As lead mechanical engineer who designed, built, and tested a lunar mining machine within the last year, I can assure you: we're working on it.

Let me just indicate that if NASA (or some other government entity) had not funded the project, the private space sector would have taken decades to begin considering funding it.

The civil space industry provides funding and support for state-of-the-art space technologies, while the private space industry - with their ROI requirements - follows behind. There is nothing wrong with this protocol. If you'd like to see more private space industry, fund NASA so that companies can justify spending money on more mature technologies.

Milky Way heavier than thought? Maybe it's your mom.

Zing!