Neil Degrasse Tyson's Asteroid Mining Industry

On StarTalk Radio, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice, an episode called Eureka! Asteroid Mining discusses an interview conducted between Neil deGrasse Tyson and Peter Diamandis, the cofounder of Planetary Resources. Planetary Resources is a company with its sights set on mining asteroids. “We now have the ability, privately, to go out and begin to extract resources from asteroids. You know, much of humanity’s exploration, much of humanity’s growth has been a function of gaining access to resources, whether it's the silk trout from Asia… that’s what's driven us, it’s driven us consistently.” (Eureka! Asteroid Mining) Diamandis stated during the interview. Diamandis asserts that his company is able to mine minerals and resources in

Asteroid Mining). Diamandis compares the Gold Rush and its beneficial effect on society with the possible benefits of asteroid mining. Diamandis believes asteroid mining will greatly increase technological advancements due to better access to minerals, and even rare minerals for that matter. Neil deGrasse Tyson states just how valuable these asteroids are - “There’s millions upon millions of asteroids within the universe, all of these asteroids contain valuable resources. An average size sort of PGM asteroid… it could have 30 million tons of nickel, one and a half million tons of cobalt, seven and a half thousand tons of platinum, at current value [2013] that platinum comes out at 150 billion dollars” (Eureka! Asteroid Mining). Whether all of these minerals are or are not used, Diamandis and other asteroid mining entrepreneurs have the ability to sell these minerals to other countries for a great profit. This profit could then be used to better humanity in multiple fields ranging from medical all the way through technological. The benefits of asteroid mining do not stop there

Hendrix, PH.D. The book covers the exploration and search for a new planet that one day can be a habitat for humans. The book’s main focus is on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Wohlforth and Hendrix both believe that Titan is the closest and most realistic option for an earth-like planet. “(1) the colony would be livable for families and safe for reproduction; (2) the colony would not be at risk of catastrophic events that could wipe it out; (3) the colony would be economically rational as a long-term investment; and (4) the colony would be capable of becoming self-supporting should it lose contact with Earth.” (Beyond Earth: Our Path To A New Home In The Planets, 70). This passage reveals the basic criteria for finding a habitable planet - one that is self-sustaining, low-risk, and long lasting. Wohlforth and Hendrix believe that Titan is the best option we currently have for a habitable planet. The book’s introduction begins by listing the basic reasons the authors believe that Titan will be humanity’s next living space; “Someday, people will live on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Their energy will come from the unlimited supply of fossil fuels on its surface and their oxygen from the water ice that forms much of Titan’s mass. The nitrogen atmosphere, thicker than the Earth’s, will protect them from space radiation and will allow them to live in unpressurized