No longer is activity in space limited to nations with big budgets. In the U.S., NASA changed their way of operating to a model of cooperation with private businesses (like SpaceX) who do all the building while working with NASA's expertise.
Rocket launches, though, are not the only thing being done in space by private businesses. For example, harvesting solar power from outside our atmosphere is the goal of some.
Another idea being considered is to mine asteroids for metals we need on earth.
Asteroid 16 Psyche is a large one between Mars and Jupiter, made mostly of metal (like a planet core) rather than the typical rock or ice. It's just right for mining, but far away and still years off. NASA plans a mission simply to orbit and document it by 2026.
Two smaller metal-rich asteroids are much closer and may be a better bet for mining. If it can be done, it could be a game changer for future technology on earth because one of them seems to contain more iron, nickel and cobalt than all earth's reserves.
from Forbes
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