>
>"Some entrepreneurs are salivating over the prospect of finding gold,
>platinum, cobalt and other valuable resources in space. James W. Benson
>has established the company SpaceDev, and says he plans to launch a
>robot craft to an asteroid to take photographs, scientific readings,
>and to prospect for mining sites. "Space is a place, not a government
>project," Benson told reporters Wednesday in Washington. He needs more
>money to finance his $50 million mission, but doesn't want any from the
>government."
>
This is the Near-Earth Asteroid Prospector (NEAP), a space project I
consider the most important of the day. The stated goal is to _claim_
the asteroid (not yet chosen), and its ~$10^12 dollar value...
>Go, man, go!,
>Kennita
>
Forrest