![]() The lucrative nature of this business and its growing influence on Earth has led to the passing of major new regulations, antitrust and monopoly laws. As a result, various non-profit groups have sprung up, aiming to ensure that poorer nations can benefit from space, not just the countries and rich individuals that can afford to go. However, significant portions of raw materials are being diverted to off-planet projects including the construction of new space stations. * The resources now being added to the global economy are helping to meet demand in many areas. A single rock just a mile or so in diameter may yield more platinum group metals than has ever been mined on Earth, and more fuel than every rocket launch in history. *Īsteroid mining has proven to be one of the great confirmations of people's hopes for outer space. Longer and more complex missions are possible with supplies available en route. These are further reducing the cost of spaceflight, with most ships only required to carry enough fuel to get into orbit. As part of the commercialisation of space, numerous fuel depots are in place around the Earth-Moon system and Lagrange points. Water-rich asteroids are particularly useful as the constituent hydrogen and oxygen can be turned into rocket fuel. For now, manoeuvring larger asteroids is seen as expensive and unnecessary in any case. Most asteroids are processed in situ, as opposed to Earth orbit, due to fears of an accidental impact. Swarms of automated probes are now involved in prospecting and mining on a constant basis. * Some of these materials became so rare on Earth that demand made them exceedingly valuable. A wide range of metals and minerals – including gold, platinum, nickel, iron, zinc, antimony, copper, cobalt and phosphorus – are being recovered. * * Thanks to progress in rocket technology and robotics, countless rendezvous with near-Earth and main belt asteroids have been conducted. ![]() *Īsteroid mining has now evolved into a huge industry, with major firms competing in the business. In the more distant future, these may expand to completely encircle the Moon. * Other long-term plans include solar power stations capable of beaming energy directly to Earth. Though human presence is still confined to the poles, a number of prospecting missions are underway in preparation for mining operations. Corporate interests are now looking to exploit the Moon commercially. In addition to room for tourists, new scientific modules have been added with greenhouses, ice harvesting stations for water, and solar arrays built from lunar regolith. Lunar bases, already established in previous decades, have been expanded. For the super-rich, even excursions to the Moon's surface are now possible. One result of this has been a rapid growth in space tourism, with journeys available to even middle-income citizens. This is allowing much greater frequency of flights, as well as heavier payloads. Automated design evolution, facilitated through artificial intelligence networks (enabling rapid synthesis of optimal design requirements) has also played a role. * Advances in materials technology, greatly improved fuel efficiency for rockets * and the proliferation of single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft * have all contributed to this fall in prices. The cost of launching material into space has declined considerably by now. National governments are able to participate to a certain extent, but huge levels of debt and economic stagnation have left the bulk of the effort to private enterprises and wealthy individuals. As a result of this, spaceflight has advanced considerably since the beginning of the century. Many now believe that exploring and settling space could be a way to alleviate some of Earth's immediate problems. Environmental catastrophes, overpopulation, war and other crises have made humanity painfully aware of the limitations on its home planet.
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