Planetary Resources has collected funds for the Space Telescope
Among Planetary Resources say they have completed the voluntary collection of money for the construction of a "public telescope" Arkyd, which will be used in the first phase of the objectives of the company. Recall that the company Planetary Resources proclaimed the goal of creating new technologies that will help to mine minerals space. However, before you will be sent into space robot miners, is scheduled to perform some preliminary steps, in particular, send a telescope that will define the objects that are sent research vehicles.
The company said that initially planned to raise about $ 1 million, whereas in the two months managed to collect nearly 1.5 million Send telescope into orbit is planned for 2015. Co-founder of Planetary Resources Peter Diamantis said that in the first 24 hours after the official announcement of Planetary Resources, they received letters from about 50 000 people interested in the project.
"People want to participate, they want to be part of this epic adventure. Our campaign aims to democratizing possibilities of space exploration "- says Diamantis. Planetary Resources The report does not say how much it will cost telescope, but here say that later will be collecting funds for the support of schools and universities working on the problems of space research. "If we had started the construction of the telescope about 10-15 years ago, then it would have to be at least 100 million dollars, now have the opportunity to do a more modest sum," - says Diamantis.
According to him, the project will involve experts from NASA the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, as well as company Bechtel. This April, Planetary Resources said that in the next year is going to launch into space its first micro-satellites. As described in this company, the first series of CubeSat research satellites to be launched in early 2014, that on the basis of these devices to work a number of concepts related to space mining. "We are going to a classical way to achieve the task. We use the method of trial and error," - said Chris Voorhees, vice president of Planetary Resources.
"Although we are positioning ourselves and the company focused on the study of deep space, we plan to first use to the maximum low Earth orbit." As he spoke, scheduled for launch next year of micro-satellites will have the dimensions of 30h10h10 devices will see the official name Arkyd-3 and will be greatly reduced and simplified version of the vehicles of the future Arkyd-100, which will be engaged in mineral extraction space. The first prototypes Arkyd-100 must be prepared in the best case in 2015.
Arkyd-Series devices 100 will be a robotic Bind satellites, where each unit will weigh 15-20 pounds and will be looking for near-Earth asteroids, small water and precious metals. According to the Planetary Resources, water and a number of precious metals may indicate the presence of a rich geology within the space object.
Voorhees says that cosmic water - it is not only a source of liquid for future space missions, but also a source of oxygen for breathing and hydrogen for fuel missiles. According to him, bring 1 liter of water to the ISS costs about 10,000 dollars. If you get water out of space robots and machines haul her to the station, then its value is thousands of times lower.
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