RE: RE: starship-design: YES, we might do it.

[Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl>]

> From: David Levine <david@playlink.com>
> 
> I'm assuming that early mining experiments would be performed by
> industry already in orbit and that by 2050 space mining will still be
> operating at a loss, with predictions for large profit in the future.
> 
> Also, perhaps by the time space mining really takes off the biggest
> customers might not be on the Earth.
> 
I think that space mining will have rather little use
as a source of raw materials for Earth-bound industry.
99% of its output will be used by space infrastructure, 
or by such places like the Moon, lacking some essential resources,
and much cheaper than Earth concerning transportation costs.

And there is a big bootstrap problem:
space mining is impractical without developed human 
space infrastructure, and building such infrastructure 
is impossible without space mining...

-- Zenon