What happens to the leftovers from asteroid mining?

I understand that asteroids are very very far apart, but everything I am reading about asteroid mining omits any information about what happens to the waste rock or "tailings" that would presumably be left over. Is it loose rubble or ground powder? Does it not become an operational hazard, at least to the mining unit itself? What I mean is, assuming the process creates dust, wouldn't all the mining equipment be coated in it, potentially clogging servos and covering solar panels, etc?

If there is rubble or gravel left over, would it have any value or use? Potentially being compressed into (I am guessing) a drywall-like building material for space constructs, or used as soil or fertilizer?

is a duplicate

This question has been asked before and has already been answered. It should be marked as a duplicate.

Please enter the URL of the proposed duplicate in the details field below.

not constructive

This question cannot be answered in a way that is helpful to anyone. It's not possible to learn something from possible answers, except for the solution for the specific problem of the asker.

Communities

What happens to the leftovers from asteroid mining?

0 comment threads

0 answers