Difference between revisions of "Belt Mining"
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[[Belt Mining]] is the process of extracting useful [[resource]]s: [[mineral]]s, [[metal]]s, [[organic]]s, [[radioactive]]s, and/or other substances from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroids asteroids]. | [[Belt Mining]] is the process of extracting useful [[resource]]s: [[mineral]]s, [[metal]]s, [[organic]]s, [[radioactive]]s, and/or other substances from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroids asteroids]. | ||
* The workers who perform these task are known as [[Belter]]s. | * The workers who perform these task are known as [[Belter]]s. | ||
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* Many asteroids, most particularly nickel-iron rocks, contain varying amounts of the valuable minerals, platinum, [[iridium]], and so forth, and sometimes other radioactive materials. | * Many asteroids, most particularly nickel-iron rocks, contain varying amounts of the valuable minerals, platinum, [[iridium]], and so forth, and sometimes other radioactive materials. | ||
* Occasionally an asteroid will be discovered with an unusual configuration that makes it valuable for scientific or even aesthetic purposes. | * Occasionally an asteroid will be discovered with an unusual configuration that makes it valuable for scientific or even aesthetic purposes. | ||
| − | * And, finally, there are [[artifact]]s, which take in the entire gamut from the flotsam of a week-old wreck to a trove left by the [[Ancients]], and which vary in value accordingly. | + | * And, finally, there are [[artifact]]s, which take in the entire gamut from the flotsam of a week-old [[wreck]] to a trove left by the [[Ancients]], and which vary in value accordingly. |
== History & Background ([[Dossier]]) == | == History & Background ([[Dossier]]) == | ||
Belt mining once referred to a strip mining method used on the surface of [[habitable world]]s. The term most often now means the mining of [[asteroid belt]]s. | Belt mining once referred to a strip mining method used on the surface of [[habitable world]]s. The term most often now means the mining of [[asteroid belt]]s. | ||
| − | == References & Contributors (Sources) == | + | == References & Contributors ([[Sources]]) == |
{{Intermediate}} | {{Intermediate}} | ||
{{Sources | {{Sources | ||
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|S2= {{CT}} [[Beltstrike]] box set | |S2= {{CT}} [[Beltstrike]] box set | ||
|S3= [[Traveller Wiki Editorial Team]] | |S3= [[Traveller Wiki Editorial Team]] | ||
| − | |S4= Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology [[ | + | |S4= Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology [[Maksim-Smelchak]] of the [[Ministry of Science]] |
}} | }} | ||
{{LE|Industry|General|Mining|Resource}} | {{LE|Industry|General|Mining|Resource}} | ||
Revision as of 11:14, 23 June 2019
Belt Mining is the process of extracting useful resources: minerals, metals, organics, radioactives, and/or other substances from asteroids.
- The workers who perform these task are known as Belters.
Description (Specifications)
Asteroids fall into three basic categories, each of which is different in nature and value:
- 1. Nickel-iron asteroids are reasonably dense, high-grade sources of metal of most value to the manufacturing industry; large asteroids can be sold to local shipbuilding concerns as planetoid starship hulls.
- 2. Carbonaceous asteroids are the most common planetoids and have the lowest value of all asteroids in most marketplaces. These stony chunks have the most value in systems where space colonies and large stations can make use of the variety of the useful elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and so on-that can be extracted from them.
- 3. Ice chunks are made up of various frozen volatiles, including methane, water, and the like. These “dirty snowballs” are a source of hydrogen fuel and hence support an entire specialty of “ice miners” who seek them out. In systems where gas giants cannot be used for one reason or another, a starport or space station may pay reasonably good money for ice chunks, though they will never make a belter rich.
None of these three categories of asteroid is particularly valuable, and few belters ever made a fortune strictly from discovering and mining any of these.
In point of fact, there are other things to be found:
- Many asteroids, most particularly nickel-iron rocks, contain varying amounts of the valuable minerals, platinum, iridium, and so forth, and sometimes other radioactive materials.
- Occasionally an asteroid will be discovered with an unusual configuration that makes it valuable for scientific or even aesthetic purposes.
- And, finally, there are artifacts, which take in the entire gamut from the flotsam of a week-old wreck to a trove left by the Ancients, and which vary in value accordingly.
History & Background (Dossier)
Belt mining once referred to a strip mining method used on the surface of habitable worlds. The term most often now means the mining of asteroid belts.
References & Contributors (Sources)
This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
- MegaTraveller Imperial Encyclopedia
- Classic Traveller Beltstrike box set
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science