A group of high-tech billionaires are looking to scout asteroids for precious metals, mine them, and send the resources back to earth.
The venture, called Planetary Resources Incorporated, includes investors like—shocker—self-styled explorer and blockbuster director James Cameron. Planetary Resources has two goals: to add trillions of dollars to the global GDP and ensure prosperity, while helping pave the way for human settlement of space.
Wired notes that nearly 9,000 asteroids larger than 150 feet in diameter orbit near the earth and could be rich in platinum, palladium, and iridium, highly valuable commodities for medical and technical devices.
The idea is incredibly expensive and will have many hurdles to clear, but the list of advisers is promising—it includes Google CEO and executive chairman Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, and former astronaut Tom Jones. Now we just need Bruce Willis on the asteroid mining crew and we should be good to go!
Video produced by Jim Festante.
