I confess: I’m a Star Trek nerd — and commodities enthusiast, too.
Thus, asteroid mining should be my personal heaven. Recently, I watched with the excitement of a five-year old how a NASA space probe brought back the largest-ever stash of asteroid rubble to Earth. But was this feat a step closer to commercial space mining? Not even close.
Asteroid mining companies always promise the stars: Handsome profits await galactic prospectors who can bring gold, copper and other minerals from outer space. The treasure would help expedite the green energy transition by boosting the supply of critical metals, these supporters claim — with some even proclaiming that the first trillionaire will be an asteroid-mining tycoon. Utter nonsense.