# Space Miners Will Bring "Trillions of Dollars" to Earth

**URL:** <https://forums.speedlife.net/t/space-miners-will-bring-trillions-of-dollars-to-earth/263511>\
**Category:** Shift518 Off Topic\
**Created:** [April 24, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/space-miners-will-bring-trillions-of-dollars-to-earth/263511 "2012-04-24T15:25:05Z")\
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**Author:** ![Vovchandr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vovchandr/32/6275_2.png) [@Vovchandr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vovchandr)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/space-miners-will-bring-trillions-of-dollars-to-earth/263511/6 "2012-04-24T15:39:14Z")

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> [@New Combo Video](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/new-combo-video/48540/15):
>
> They’re trying to make space travel cheaper though. I think the metals are a way of offsetting the cost of developing cheaper space travel. I guess they’re thinking if they can start out with the fuel already in space they’ll be able to go long distances without having to get all of that fuel up out of the atmosphere.

Exactly, in theory fuel stays there for use and precious metals get send back to Earth. It’s like having a gas station in orbit.

> Estimated LEO payload cost per lb (kg) = $4,729 ($10,416) on a USA Space Shuttle Launch.

One gallon of water is ~8 pounds, making it around ~$35 thousand dollars to put a gallon of water into space.

So when you want to drive to California instead of having a trailer with you that has all the gas you will need it makes more sense to stop and fill up on the way.

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