Space miners say an asteroid worth $195B is making a flyby Earth soon. 2012 DA14, with its propellant and chunk of metals could be worth billions. While the space rock, about half the size of a football field, comes closest than any other asteroid or comet in history on Friday, there is no threat of an impact. And while the bounty is worth billions, there is no way to harvest it this time around.
According to a Feb. 12 report from Network World, a spacing-mining company called Deep Space Industries hopes to take advantage of the vast amount of metals for the taking.
DSI CEO David Gump said this about the value of asteroids:
"Even with conservative estimates of the potential value of any given asteroid, if we begin to utilize them in space they are all the equivalent of a space oasis for refueling and resupply."
Furthermore, Gump says that even with the rise of reusable spacecraft and said, the $195 billion asteroid could still fetch $39 billion even if prices plummet some 20 percent in the coming years.
Unlike Earth, which as most of its precious cargo deep below the surface, asteroids like DA14 have metals at the surface and core. Obviously, this makes harvesting it relatively simple.
The trouble with the 40-year asteroid coming Friday is that its orbit is tilted, which makes targeting it difficult. However, experts believe there are thousands of other asteroids worth billions floating around waiting to be claimed.
With an asteroid worth $195B wobbling around in the solar system, will it cause a "space-rush" similar to gold? What will the reality show be called?
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