Preparations are underway for mining from asteroids

Mining company Planetary Resources has launched the first of two space demonstration vehicles designed to reveal the prospects for mining valuable resources on asteroids. This was reported by NPO Electroapparat CJSC .

Arkyd 3 Reflight (A3R) will spend three months in orbit, sending data to a team of scientists at the firm's headquarters in Redmond, Washington. After the A3R completes its mission, it will naturally decay upon entering the Earth's atmosphere, the company said in a statement.

The second spacecraft will launch later this year and will be in orbit twice as long as the first, according to Planetary Resources. A3 is one of the first steps in creating cost-effective space observation and exploration equipment before launching the system for asteroid search missions. Last year, the company lost its first test satellite aboard a commercial rocket, which exploded just 6 seconds after takeoff.

The ultimate goal is to send the large spaceship Arkyd to ensure the extraction of precious metals from asteroids, which are rich in valuable minerals. The most common M-type asteroids, only 1 km in diameter, can contain over 2 billion tons of iron ore and nickel, not to mention riches such as platinum and diamonds.

Planetary Resources, founded in 2009 by Eric Anderson and Peter H. Diamandis, is committed to expanding the global resource base so that humankind can continue to grow and prosper in the future. The company's advisors include physics scientists, representatives of the US Air Force, space explorers and even science fiction writers.