Blasting Asteroids for Profit: A Bold New Plan to Mine Space Metals

I report on a study that suggests a simple method for harvesting metal asteroids: blast mining.The basic idea involves using shaped charges to blast a 100-tonne slab of iron-nickel free from the asteroid and then sending it to Earth for processing. Watch the video for all the details.

---------------
Love learning about space startups? Your support helps me research deeper, produce higher-quality videos, and keep this content coming! Even a small coffee fuels the next big idea. ☕

Support here: https://buymeacoffee.com/spacestartupnews
---------------

00:00 Intro
01:56 Challenges in Mining Asteroids
02:20 Shaped Charges as a Replacement for Drilling and Blasting
05:31 Feasibility of Asteroid Mining
07:20 Effects of an 100-tonne Impactor on Earth
08:56 Concept of Operations for an Asteroid Mining Mission
11:31 Dust and Debris Management
11:58 Challenges and Criticism
12:55 Final Thoughts
14:23 Outro

Sources:

Review on quarrying methods suitable for space mining missions: https://jsm.gig.eu/journal-of-sustainable-mining/vol23/iss2/8/

Hard Rock Blasting - Awesome Mine Blasting Moments: https://youtu.be/WXfYkw6B-kw?si=iHvaq5OZ-Wqd6t_7

Did You Know - Namibia Hoba Meteorite Is The Largest Meteorite In The World: https://youtu.be/eQcAxzZtBwc?si=Rw3pEOeGv8wAnSHi