Asteroid Mining and Precious Metal Prices

[GoWest]

What would happen if Planetary Resources stumbled across an asteroid or two with significant gold content?  Would that not dilute the gold market significantly?  What if there's a near-Earth asteroid that's solid gold?

Suddenly, precious metals aren't looking like such a great investment, especially 10 to 15 years from now (i.e., not that far into the future).

Discuss!

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[trogdorjw73]

Reminds me of this comic series -- you'll have to read at least a few weeks worth to get up to speed.

http://trenchescomic.com/comic/post/11119

[adamstgBit]

What would happen if Planetary Resources stumbled across an asteroid or two with significant gold content?  Would that not dilute the gold market significantly?  What if there's a near-Earth asteroid that's solid gold?

Suddenly, precious metals aren't looking like such a great investment, especially 10 to 15 years from now (i.e., not that far into the future).

Discuss!

can you image the cost of OFF WORLD MINING!

its much cheaper to just dig it up out of our backyard.

[silverbox]

Alchemical transmutation of Lead into Gold is about as likely in our lifetimes, as an asteroid made of gold..

[adamstgBit]

Alchemical transmutation of Lead into Gold is about as likely in our lifetimes, as an asteroid made of gold..

Imagine if we created an energy matter converter AKA "startrek replicator",

you could replicate gold / silver / cash... wtv, but not Bitcoins 

[notme]

Alchemical transmutation of Lead into Gold is about as likely in our lifetimes, as an asteroid made of gold..

Imagine if we created an energy matter converter AKA "startrek replicator",

you could replicate gold / silver / cash... wtv, but not Bitcoins 

Physical bitcoins would be vulnerable, and whoever was slowest to break them open would be stuck holding a worthless coin.

[mb300sd]

Alchemical transmutation of Lead into Gold is about as likely in our lifetimes, as an asteroid made of gold..

Its already been done... all you need is a particle accelerator

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/generalchemistry/a/aa050601a.htm

[ShireSilver]

As someone involved in the precious metals market I am watching these developments. However, they are many years away so I'm not too worried for the near future.

But if and when they do strike a major load, it will take time for it to be mined, processed, and integrated into the economy.

[GoWest]

Alchemical transmutation of Lead into Gold is about as likely in our lifetimes, as an asteroid made of gold..

Well, here's an asteroid containing $8 trillion worth of platinum.  It's just a matter of time before a similar rock is found, but containing gold.

$8 trillion!!

[FreeMoney]

As someone involved in the precious metals market I am watching these developments. However, they are many years away so I'm not too worried for the near future.

But if and when they do strike a major load, it will take time for it to be mined, processed, and integrated into the economy.

The marginal buyer may be enticed to wait for the huge supply when he sees it coming down the line. Not to mention speculators will be pulling out.

Still it's a long way off imo and I'm holding some metals.

[Hexadecibel]

According to that artical, Platinum is trading at the same price as gold.

Wow. I only heard of this in passing, and I immediately dismissed it. Now I see why they're doing it... a rock only a mile wide but bearing 8 trillion worth of platinum....

Platinum has a lot more uses than gold I think too...

[blablahblah]

So they do some kind of cost-benefit analysis, terrain mapping, and generally sit around in space suits sipping coffee in camel packs. They bring back core samples. Then they ask the government for a grant to start a mining operation, and build free teleports to compensate angry aliens for the damage to their habitat (but only after the aliens nuke a few cities first).

Then it turns out that the mine only just breaks even when the price of gold exceeds $1800 (in April 2012 dollars). The contractors, sub-contractors, and sub-sub-sub-contractors made a killing on building the mine, and the investors make an excellent source of funds.

[LightRider]

Hopefully people would realize that money distorts value and perception, and that physical resources are what's important. Maybe they'd realize the value and obvious need for a resource based economy.

Also, the cost of fighting off the aliens would be cost prohibitive, from a human life standpoint.