A VC in Vacationland

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – APRIL 24: Planetary Resource's Arkyd Seris I satellite seen as a full-scale mockup during a press conference announcing plans to mine asteroids at the Museum of Flight April 24, 2012 in Seattle, Washington.

Well, this post will probably mean most to my grandchildren, who will likely think nothing of designing and implementing supply chains to support efficiently mining the universe.

Funded by a number of billionaire innovators (think Larry Page and Eric Schmidt of Google, James Cameron, among others), Planetary Resources plans to send an unmanned spacecraft to an asteroid and mine it for valuable metals and water that could be used for further space exploration or returned to earth. In their own words:

"Planetary Resources is establishing a new paradigm for resource discovery and utilization that will bring the solar system into humanity’s sphere of influence. Our technical principals boast extensive experience in all phases of robotic space missions, from designing and building, to testing and operating. We are visionaries, pioneers, rocket scientists and industry leaders with proven track records on—and off—this planet."

Of course, the plan is not without huge risks and costs (hundreds of millions of dollars for starters). And what about an effective vehicle for bringing supplies to and ore from distant asteroids? Gotta invent that one as well.

But many reputable scientists believe that we must look to mining asteroids if we are going to extend space exploration. Instead of hauling stuff up from earth to build space stations or colonies, why not mine it at the source, or nearby?

I must admit to being skeptical, but have the strong feeling that my grandchildren will consider this to be a normal part of their lives….