but even as a participant. We want to know the real reasons behind why we are in this scientific slump and what we can do about it. We are asking hard questions to the people that know what is going on and we will not stop until we receive real answers and real solutions to these problems. We are also speaking with everyday citizens off the street, so we can discover how the American public feels about space exploration. In our democracy, all voices must be heard.”