Great question Agnieszka! No, Deep Space Industries is not the only player in the field of space mining. Below is a detailed description of the other companies who are working on space mining, in various ways. We believe we are positioned to be the top player in this field for several reasons: 1) We have the best team. Our world-experts are the best in their fields, including asteroid science, spacecraft technology, legal and policy development, and business. 2) We are focused on the market and the needs of our customers. We have a flexible long-term plan that will allow us to provide the right products, for the right price, in the right location. and 3) We aim to be the first mover in this market segment.Please let me know if I can answer any additional questions! Thank you for your interest in Deep Space Industries. Asteroid Mining Competitors:1. Planetary Resources – this company is focused on activities in low Earth orbit that can help identify and categorize potential mining targets, with a specific focus on hyperspectral imaging from space telescopes. Additionally, when pointed towards Earth, these space telescopes can provide useful data for Earth-based customers such as farmers and industrial companies. As a builder of small satellite constellations, Planetary Resources is a potential customer for DSI’s small satellite technology products. As an asteroid mining company, they are a potential customer for mining and processing technology products. Discussions are ongoing between the technical teams as we look at potential collaboration opportunities.2. TransAstra – this company is focused on using solar concentrators to break apart asteroids. They have completed a study for NASA but have not yet received any additional funding and are unlikely to have much success in the near future because their architecture is too large to be economical with current launch costs. DSI is in close contact with this team and they are very interested in becoming a customer of DSI’s technology solutions (if and when they raise additional funding).Moon Mining Competitors:3. Moon Express – this company is the most advanced of all the Google Lunar Xprize (GLXP) competitors, especially with regard to their business plan beyond the GLXP. They have recently received authorization from the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct the first private mission to the moon. Their robotic lander will attempt to locate harvestable materials (specifically water or hydrogen-3) on the Moon. Deep Space Industries sees the moon as less prospective than asteroids in terms of mineral resources, however we have offered to support Moon Express should they need our non-terrestrial mining expertise.4. Shackleton Energy Company – founded more than a decade ago, Shackleton are focused on mining water from the Moon’s south polar region. They have lived by the “go big or go home” mantra, seeking funding in the order of tens of billions of dollars. To date, their fundraising efforts have not been successful at that level. In-Space Manufacturing Competitor:5. Made in Space – the first company to put a 3-D printer into space, on board the International Space Station, Made in Space may become a significant customer for DSI’s in-space materials. Their technology currently only works with thermo-set plastics however they are known to be working on more advanced feedstock. DSI has had preliminary discussions regarding production of feedstock, however these are at the early stage.
Deep Space Industries