Check out Planetary Resources Kickstarter

Do it I'm definitely checking that ks out when I get to my home comp.

Yeah, that is a cool idea and for me this would count as an an easter egg.

So we have now the name for our recon orbital unit, excellent!

It does seem a bit weird.

They do have billionaires backing them, they just want to get the public involved because the public begged to go along for the ride.

Lots of people wanted to help or get pictures taken, and a Kickstarter campaign lets Planetary Resources engage these people AND get them to pledge money for these pictures. It's a smart move, in my humble opinion.


*edit: too-many-acronyms syndrome

Not to mention the boatload of extra PR they are getting.

And it's not as though they can develop the Arkyd for just 1 mill, though they probably would be able to launch one for that price tag. I have no doubt that, like for PA, the 1 million does not really represent their budget.

Also like PA, I'm 100% sure they will exceed their funding goal a few times over, haha. It's generally a good sign for a kickstarter when near a quarter of the goal is funded within 12 hours. Can't wait to see their stretch goals. Inb4 their stretch goals are to launch more Arkyds, haha.

In the end though, what excites me about the Arkyd is that, with it, Planetary Resources might actually be able to pull a profit from selling observation time to whoever wants it. I'm sure there's demand.

I for one think your misinterpreting what the Arkyd-100 (Yes it does have a 100 attached) is.

This is a micro satellite with a powerful telescope, the view screen is secondary. What did their original plan say their plan to mine asteroids was? To build micro satellites with powerful telescopes to identify targets in the solar system.

This kickstarter is essentially a way for them to massively boost public interest and pay for a free launch of their prototype by simply adding a view screen and a camera.


What your paying for is the trials of a prototype of the satellites they will be launching to identify asteroids, along with the public access to the device and the space selfies. So yeah, your funding history, not just a cool public telescope.


Also i think the 100 designation gives it being a stage one design away, they will prolly be launching like Arkyd 300's by the time they are prospecting asteroids.

I just think that's a bit of a misuse of kickstarter. They don't need the money, sure they could do with PR, but kickstarter-for-pr is a bit of a **** move. Kickstarter is for actual small startups with no funding, or those that need to prove they have an audience before receiving funding. None of that counts for this.

I believe the point for this kickstarter satellite was not just a "lets get free money" game. The satellite is for PUBLIC use, not company use, they can fund and launch their own satellites to hunt for their targets, but this one is not specifically for hunting for asteroids to mine, it's for the public to get lots of shiny pictures and do their own research.

Go to the page and read the "Goals we want to achieve" section.

I support putting this on Kickstarter if for no other reason than to prove to governments around the globe that there are a lot of people interested in space and willing to put their money where their mouth is. This is money well spend.


Here in Germany is a scandal right now. The department of defense wasted over 600 million Euros (~ US $800,000,000) for a UAV that won't be allowed to leave the ground. (Those idiots did not put in a collision detection system - something that is rather useful if you plan to fly a stealth air vehicle over highly populated areas with lots of commercial air traffic, wouldn't you agree...)

To add insult to injury they wasted a couple of hundred millions on a second UAV prototype, this time with other EU countries. If that thing will ever leave the ground is still highly doubtful...


This Kickstarter might just be the thing that reminds some politicians that space exploration is still very popular with their voters. There certainly is enough tax money for it - if our governments try to waste a little less.

I'd rather governments invest in stuff that could break ground into new technology or theorums, like the LHC, the cancelled Super Collider, WIMP detection, the International Linear Collider, and other proposed super science experimentation the private sector simply can't justify.

Space exploration is at a technological dead end right now, that isn't to say it isn't interesting or building a private industry won't spark innovation - I just think public funds are better suited to what private funds can't achieve. Kickstarter is good for private funding.

The idea of ARKYD is interesting, though its scientific use will be small. I doubt this will have influence on national space progams^^

I'd say most of what NASA does wouldn't actually be replicated by private funds. Yes we can kickstart a million dollar telescope, but I don't think we'd be able to do something like Hubble(2.5 billion), which has had a huge scientific impact.

Most of what I'd say NASA does is one of 3 things, Science, Human Exploration or developing tech to enable or improve the first 2

I am of the opinion that we can't really justify Human space exploration on science, but I am also of the opinion that we should still be doing it, but for other reasons (also I don't think private money would support it much)

Supported. And no, space is definitely not a technological dead end, otherwise I would be out of a job.

They should kickstart a moon helium colony But maybe we don't need that if Lockheed skunkworks succeeds with their fusion reactor.

There is no such thing as "misuse" of kickstarter. If it's misuse people won't support it and it won't work.

Anyway launching a satellite for private use is ******* awesome.

yah i agree

Want to buy a carrier with no launch catapults? A bargain at £3 billion each (plus project overruns, TBC). We're still waiting on someone to buy the F-35s they are supposed to be carrying, and nobody wants to decide if we are going to even use the second one until at least 2015, so feel free to put an offer in at cameron@uk.gov

Wonder how many satellites you could sponsor for £6 billion? :?

I think that much money can get you a shiny new robot on Mars or two. Or you could send a mission to Jupiter and Europa.

With all the money NATO states have wasted on questionable weapon systems in the last decade we could probably have a colony on the moon by now. Or a space elevator.