Firm to mine outer space for metals

A US company has unveiled plans to mine asteroids for metals.

While it may sound like the start of a terrible film, plans are in fact afoot that will see Deep Space Industries (DSI) send a fleet into outer space.

With around 900 asteroids passing the Earth each year, the organisation thinks this is an opportunity that is too good to miss.

David Gump, chief executive of DSI, hopes to be harvesting metals from space rocks within the next decade and he believes this can "expand the in-space industries of this century".

Rick Tumlinson, chairman of the organisation, said technological breakthroughs in recent years means things can be achieved that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

The company is looking to send its first exploratory crafts – the 25kg FireFlies – into space within the next two years and this could prove to be a great leap forward.

Posted by Mark Wilkins