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THE JAPANESE DISCOVERY CONTAINS AS MANY RARE EARTH MINERALS AS THE CURRENT GLOBAL RESERVE-
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- THE TECHNOLOGY TO MINE RARE EARTH MINERALS FROM THE OCEAN IS ACCESSIBLE- Arthur ‘11
- ONE SQUARE KILOMETER OF THE JAPANESE DISCOVERY WILL MEET ⅕ OF GLOBAL RARE EARTH MINERALS CONSUMPTION-Tehran Times ‘11
- THE PROCESS FOR SEA MINING IS FAST AND EFFICIENT-Tehran Times ‘11
- OCEAN FLOOR RARE EARTH MINERALS CAN BE MINED IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS-Reuters ‘11
- JAPENSE DISCOVERY OF 100 BILLION TONS OF RARE EARTH METALS WILL BREAK OPEN THE MARKET-Homeland Security Newswire ‘11
- SOLVENCY: CAN’T MINE ASTEROIDS THERE ARE HUGE OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES INVOLVED IN ASTEROID MINING- Durda ‘06
- WE LACK THE SUSTAINED PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY AND SPACE CRAFT FOR NEO MINING- Durda ‘06
- AFFIXING MINING RIGS ON ASTEROIDS PRESENTS A TECHNOLOGICAL HURDLE WE’VE NOT YET MET- Durda ‘06
- WE CANNOT MINE AN ASTEROID TODAY. THE TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT EXIST- Durda ‘06
- THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE RESEARCH ABOUT THE TECH NECESSARY FOR NEO MINING-Gerlach ‘05
- TECHNOLOGY AND COSTS MAKE THE PROSPECT OF NEO MINING INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING-Gerlach ‘05
- THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE WORK DONE TO ANALYZE THE ECONOMICS OF NEO MINING-Gerlach ‘05
- THERE ARE ENORMOUS CHALLENGES TO SENDING HUMANS TO MINE ASTEROIDS-Welch et al ‘10
- WE CAN’T EVEN MINE THE MOON FOR RARE EARTH ELEMENTS. WE LACK THE TECHNOLOGY AND UNDERSTANDING NECESSARY-Beauford ‘11
- SOLVENCY: HEALTH RISKS SPACE RADIATION WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MINERS-Watson ‘10
- LONG MISSIONS WILL CREATE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT MUST BE OVERCOME-Welch et al ‘10
- HUMANS RISK HEALTH HAZARDS, INCLUDING INFERTILITY-Welch et al ‘10
- SOLVENCY: LEGAL/TREATY PROBLEMS ASTEROID MINING WILL EXACERBATE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR COUNTRIES-Welch et al ‘10
THE JAPANESE DISCOVERY CONTAINS AS MANY RARE EARTH MINERALS AS THE CURRENT GLOBAL RESERVE-Arthur ‘11 [Charles; staff writer; Japan discovers 'rare earth' minerals used for iPads; The Guardian; 04 Jul 2011; http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/04/japan-ipads-rare-earth; retrieved 05 Jul 2011] The new research, published on Monday in the online version of the journal Nature Geoscience, found the minerals in sea mud extracted from depths of 3,500 to 6,000 metres below the ocean surface at 78 locations. One-third of the sites yielded rich contents of rare earths and the metal yttrium, Kato said. The deposits are in international waters in an area stretching east and west of Hawaii, as well as east of Tahiti in French Polynesia, he said. He estimated rare earths contained in the deposits amounted to 80bn to 100bn tonnes – compared to global reserves currently confirmed by the US Geological Survey of just 110m tonnes that have been found mainly in China, Russia and other former Soviet Union countries, and the US. The level of uranium and thorium – radioactive ingredients that are usually contained in such deposits and can pose environmental hazards – was found to be one-fifth of those in deposits on land, Kato said. THE TECHNOLOGY TO MINE RARE EARTH MINERALS FROM THE OCEAN IS ACCESSIBLE-Arthur ‘11 [Charles; staff writer; Japan discovers 'rare earth' minerals used for iPads; The Guardian; 04 Jul 2011; http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/04/japan-ipads-rare-earth; retrieved 05 Jul 2011] A chronic shortage of rare earths, vital for making a range of high-technology electronics, magnets and batteries, has encouraged mining projects for them in recent years. Kato said the sea mud was especially rich in heavier rare earths such as gadolinium, lutetium, terbium and dysprosium. "These are used to manufacture flat-screen TVs, LED (light-emitting diode) valves, and hybrid cars," he said. Extracting the deposits requires pumping up material from the ocean floor. "Sea mud can be brought up to ships and we can extract rare earths right there using simple acid leaching," he said. "Using diluted acid, the process is fast, and within a few hours we can extract 80-90% of rare earths from the mud." The team found that sites close to Hawaii and Tahiti were especially rich in rare earths, he said.
[Huge Rare Earth Deposits Found in Pacific: Japan; 09 Jul 2011; http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=243828; retrieved 19 Jul 2011] Vast deposits of rare earth minerals, crucial in making high-tech electronics products, have been found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and can be readily extracted, Japanese scientists said on Monday. The “deposits have a heavy concentration of rare earths. Just one square kilometer (0.4 square mile) of deposits will be able to provide one-fifth of the current global annual consumption,” said Yasuhiro Kato, an associate professor of earth science at the University of Tokyo. The discovery was made by a team led by Kato and including researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. They found the minerals in sea mud extracted from depths of 3,500 to 6,000 meters (11,500-20,000 ft) below the ocean surface at 78 locations. One-third of the sites yielded rich contents of rare earths and the metal yttrium, Kato said in a telephone interview. THE PROCESS FOR SEA MINING IS FAST AND EFFICIENT-Tehran Times ‘11 [Huge Rare Earth Deposits Found in Pacific: Japan; 09 Jul 2011; http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=243828; retrieved 19 Jul 2011] Japan, which accounts for a third of global demand, has been stung badly, and has been looking to diversify its supply sources, particularly of heavy rare earths such as dysprosium used in magnets. Kato said the sea mud was especially rich in heavier rare earths such as gadolinium, lutetium, terbium and dysprosium. “These are used to manufacture flat-screen TVs, LED (light-emitting diode) valves, and hybrid cars,” he said. Extracting the deposits requires pumping up material from the ocean floor. “Sea mud can be brought up to ships and we can extract rare earths right there using simple acid leaching,” he said. “Using diluted acid, the process is fast, and within a few hours we can extract 80-90 percent of rare earths from the mud.”
The minerals were discovered in sea mud at 3,500 to 6,000 meters below the surface of the sea in 78 locations, with one-third of sites displaying rare earth content. Scientists estimate that there are 80 to 100 billion tons of the minerals under the sea. Right now, 110 million tons have been found on land. The deposits are located in international waters, according to reports. Mining will take place "east and west of Hawaii, as well as east of Tahiti in French Polynesia," Reuters reports. To collect these minerals, extraction pumps will pull mud up from the sea floor. "Sea mud can be brought up to ships and we can extract rare earths right there using simple acid leaching," Kato said. "Using diluted acid, the process is fast, and within a few hours we can extract 80-90% of rare earths from the mud." JAPENSE DISCOVERY OF 100 BILLION TONS OF RARE EARTH METALS WILL BREAK OPEN THE MARKET-Homeland Security Newswire ‘11 [Japanese discovery could undermine China's rare earth dominance; Homeland Security Newswire; 7 July 2011; http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/japanese-discovery-could-undermine-chinas-rare-earth-dominance; retrieved 13 July 2011] A new discovery by Japanese researchers could break China's stranglehold over rare Earth metals; Japanese geologists say they have found large deposits of rare Earth minerals on the floor of the Pacific Ocean; it is estimated that the mud of the Pacific Ocean contains 100 billion tons of these minerals. A new discovery by Japanese researchers could break China’s stranglehold over rare Earth metals. Japanese geologists say they have found large deposits of rare Earth minerals on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It is estimated that the mud of the Pacific Ocean contains 100 billion tons of rare Earth elements. If geologists are able to mine for the minerals in a cost effective way, analysts believe this discovery could undermine China’s dominance. Currently, 97 percent of rare Earth metals are produced in China, but in recent years the country has imposed strict quotas and limited exports disrupting the global supply chain. Yasuhiro Kato, an associate professor of earth science at the University of Tokyo and the leader of the team thatdiscovered the rare earth stores, said, “The deposits have a heavy concentration of rare earths. Just one square kilometer (0.4 square mile) of deposits will be able to provide one-fifth of the current global annual consumption.”
[Daniel; planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute; Mining Near-Earth Asteroids; Ad Astra, Summer 2006; http://www.nss.org/adastra/volume18/durda.html; retrieved 07 Jul 2011] But this low gravity can cause serious operational challenges as well. Simply moving around in the close vicinity of a lumpy and potentially rapidly rotating or tumbling NEA can be counterintuitive. Rather than orbiting the smallest asteroids, oilplatform-like equivalents of future mining factories may instead "station keep" in close proximity, rather like a Space Shuttle orbiter maneuvering around the International Space Station. Human and robotic mining engineers moving about along the surface will similarly need their own on-board and very capable navigation systems for the real-time trajectory calculations necessary in simply moving from point A to point B. The difficulties faced by the Hayabusa mission in trying to simply "drop" the tiny MINERVA rover onto the surface of the 500-meter-diameter asteroid Itokawa show that we still have some work to do in even this most basic area of mining operations. WE LACK THE SUSTAINED PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY AND SPACE CRAFT FOR NEO MINING-Durda ‘06 [Daniel; planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute; Mining Near-Earth Asteroids; Ad Astra, Summer 2006; http://www.nss.org/adastra/volume18/durda.html; retrieved 07 Jul 2011] Now, how do we actually go about mineral mining in such an environment? First, we have to get there! Today, we can obviously travel to and even "land" on asteroids, but real mining operations are going to require much more massive and expansive spacecraft operations than NASA's NEAR-Shoemaker mission or Japan's Hayabusa. Ion propulsion allowing for sustained and highly efficient operations will be essential if we decide we'd like to move a particularly attractive (or threatening) asteroid into a more accessible orbit. The nuclear electric propulsion technology that NASA was pursuing through the Prometheus program was a very promising move in the right direction, but, unfortunately, that program has been abandoned for now. Although certainly challenging, Prometheus required no extraordinary technological stretch. Revamping something like that program will simply require the political and financial will to do it. AFFIXING MINING RIGS ON ASTEROIDS PRESENTS A TECHNOLOGICAL HURDLE WE’VE NOT YET MET-Durda ‘06 [Daniel; planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute; Mining Near-Earth Asteroids; Ad Astra, Summer 2006; http://www.nss.org/adastra/volume18/durda.html; retrieved 07 Jul 2011] Affixing or docking to the surface of a small asteroid in order to actually dig into its regolith or drill into its bedrock, may be easier said than done. And the methods that work for one object may not work at all for another. Harpoons or penetrators may be a tractable option for objects with porous but cohesive surfaces. Electromagnet pads might just work on the iron-rich asteroids. If we pick very small asteroids, our mining facility may not even "land" on the object at all—the rock could be swallowed whole by the spacecraft itself and mechanically and chemically digested for its resources. That, of course, is a technology yet to be demonstrated for large-scale, in situ operations. WE CANNOT MINE AN ASTEROID TODAY. THE TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT EXIST-Durda ‘06 [Daniel; planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute; Mining Near-Earth Asteroids; Ad Astra, Summer 2006; http://www.nss.org/adastra/volume18/durda.html; retrieved 07 Jul 2011] So, are we ready? Could we mine an asteroid today? Clearly the answer is "no." Our autonomous robotic capabilities are not yet developed enough to allow it (we don't even have the capabilities to do so in a fully autonomous manner here on Earth), and we're still at least a decade away from returning people to the Moon. But as soon as the scale of our operations in space reach a point where it becomes more economical to obtain and use mineral resources there rather than delivering them from deep in the Earth's gravity well, we'll be off and mining the most attractive resources out there—the asteroids. THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE RESEARCH ABOUT THE TECH NECESSARY FOR NEO MINING-Gerlach ‘05 [Charles; founder and CEO of Gerlach Space Systems; Profitably Exploiting Near-Earth Object Resources; 2005; retrieved 05 Jul 2011; http://abundantplanet.org/files/Space-Ast-Profitably-Exploiting-NEO-Gerlach-2005.pdf] Little research and development has been undertaken into the capabilities required for NEO mining. In 1999, Zealey, Sonter, and a team at the University of Wollongong Department of Engineering Physics in Australia, worked to create a “reasonably realistic design” for an asteroid drill that could one day allow spacecraft to extract volatiles from a comet.69 One aspect of this research required Zealey and Sonter to attempt to create low density comet core simulants on which to perform mining experiments. The drill design was to include a penetrator with a thermal tip and explosive functionality that could bore, melt, and blast through cometary materials. It would also include a “cold finger” that would sit at the surface and collect steam created by the penetrator. TECHNOLOGY AND COSTS MAKE THE PROSPECT OF NEO MINING INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING-Gerlach ‘05 [Charles; founder and CEO of Gerlach Space Systems; Profitably Exploiting Near-Earth Object Resources; 2005; retrieved 05 Jul 2011; http://abundantplanet.org/files/Space-Ast-Profitably-Exploiting-NEO-Gerlach-2005.pdf] Technology issues present many of the greatest challenges to successfully and economically executing an asteroid mining mission. The prohibitively high costs of sending astronauts and potentially long communications delays require that all operations be highly automated. Automated machinery must work perfectly; even minor failures can cause mission failure. However, terrestrial mining experience with automation has generally been poor, and operations will be complex and hard on equipment. New equipment will have to be developed and integrated. To handle industrial quantities of materials, bench-top processes are not sufficient. Developing industrial mining and refining processes will ultimately hinge on deployment of actual working equipment to learn what works and what does not. These systems will be different from those used in traditional robotic space science missions that essentially consist of one-of-a-kind instrument collections designed for generating very specific types of scientific data. THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE WORK DONE TO ANALYZE THE ECONOMICS OF NEO MINING-Gerlach ‘05 [Charles; founder and CEO of Gerlach Space Systems; Profitably Exploiting Near-Earth Object Resources; 2005; retrieved 05 Jul 2011; http://abundantplanet.org/files/Space-Ast-Profitably-Exploiting-NEO-Gerlach-2005.pdf] Little work has been done on investment requirements and the economics of developing and launching a mining operation. What analysis has been done tends to assume the traditional development processes used by government space programs to project huge development costs and very long payback periods. Estimates of the capital costs for asteroid mining equipment have used custom aerospace industry cost models originally developed for lunar mining equipment. For example, Blair notes that a simple calculation using the Advanced Missions Cost Model developed to estimate costs for human planetary exploration missions yields an estimated cost of between $500 million and $1 billion to construct a two-ton prototype spacecraft. He goes on to note that determination of reliability and equipment service lifetimes will require engineering studies and full-scale equipment testing in a relevant environment, contributing significantly to the cost. Gertsch and Gertsch proposed a project equivalent in scale to the Anglo-French Channel Tunnel. They estimated that the project would cost at least $5 billion and requiring up to 12 years to complete. THERE ARE ENORMOUS CHALLENGES TO SENDING HUMANS TO MINE ASTEROIDS-Welch et al ‘10 [Dr. Christopher; Chair of International Space University Space Studies Program 2010 Team Project Asteroid Mining; Asteroid Mining, Technologies Roadmap, and Application Final Report, 2010; http://www.isunet.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=776&Itemid=5; retrieved 22 Jul 2011] There are physiological, psychological, and cognitive challenges to humans working in space (Clément, 2003). This necessitates countermeasures to mitigate the effects; previous missions so far have used exercise, pharmacological solutions, crew selection and training, and environmental design to counteract these problems. The space environment also exposes humans and equipment to a variety of harmful radiant sources, including Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs), ionizing radiation, and solar particle events. We require improved shielding materials for spacecraft hull and EVA equipment, as well as pharmacological interventions, to reduce exposure and mitigate its effects. By extrapolating from data collected from lunar missions and fly-by studies of asteroids, we expect to find fine particulate dust on the surface of the asteroid. This dust could pose health hazards to humans due to inhalation and abrasion. Dust saturation leading to hardware problems such as mechanical failure of joints and moving parts, and detrimental effects to thermal radiators and solar arrays if they become saturated with dust is a significant concern. A mission could use externally mounted “suitports” in place of airlocks in order to minimize the amount of dust entering the capsule. We must design mechanical articulators to exclude foreign matter, as well as a method to periodically clear the thermal radiators. WE CAN’T EVEN MINE THE MOON FOR RARE EARTH ELEMENTS. WE LACK THE TECHNOLOGY AND UNDERSTANDING NECESSARY-Beauford ‘11 [Robert; Mining the Moon for Rare Earth Elements - Is It Really Possible?; Rare Earth Elements; 13 Feb 2011; http://rareearthelements.us/lunar_kreep; retrieved 19 Jul 2011] So, in answer to the question: Can we profitably mine the moon for REEs and ship them back to the earth to sell? No. Rare earth oxide concentrations in known lunar ores do not support it, even at the level of conjecture, and our current understanding of lunar geology does not predict the existence of substantially more enriched ore deposits. Lack of sufficiently enriched ore, however, is not the only challenge to lunar mining for export to earth. (This is an understatement of epic proportions.) Keeping the analysis, for the moment, focused on basic mining issues rather than on the challenges facing planetary colonization, it must also be observed that competitively economical transport of marketable quantities of either ore or refined metals across planetary distances is neither available with current technology, nor on the mid-term technological horizon. Imagine transporting thousands of tons of ore output from a remote mine in Canada to a processing facility in Brazil in the small passenger seat of a fighter jet, one of the least fuel efficient aircraft ever invented, while trying to maintain profitability in the mine. Now multiply that by a factor of 100,000. SOLVENCY: HEALTH RISKS SPACE RADIATION WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MINERS-Watson ‘10 [Traci; Landing on an Asteroid: Not Quite Like in the Movies; Physorg; 28 Jun 2010; http://www.physorg.com/news196920110.html; retrieved 11 Jul 2011] Another problem during the journey -- the crew would spend months "cooking" in space radiation, said NASA's Dave Korsmeyer, who has compiled a list of the most accessible asteroids. Shuttle passengers are somewhat screened from such radiation by Earth's magnetic field. Astronauts who leave Earth's orbit have no such protection. Space radiation raises the risk of cancer and in extreme cases causes nausea and vomiting, said Walter Schimmerling, former program scientist of NASA's space radiation program. The astronauts might need to take drugs to prevent the ill effects of radiation. Then there's the "prolonged isolation and confinement" that the crew will have to endure, said Jason Kring of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "This crew will be more on their own than any other crew in history." If there's an emergency halfway into the trip, the astronauts would not be able to get home in a few days, as the Apollo 13 crew did. Instead it would take weeks, if not months. LONG MISSIONS WILL CREATE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT MUST BE OVERCOME-Welch et al ‘10 [Dr. Christopher; Chair of International Space University Space Studies Program 2010 Team Project Asteroid Mining; Asteroid Mining, Technologies Roadmap, and Application Final Report, 2010; http://www.isunet.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=776&Itemid=5; retrieved 22 Jul 2011] Long duration missions have particular risks associated with psychological stress, isolation, confinement, and crew dynamics. Crew selection, training, in-flight counseling, communication with family, media and entertainment, mentally stimulating activities, and meditation can help to minimize these risks. We must optimize the design, construction, and allocation of space for activities to maximize worker productivity, minimize psychological distress and monotony, and to facilitate the ease of work. We should use a comprehensive environmental design incorporating lighting (at particular wavelengths for simulated sunlight), ergonomic design of work consoles and stations, sinuous architecture, privacy for crewmembers, possibly plant selection, and a dual-use meditation chamber. We also need life support subsystems to manage the atmosphere, water, waste, food, and safety-monitoring systems required for a human mission. Many technologies already exist for an integrated ECLSS. We must perform a trade- off study to select the specific technologies to use. Using humans for an asteroid mining mission introduces the risk of injury and loss of human life; we must take appropriate safety measures. We should make available a first aid kit, pharmacy, basic surgical suite, and vital monitoring system. We must also explore emergency crew return protocols and vehicles. Conflict between crewmembers may arise from differences based on gender, culture, group dynamics, and power structure. We must implement a code of conduct for crewmembers, agreed upon by all participants. HUMANS RISK HEALTH HAZARDS, INCLUDING INFERTILITY-Welch et al ‘10 [Dr. Christopher; Chair of International Space University Space Studies Program 2010 Team Project Asteroid Mining; Asteroid Mining, Technologies Roadmap, and Application Final Report, 2010; http://www.isunet.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=776&Itemid=5; retrieved 22 Jul 2011] During the mission, mining equipment may need periodic maintenance and repair, as well as unexpected troubleshooting. We can use humans, robots, or a hybrid use of both to repair the equipment as needed. Robots are desirable for planned repetitive tasks, whereas humans offer enhanced dexterity and adaptability. However, placing human workers in space exposes them to health hazards many magnitudes greater than those experienced on Earth, resulting in an increased risk of cancer and infertility. We must consider the degree to which it is appropriate, or ethical, to subject humans to this environment. Fully informed consent is necessary and we must explore acceptable levels of risk for very long duration missions. SOLVENCY: LEGAL/TREATY PROBLEMS ASTEROID MINING WILL EXACERBATE GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR COUNTRIES-Welch et al ‘10 [Dr. Christopher; Chair of International Space University Space Studies Program 2010 Team Project Asteroid Mining; Asteroid Mining, Technologies Roadmap, and Application Final Report, 2010; http://www.isunet.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=776&Itemid=5; retrieved 22 Jul 2011] Developing countries are frequently lagging behind in exploration ventures. In terrestrial mining, private companies from industrialized countries are the major players, and in some African countries, the only players (MiningReview.com, 2010). It is clear that the exploitation of resources in space has potential to leave behind the developing world while elevating the wealth and technology of only those nations rich enough to participate. To ensure that the space environment is used to the benefit of all humankind, it is necessary to avoid inequalities. An obvious step towards realizing this goal is cooperation, transparency, and technology transfer between major space-faring nations and the developing world. In an asteroid mining venture, it is important for developing nations to understand how they would benefit directly from participation. A positive step is investment in geology, mining and engineering faculties of universities in Africa. This will develop local capacity for involvement of Africa in the future asteroid mining industry. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has set-up regional centers for space science and technology education for indigenous capacity building in developing regions. These centers currently run programs in remote sensing, satellite communications, satellite meteorology, and basic space science (ARCSSTE-E, 2007). These centers could further improve their curriculum by introducing courses covering asteroid mining. Directory: file -> fetch fetch -> 11 th Lit Semester 1 Final Study Guide!!! fetch -> Industrial Revolution Inventors fetch -> Analysis for Galveston Hurricane of 1900 fetch -> The Illuminators (Team 2) 1900 Galveston Hurricane Cycle a team Assignment fetch -> Team csi-utb ruth Reyes Jose Ferrer fetch -> Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Cycle a-teacher as a Problem Solver fetch -> Is Climate Change Starting a New Dust Bowl? 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