Planetary Resources is a private company run by commercial space veterans and backed deep-pocketed investors including Google’s Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, and Ross Perot Jr.
But that hasn’t stopped thousands of people from inquiring about putting money into the company, hoping for a piece of the ultimate payout from mining near-Earth asteroids.
The Bellevue-based company this morning distributed its first email update to people who have signed up to follow the venture online. Distributed under the subject line, “Mining Asteroids!”, the email was a recap of the company’s goals and a summary of the “outpouring of enthusiasm” that Planetary Resources has seen since announcing its plans.
One of the stats: “2,500+ investment requests.” (Presumably they passed on all of them, although the email doesn’t say that explicitly, and it’s not clear how many of the inquiries were legitimate.)
The email is signed by company co-founders Peter Diamandis (of the X Prize Foundation) and Eric Anderson (of the Space Adventures space tourism company). Here’s how it concludes …
Clearly the vision, dreams, ambition and plans have ignited a ton of enthusiasm.
The technology now exists to access resources from Near Earth Asteroids and it is our corporate mission to make this happen.
We are pursuing this for three key reasons:
1. Access to space resources is critical to human settlement of the solar system
2. Access to space resources are critical to humanity’s continued growth and prosperity on Earth
3. To realize the once-in-a-generation opportunity for huge financial returns as well.
Once such returns are possible, opening the space frontier for humanity will rapidly follow as it did with the New World and the American West.
Over the months ahead we will be keeping you up to date on our progress and creating opportunities for you to be involved.
Thank you again for your enthusiasm and interest.
Stay tuned.
You’re going to hear from us again soon….
Keep your eyes out for the subject line: The Final Frontier
To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before,
Peter H. Diamandis Eric C. Anderson
Co-Chairman/Co-Founder Co-Chairman/Co-Founder
Previously on GeekWire: Asteroid mining company flooded with job applications
