Scientists at Deep Space Industries have put a value on an asteroid set to buzz past Earth this week of $195 billion, according to a published report on Networkworld.
The number comes from estimates of the value of any recoverable water on the asteroid — worth as much as $65 billion as fuel in space — plus the value of nickel, iron and other metals — worth as much as $130 billion as construction materials.
The asteroid, which is about the size of half a football field and is identified as 2012 DA14, is expected to pass close by Earth on Feb. 15, within the orbits of geosynchronous satellites.
– Tom Bemis
- There are no comments yet
NASA is preparing the TESS observatory (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) to follow-up on the successes of the planet-hunting Kepler observatory
A Russian spacecraft containing 45 mice, 8 gerbils, and 15 newts returned to Earth on Sunday.
Evidence of the existence of 'multiverse' revealed for the first time by cosmic map
Mars rover, Opportunity, is driving to a new study area after a dramatic finish to 20 months on "Cape York" with examination of a rock intensely altered by water.
On May 31, 2013, asteroid 1998 QE2 will sail serenely past Earth, getting no closer than about 3.6 million miles