Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/832998
40 www.resourceworld.com J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 1 7 It's a platitude to note that the challenges of bringing a new mine online are not only dependent on its economic prospects, the fiscal, physical and engineering require- ments of the materials being mined and the markets being served, but they also depend on the political dialogue needed to first identify and then address stakeholder concerns surrounding the operation. This will remain true whether the next mine opens in Northern Canada, off the coast of South America, or even in deep space. At least, that's the story you'd come away with after attending the 8th Joint Planetary and Terrestrial Mining Sciences Symposium (PTMSS) & Space Resources Roundtable, which was held in conjunc- tion with the 2017 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) annual conference in Montreal, PQ from April 30th - May 3. As outlined by Gerald Sanders, the Deputy Project Manager for NASA in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) project, there is substantial overlap between commercial space activities and the activities of the mining industry. Sanders considers space resources as a potential pathway towards developing a terrestrial economy, in much the same way that conventional min- ing provides the raw material to support primary manufacturing. Sanders noted the widespread use of robotics, remote sensing, big data and other advanced technologies in both terrestrial and space exploration. But Sanders also noted similarities in the business constraints which affect both the mining and space industries. These include high, up-front costs and long lead times before there is a reasonable chance of seeing a return on investment, either in the form of profits or scientific research. He noted the many cases, in both space and on the ground, where the end result wasn't quite what the original investors had expected. Sanders shared the stage at the CIM plenary with several more traditional mining executives including Michelle Ash, Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick Gold; Pierre Lapointe, President and CEO of ArcelorMittal Mining Canada; Renaud Adams, President and CEO of Richmond CIM Annual Conference focuses on mining in outer space by Chuck Black