Broadcast 2171 (Special Edition)

Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. Martin Elvis, Dr. David Livingston. Topics: Asteroid mining as a commercially viable option. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com. Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm). During our 11 minute plus discussion, John, Dr. Elvis & I discussed the work done by Dr. Elvis in mathematically figuring out the potential number of commercially viable asteroids. During the segment, he explains how he created his formula, he went through key assumptions with us, we talked about Delta V needed to reach the asteroids, the Delta V for the return trip with ore on board, and showing how this determines the minimum size for an asteroid of commercial value. He also said his analysis is probably on the conservative side and with more data, he can refine his analysis. I am listing the URLs and articles that have reported on his work as he publication gave his work a different slant: BBC: The headline gives the wrong impression, though the article is fair enough (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25716103). Dr Elvis told BBC News: "I want to stress that my paper does not mean that there is no commercial future for asteroid mining. It does mean that gold mines are rare, which shouldn't be too surprising. Not every mountain on Earth hides a fortune, and not every flying mountain in space will either." New Scientist had it first: www.newscientist.com/article/dn24696-alienhunting-equation-revamped-for…. Wired.co.uk: www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-01/14/asteroid-mining-not-viable where they correctly say "Elvis does, however, continually point out in his research paper that the estimates are conservative, and that far more work needs to be done to improve upon these predictions. In fact, the paper is more of a call to action that a warning from a naysayer." Newser: www.newser.com/story/180656/there-are-only-10-asteroids-worth-mining.ht…; Mining.com also has a good summary: www.mining.com/is-space-mining-commercially-viable-22553; They are all picking up off Slashdot (http://beta.slashdot.org/story/196587). 100s of comments, not all really to the point. Slashdot got it from a good summary at medium.com (https://medium.com/the-physics-arxiv-blog/e0063699d199). Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of us through drspace@thespaceshow.com.