Where is the closest, safest route and location to find....

[Kilo Vectors]

mine-able gold, and/or platinum in space, relative to earth? Say if i set my story in the year 2080-2100..a company sets out to secretly do this? also it must be economically justifiable of course, but let us assume increasing scarcity of already depleted gold and precious metals causes this very talented firm to explore this option as economically feasible

 

[mfb]

There are plans already to mine various things from asteroids. Rare metals are often a target.
Stealth? You cannot hide a rocket launch. You can hide its true purpose, maybe, but then you need a good reason to launch anything to interplanetary space.

 

[Kilo Vectors]

There are plans already to mine various things from asteroids. Rare metals are often a target.
Stealth? You cannot hide a rocket launch. You can hide its true purpose, maybe, but then you need a good reason to launch anything to interplanetary space.

Yes sir, but somehow I feel it wll not take place any time before the next one or two centuries? What do you feel? Well about stealth,..it cannot be disguised I agree. Also, what would be a realistic payload to bring back? Say they have good technology but nothing too sci-fi. lol. Would it be possible to disguise a special vehicle satellite sized, that would be launched with several others at once, however go off to mine an asteroid. But isn't a planet a better option? one that has such vast reserves..if you know.

 

[mfb]

Yes sir, but somehow I feel it wll not take place any time before the next one or two centuries? What do you feel?

Rocket launches have to get significantly cheaper, or get replaced by something else, but I can imagine that happening within this century. 85 years to go - 85 years ago (1931) we did not even have rockets that could go to space, and Lindbergh's flight over the Atlantic was just 4 years ago.

Also, what would be a realistic payload to bring back?

Whatever is available on the asteroid and expensive enough in space or on Earth. If rockets are not replaced by something significantly cheaper, even hydrogen and oxygen can be interesting (to be used in space then).

Would it be possible to disguise a special vehicle satellite sized, that would be launched with several others at once, however go off to mine an asteroid.

Maybe not impossible, but I still doubt that something like that could stay undetected.

But isn't a planet a better option? one that has such vast reserves..if you know.

We have a planet right here, easily accessible. Asteroids are interesting because they have high concentrations of heavy metals - things that mainly went to the core of planets. It is also much easier to launch stuff from asteroids compared to launching stuff from planets.