Editing Space colonization (section)

====Vast resources in space====
{{See also | Steady-state economy #Pushing some of the terrestrial limits into outer space }}
Resources in space, both in materials and energy, are enormous. The [[Solar System]] has enough material and energy to support anywhere from several thousand to over a billion times that of the current Earth-based human population, mostly from the Sun itself.<ref name=ONeill-1977/>{{rp|9|q=Estimated 3000 times the land area of Earth}}<ref>Estimated 10 quadrillion (10<sup>16</sup>) people. Lewis, John S. (1997). ''[[Mining the Sky|Mining the Sky: Untold Riches from the Asteroids, Comets, and Planets]].'' Helix Books/Addison-Wesley. {{ISBN|0-201-32819-4}} version 3.</ref><ref>Estimated 5 quintillion (5 x 10<sup>18</sup>) people. Savage, Marshall (1992, 1994). ''[[The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps]].'' Little, Brown. {{ISBN|0-316-77163-5}}.</ref>

Asteroid mining will likely be a key player in space colonization. Water and materials to make structures and shielding can be easily found in asteroids. Instead of resupplying on Earth, mining and fuel stations need to be established on asteroids to facilitate better space travel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2017_Phase_I_Phase_II/Sustainable_Human_Exploration |title=Optical Mining of Asteroids, Moons, and Planets to Enable Sustainable Human Exploration and Space Industrialization |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304024010/https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2017_Phase_I_Phase_II/Sustainable_Human_Exploration/|archive-date=4 March 2020 |date=6 April 2017 |website=NASA |first=Joel |last=Sercel}}</ref> Optical mining is the term NASA uses to describe extracting materials from asteroids. NASA believes by using propellant derived from asteroids for exploration to the moon, Mars, and beyond will save $100&nbsp;billion. If funding and technology come sooner than estimated, asteroid mining might be possible within a decade.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2016/05/24/how-to-optically-mine-water-from-an-asteroid/#37f0e05c389f |title=Turning Near-Earth Asteroids Into Strategically-Placed Fuel Dumps |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918065620/https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2016/05/24/how-to-optically-mine-water-from-an-asteroid/#37f0e05c389f|archive-date=18 September 2017 |date=May 24, 2016 |website=Forbes|first=Bruce |last=Dorminey}}</ref>

Although some items of the infrastructure requirements above can already be easily produced on Earth and would therefore not be very valuable as trade items (oxygen, water, base metal ores, silicates, etc.), other high-value items are more abundant, more easily produced, of higher quality, or can only be produced in space. These could provide (over the long-term) a high return on the initial investment in space infrastructure.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Mark J. |last=Sonter |url=http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/the_technical_and_economic_feasibility_of_mining_the_near_earth_asteriods.shtml |title=The Technical and Economic Feasibility of Mining the Near-Earth Asteroids |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080815034645/http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/the_technical_and_economic_feasibility_of_mining_the_near_earth_asteriods.shtml|archive-date=15 August 2008 |journal=49th IAF Congress |date=28 September – 2 October 1998 |location=Melbourne, Australia}}</ref>

Some of these high-value trade goods include precious metals,<ref name="members.nova.org">[http://members.nova.org/~sol/station/ast-mine.htm Asteroid Mining], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512000822/http://members.nova.org/~sol/station/ast-mine.htm|date=12 May 2008}}. Sol Station.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Whitehouse|first=David|title=Gold rush in space?|publisher=BBC|date=22 July 1999|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/401227.stm|access-date=2009-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307111033/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/401227.stm|archive-date=7 March 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> gemstones,<ref>{{cite web|title=Two groups look at the economic viability of mining asteroids |first=Bob |last=Yirka |date=23 October 2023 |url=https://phys.org/news/2023-10-groups-economic-viability-asteroids.html|website=phys.org|access-date=18 April 2025}}</ref> power,<ref>Makoto Nagatomo, Susumu Sasaki and Yoshihiro Naruo. [http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/conceptual_study_of_a_solar_power_satellite_sps_2000.shtml Conceptual Study of A Solar Power Satellite, SPS 2000], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725171510/http://spacefuture.com/archive/conceptual_study_of_a_solar_power_satellite_sps_2000.shtml|date=25 July 2008}}, Proceedings of the 19th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science, Yokohama, Japan, May 1994, pp.&nbsp;469–476 Paper No. ISTS-94-e-04 – Space Future.</ref> solar cells,<ref name="panix.com">[http://www.panix.com/~kingdon/space/manuf.html Space Manufacturing], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904234210/http://www.panix.com/~kingdon/space/manuf.html|date=4 September 2008}} – Jim Kingdon's space markets page.</ref> ball bearings,<ref name="panix.com"/> semi-conductors,<ref name="panix.com"/> and pharmaceuticals.<ref name="panix.com"/>

The mining and extraction of metals from a small asteroid the size of [[3554 Amun]] or [[(6178) 1986 DA]], both small near-Earth asteroids, may yield 30 times as much metal as humans have mined throughout history. A metal asteroid this size would be worth approximately US$20&nbsp;trillion at 2001 market prices.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spacenews.com/national-space-society-applauds-nasa-asteroid-capture-plan/|title=National Space Society Applauds NASA Asteroid Capture Plan|date=11 April 2013|language=en-US|access-date=20 April 2025|website=Space News}}</ref>

The main impediments to commercial exploitation of these resources are the very high cost of initial investment,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lee|first=Ricky J.|title=Costing and financing a commercial asteroid mining venture|journal=54th International Astronautical Congress|location=Bremen, Germany|year=2003|id=IAC-03-IAA.3.1.06|url=http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=406&gTable=Paper&gID=16257|access-date=25 May 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809183150/http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=406&gTable=Paper&gID=16257|archive-date=9 August 2009}}</ref> the very long period required for the expected return on those investments (''The Eros Project'' plans a 50-year development),<ref>[http://www.orbdev.com/erosproj.html The Eros Project], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705103530/http://www.orbdev.com/erosproj.html|date=5 July 2008}} – Orbital Development.</ref> and the fact that the venture has never been carried out before—the high-risk nature of the investment.