Just thinking out loud about space mining.
Where will Americans land on the race to space. We know that Americans were the first to the moon and the first with a space shuttle.
Other than that the Russians hold the other records. Russians were the first in space and they have the record for the longest stay in space.
This does not mean that the Americans are not do anything. A lot of science is conducted in the space shuttle missions. However, I think Americans are frontiersmen and do not like doing what has already been done.
Therefore, what could be the next great accomplishment for the Americans in space. This is hard to anwser. There is talk of a man mission to mars. However, do we really want to subject astronauts to the time investment to reach mars.
What may be a good idea is space minning. We all say that we are running out of valueable earth resources. Why don't we harness the elements in space.
I hear there is water and metals up there. Imagine what would happen to the American economy if America declared all of the universe's material resources under her control.
We would pay off all our debt and stop contaminating the planet by burning coal and manufacturing here on Earth. All manufacturing could be moved to space and the finished product sent to Earth.