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☆ AstroForge: How this startup plans to make asteroid mining a reality.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Now the California-based startup is attempting to make asteroid mining a reality. That makes AstroForge the only company with a refinery that can turn M-type asteroids into PGMs in space, he adds. Some in the scientific community are skeptical that the private sector will be able to afford asteroid mining. Its all-or-nothing, lower-cost approach may help push asteroid mining closer to reality. “I hope if nothing else,” Gialich says, “we’re known as a space company that went for it.”

Persons: Matt Gialich, Gialich, Jose Acain, “, ”, we’re, “ We’re, AstroForge, Edward Carreon, “ that’s, –, Dan Britt, REx, James Cameron, Larry Page, Britt, “ I’m, ” Gialich, NASA's, Aubrey Gemignani, ” Britt, AstroForge’s Organizations: CNN, Virgin, SpaceX, NASA, Companies, Apple, Center, University of Central, JAXA, United, United Arab Emirates ’ Space Agency, UAE Space Agency, AP NASA, Planetary Resources, Titanic, Google, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Getty Locations: California, University of Central Florida, China, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, Utah, Los Angeles, Florida

☆ A dead Russian spacecraft almost collided with a NASA satellite. The crash could have sent 7,500 bits of debris rocketing around Earth.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In the worst-case scenario, the collision would have ejected 7,500 bits of debris into low-Earth orbit. Satellite collisions are becoming more likely as the amount of space junk in low-Earth orbit grows. Even the tiniest debris can damage the space station and endanger astronauts, though no astronaut has lost their life due to space debris (yet). The race to clean up spaceThe consequences of space debris are very real, so much so, that the worst-case scenario has a name: Kessler syndrome. TransAstra's capture bags could help solve Earth's space debris problem.

Persons: —, LeoLabs, Darren McKnight, NASA ODPO, Kessler, Astroscale Organizations: Service, Space, NASA, European Space Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Dish Locations: Russia, India

☆ In a first-ever for space junk, Dish Network was fined $150,000 for leaving a retired satellite to orbit indefinitely in the wrong place
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The agency said Dish left the satellite at the wrong disposal orbit at the end of its mission. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Federal Communications Commission announced Monday it has fined Dish Network $150,000 for a retired satellite that was left in the wrong place in space as concerns about space trash grow. In a statement, the FCC said Dish left the retired satellite at a "disposal orbit well below the elevation" that was required. AdvertisementAdvertisementInstead, after realizing in 2022 that the satellite was low on propellant and would not be able to reach that altitude, Dish retired the satellite only about 76 miles above that operational arc. The FCC said the lower disposal orbit could pose space debris concerns.

Persons: —, Loyaan, Flytrap, Joel C, TransAstra Organizations: FCC, Dish Network, Service, Federal Communications Commission, Dish, Bureau, FCC's, NASA

☆ NASA awarded $850,000 to a company that wants to pick up space trash the old-fashioned way — with bags
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

NASA awarded TransAstra an $850,000 contract for its concept of Flytrap capture bags. Flytrap bags could be built large enough to scoop up space trash the size of a house. He looked up and saw a piece of space junk embedded in the window of the shuttle. The European Space Agency estimates over 330 million pieces of space debris are circling the Earth. AdvertisementAdvertisementBarnhart, whose company aims to build space outposts, said recycling in space could be a reality within five to 10 years.

Persons: Joel C, Sercel, TransAstra, NASA TransAstra's, Dave Barnhart, Barnhart, NASA SBIR, it'll, that's, it's Organizations: NASA, Service, European Space Agency, Department of Astronautical Engineering, University of South, Arkisys Inc Locations: Wall, Silicon, University of South Carolina

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe startups still betting space mining will bring in big bucksJust a couple of years ago, it seemed that space mining was inevitable. Analysts, tech visionaries and even renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson predicted that space mining was going to be big business. But fast forward to 2022, and humanity has yet to commercially mine even a single asteroid. CNBC spoke to two California startups, AstroForge and TransAstra, about how they are trying to make space mining a reality and the challenges they face.

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