Archived Do we have any current technology that uses extraterrestrial resources? (astronomy)
submitted ago by spiraldancing
Posted by: spiraldancing
Posting time: 5.2 years ago on
Last edit time: never edited.
Archived on: 2/12/2017 1:51:00 AM
Views: 203
SCP: 2
2 upvotes, 0 downvotes (100% upvoted it)
Archived Do we have any current technology that uses extraterrestrial resources? (astronomy)
submitted ago by spiraldancing
view the rest of the comments →
[–] EricHunting ago
Unfortunately, no. Nothing. It's been speculated about for 60 years or more but only very recently have serious efforts to explore the possibility been started with start-up companies like Planetary Resources. The closest we come to this is the proposed use of the Sabatier Process with solar or nuclear power to make methane rocket fuel for spacecraft returning from Mars. Practical space industrial research has always taken a back-seat among the national space agencies who, for all the lip-service they've given to space settlement, never seriously invested in the systematic assay and ISRU groundwork for it. No government is in the business of inventing places for people to go and not pay taxes...