NASA Now Accepting Applications From Companies That Want To Mine the Moon 251
cold fjord writes "The Verge reports, "NASA is now working with private companies to take the first steps in exploring the moon for valuable resources like helium 3 and rare earth metals. Initial proposals are due tomorrow for the Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown program (CATALYST). One or more private companies will win a contract to build prospecting robots, the first step toward mining the moon. Final proposals are due on March 17th, 2014. NASA has not said when it will announce the winner."
I need NASA's permission to mine the moon now? (Score:5, Insightful)
NASA? (Score:5, Insightful)
I didn't realize NASA owned the moon.
Re:Space 1999, Sorta (Score:5, Insightful)
There are entirely different reasons [amazon.com] why you should worry about huge masses of rock being produced on the moon and thrown down to Earth.
China and India might dispute that (Score:1, Insightful)
Let me get this straight ...
A country with zero shuttles, zero missions to the moon this century, and zero space stations wants to mine the moon?
Right ... I'll tell Norway they own North America, ok?
Re:I'm afraid this means war (Score:3, Insightful)
Indeed. And this is also in reponse to the dickhead Anon Coward below (you
know who you are): China will sooner bury you.
The moon is not mine to mine, it's not yours to mine. The NASA understands that.
They just want your money, that is going to the NSA right now (not te missing A).
They have become a PR machine, launching ideas such as these now and again,
just to entice non-thinking though plenty aggressive fools -- such as you, anon.