The document discusses several proposals for space infrastructure and resource utilization including mining the moon and near-earth asteroids, building a reusable launch system called FRETOS, mining rare earth metals from ocean floors using existing or adapted technology, and the hypothetical existence of a large planetary body called Tyche beyond the outer solar system that influences comet trajectories. It also proposes an underground nuclear launch system that could launch large payloads economically with minimal radiation impact. Finally, it notes SpaceX's successful launch and plans for commercial missions.

1. Space and Resource Updates

2. Economics of Space Infrastructure
• Why space? What justifies the infrastructure costs?
• Proposal is for mining on moon
– Why not going straight to near earth asteroids?
• Using astronauts, robots, what?
• Argument from Resource Shortage
– But see Mining Ocean Floor
– Can bring resources back at about $2600 / kg.
• Many rare earths in $10,000 - $40,000 / kg range
• Cheaper launch FRETOS
– Tether for assembly of packages at L1 for lunar insertion

3. FRETOS
• Reusable Earth to Orbit Stage FRETOS combined with
Tether Upper Stage TUS
• Subsonic aircraft release w/ rocket boost at 12.6 km
• To 2100 km tether for insertion into orbit of 13 ton payload
– Basically a rotovator which we talked about back in May
• Up to 1000 launches per year
– (5 launchers and 4 tethers)
– Note this gives a total not much greater than one SBSP system
so most things must be mined/built in space

6. Mining Ocean Floor
• Enough deposits of many key resources to last for
many centuries at current rate
– Volcanic vents deposit sulfur solubles basically
• Includes gold, zinc, several rare earths
• Nautilus is 1st company exploiting this
– Expect $26/kg production cost for up to $10,000/kg
resource
– Solawara project
– Russian based owership

7. Solawara Project
• US $70/ton production cost for resources
valued at over $1000/ton on market
• $400 million in equipment cost raised
• Environmental permits granted
• Full scale mining of 1.2 million tons / yr
• 30 month build out schedule
• Equipment either existing or straightforward
adaptation

9. Nemesis is real (sort of..)
• Hypothetical red or brown dwarf beyond Oort
cloud
• Analysis of century worth of comet data suggests
a Jupiter sized object at edge of solar system
• Sends about 20% of all comets visible from earth
• Called Tyche
– An object like Tyche could be seen directly by WISE,
NASA’s infrared space telescope.

11. Nuclear Launch Gun
• 150 kiloton nuclear Jules Verne gun
• Kilometers deeps shaft, salt is easiest
• Build giant shell containing payload
• Set of guide rails around perimeter
• Pump in reaction mass and small nuclear bomb.
• Can fire 1000 ton payloads at less that $200/kg
• Putting the entire thing underwater and deep in pit
ensures very little radiation to atmosphere
– Best version puts no more than 1/300000 of debris in air
as one 300 kiloton weapon test

12. SpaceX success
• Dec 8 successful launch
– Dragon capsule to orbit and successful
splashdown
• SpaceX cleared for commercial launches and
re-entry
• Mission to ISS is being planned.
• Volunteer astronauts lining up