A private company is planning to send a robotic spacecraft to an asteroid later this week. The company, AstroForge, is aiming to mine the asteroid for precious metals, which could be used to create vast fortunes on Earth. The company has already launched a demonstration spacecraft into Earth’s orbit and has raised $55 million in funding. The new spacecraft, called Odin, will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and will travel to a near-Earth asteroid in deep space. Odin will separate from the rocket and begin its solo journey to the asteroid, while the other spacecraft on the mission will go to the moon.
AstroForge is betting on this mission being different from previous attempts at asteroid mining, which failed to take off a decade ago. The company has a team of scientists and engineers working on the project, and they are confident in their ability to succeed.
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