Asteroid mining company Planetary Resources has deployed its first spacecraft into orbit from the International Space Station — beginning a 90-day test mission for several of the key technologies required to hunt for near-Earth asteroids.
The deployment of the Arkyd 3 Reflight spacecraft, or A3R, was announced by the Redmond, Wash.-based company this morning. Planetary Resources, founded and led by commercial space and NASA veterans, says asteroid mining will represent a multi-trillion-dollar industry.
“The successful deployment of the A3R is a significant milestone for Planetary Resources as we forge a path toward prospecting resource-rich asteroids,” said Peter Diamandis, Planetary Resources co-founder, in a post announcing the news. “Our team is developing the technology that will enable humanity to create an off-planet economy that will fundamentally change the way we live on Earth.”
This first mission will allow Planetary Resources to test systems including avionics, control systems and software for future spacecraft that will seek out asteroids rich in natural resources.
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