Planetary Resources Inc.

[dubfan]

Now, this is intriguing:

An audacious new private space exploration company backed by billionaire investors and filmmaker-turned-explorer James Cameron will unveil its master plan "to help ensure humanity's prosperity" on Tuesday, April 24.

While details of the company, called Planetary Resources, Inc., and its mission are still under wraps, officials with the enterprise did state that "the company will overlay two critical sectors — space exploration and natural resources — to add trillions of dollars to the global GDP," according to media alert sent to reporters today (April 18).

On April 24, Planetary Resources officials will announce details of their space exploration plans in a press conference at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Wash., according to the alert. The announcement will be held in the museum's Charles Simonyi Space Gallery, which is named after billionaire software developer Charles Simonyi, a Planetary Resources investor.

"This innovative start-up will create a new industry and a new definition of 'natural resources,'" company officials said in the statement.

Planetary Resources was co-founded by two veteran commercial space pioneers: Peter Diamandis and Eric Anderson.

Diamandis is chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation, which offers prizes for technological feats, as well as a co-founder of Zero-G Corporation, which offers commercial flights to experience weightlessness aboard a modified Boeing 727-200 jet. Anderson, meanwhile, is the chairman and co-founder of Space Adventures, the only company ever to broker multimillion-dollar flights for private citizens to the International Space Station. Simonyi, for example, flew to the space station twice with Space Adventures, most recently in 2009 on a trip that cost a reported $35 million.

Other big investment icons and spaceflight industry veterans form the core of Planetary Resources' team, according to the media alert.

The company named "Titanic" filmmaker James Cameron and Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt among its groupof investors and advisors. Others on board include Simonyi, Google board of directors founding member K. Ram Shriram and Ross Perot, Jr., who is chairman of Hillwood and the Perot Group.

Former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, a planetary scientist, will serve as an advisor for Planetary Resources. Former NASA Mars mission manager Chris Lewicki, who worked on the successful Phoenix lander, serves as the company's president and chief engineer.

When Planetary Resources makes its big reveal next week, it will be the second billionaire-backed private space company to be announced within the last six months.

In December, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen unveiled his new company Stratolaunch Systems, which plans to build the world's largest airplane and use it as an air-based launch pad to send people into orbit.

http://www.space.com/15336-planetary...ouncement.html

[.LSinLV.]

exploration or exploitation?????

I own a few acers on Mars in Vallis Marinaris, near Olympus Mons......I even have mineral rights....this should end well.

http://www.marsshop.com/

[ATL_Av8r]

exploration or exploitation?????

I own a few acers on Mars in Vallis Marinaris, near Olympus Mons......I even have mineral rights....this should end well.

http://www.marsshop.com/

How do you power them?

[.LSinLV.]

How do you power them?

solar power duh!!!!

[dubraycer36]

"Terraforming, we send in colonists to set up these big atmosphere processors, takes decades, we call it a shake -n- bake colony.".

[dubfan]

Yep.

[.LSinLV.]

"Terraforming, we send in colonists to set up these big atmosphere processors, takes decades, we call it a shake -n- bake colony.".

the "corporation"

[feels_road]

"Terraforming, we send in colonists to set up these big atmosphere processors, takes decades, we call it a shake -n- bake colony."

I am disappointed - I thought it was the corporation that - due to side-effects, on Mars - produced women for which I would need three black bars to post pictures of their upper body here, SFW.

[MeineFolks'wagen]

I'm all for it - the government is too restrictive with its money and what they will allow anyway. I am with others that I really think the future of space travel and exploration will rest in the hands of private companies. I guess it makes sense when you think of all of the privately funded expeditions here on Earth that were carried out over the years.

[20DYNAMITE07]

"Terraforming, we send in colonists to set up these big atmosphere processors, takes decades, we call it a shake -n- bake colony.".

I came here to post "Why not just change the name to Weyland Yutani and get it over with..."

But I see I have been bested. Well played, Sir. Well played.

[dubfan]

1:30pm EDT.

Streaming webcast site is up:

http://www.spacevidcast.com/live/