Fraser Cain on Nostr: Although asteroids can contain hundreds or even thousands of times higher ...

Although asteroids can contain hundreds or even thousands of times higher concentrations of rare metals, mining costs are even greater. It makes more sense to mine the rock under our feet than to go to space. But new rockets are driving down the costs of reaching space, automation will let robots do the hard work in space, and increasing environmental concerns make it harder to absorb the externalities. When will asteroid mining finally be viable?

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2221345120