Mining the final frontier: symposium.

• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: MINING

A closer relationship between the space and mining sectors will be forged at the second annual Planetary and Terrestrial Mining Sciences Symposium in Sudbury from June 5 to 8.

To be held at the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT) adjoining Cambrian College, the symposium will feature plenary speakers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and local mining companies, such as Inco.

NASA's Gerald Sanders, developer of a roadmap for space mining research and development, will deliver a speech entitled Planetary Exploration: The New Mining Frontier. He will examine the "traditional" roles of planetary exploration and terrestrial mining with a focus on commonalties and cross-pollination potential.

The CSA's Dr. Jean-Claude Piedboeuf will give a presentation on Canada's role in space mining.

Fred Standford, Inco's general manager of central maintenance and engineering, along with NorandaFalconbridge's John Vary, manager of mine technical services, will address technology challenges and research and development priorities for the mining industry.

The three major themes will be:

1. Solid planetology as it relates to the science and technologies of exploring the earth, its moon, other planets or planetary bodies for the purpose of conducting science or resource extraction potential;

2. Resource extraction and utilization as it relates to the sciences and technologies involved with the extraction of valuable resources from the Earth, its moon and other planetary bodies for the purposes of greater understanding, economic activity, or logistics and support; and

3. Commercialization as it relates to the aspects of resource extraction within which economic activity can be...