The Race for Space Gold: NASA’s Mission to Redefine Scarcity
In a fascinating turn of events, NASA’s Psyche mission could potentially redefine the concept of scarcity by bringing back the 16 Psyche asteroid to Earth. This mission has raised the possibility that gold, which has traditionally been considered scarce, may become more abundant if the venture is successful. The journey began on October 13, 2023, with the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launching from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and embarking on a voyage of approximately 2.2 billion miles.
During its nearly two-year orbit around the asteroid, which is located between Mars and Jupiter, the spacecraft will explore the riches of 16 Psyche. This massive asteroid, classified as an M-type asteroid due to its metallic composition, contains vast amounts of valuable metals such as gold, silver, cobalt, platinum, and other platinum-group metals. Its estimated value is an astonishing $10 quintillion.
If the mission goes according to plan, NASA expects it to conclude between late 2029 and early 2030. However, some projections suggest that it may extend until November 2031. The news of this ambitious timeline has sparked discussions across social media platforms and news outlets, including Reddit’s r/bitcoin.
Different Perspectives on the Asteroid’s Value
While many are intrigued by the potential economic impact of bringing back such a vast amount of valuable metals to Earth, there are differing opinions on the actual value that the asteroid would have. Some skeptics believe that flooding the market with these metals would cause prices to plummet. However, others argue that the cost of bringing metals into space would make them even more valuable and that mining them would be a slow process over several decades.
The Potential Transformation of Bitcoin and Gold
Meanwhile, as the race for space gold unfolds, the supply of Bitcoin is also a topic of discussion. Bitcoin’s supply limit is hard-coded, but there have been suggestions to introduce a “small tail emission” in the future. However, for now, the supply cap remains unchallenged, with over 19 million BTC already mined out of a total of 21 million. It is projected that the final bitcoin will be mined by 2140. Both Bitcoin and gold may undergo significant transformations in their scarcity and value landscapes by that time.
Hot Take: The Future of Scarcity
The convergence of NASA’s mission to retrieve valuable metals from an asteroid and the ongoing discussions surrounding Bitcoin’s limited supply raises intriguing questions about the future of scarcity. While gold could potentially become more abundant if the Psyche mission succeeds, Bitcoin’s scarcity remains intact for now. The next century holds the potential for significant shifts in the availability and value of these precious resources, challenging our understanding of scarcity in both traditional and digital realms.
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