Meanwhile, In Space

Step aside, NASA. There’s a new space firm in town. I mean, in the galaxy.

Space is so cool. It’s just so cool. It’s one of the most innovative industries in history, with some of the smartest people ever. We can thank NASA for many technologies we use every day – cell phone cameras, water filtration and memory foam, to name a new. But too often, I feel like we don’t hear about the awesome things going on in space until right when they’re happening. Well Gigglers, in 2013 we’re going to be ahead of the curve. And it starts with a company called Deep Space Industries.

NASA may have cancelled the Space Shuttle program, and the chimps may be enjoying a comfortable retirement. But the private sector is as busy as ever. DSI hopes to give us a permanent place in the final frontier with asteroid mining. What in the world is asteroid mining, you ask? It’s gathering raw materials from asteroids. What kinds of materials? Hydrogen and oxygen can be mined for fuel. Water and oxygen can be mined for the astronauts themselves. (You know, just in case anyone needs to catch their breath while they’re up there.) Plus things like iron, nickel and titanium that will allow us to build even more stuff so we can keep going back.

It’s said that we’re using up the Earth’s natural resources of elements, like the ones I listed and more. Gold, silver, copper, lead – soon might be depleted, in as early as 50-60 years. Why not start mining them from space? It’s a gold rush of a new age.

DSI CEO David Gump is all about this. He plans to start looking for tappable asteroids by 2015, with hopes that mining could begin by 2023. Ultimately, Gump sees DSI developing colonies and vehicles in space with asteroid-mined materials. He’s focusing first on how to get those materials, and then on how they can benefit us while we’re still up there. Need a fill-up? Head to the Citgo, err, DSI station in the sky.

Think about it: in ten years, our natural resources could be coming from infinity and beyond. What do you think? Should we leave space alone, or tap into its resources?

Featured image via ShutterStock