Monique Soto

ENG 487
Passage: Space Mining: the Next Gold Rush? By Michael Slezak

The forum comes hot on the heels of the 2012 unveiling of two private asteroid-mining firms.
Planetary Resources of Washington says it will launch its first prospecting telescopes in two
years, while Deep Space Industries of Virginia hopes to be harvesting metals from asteroids by
2020. Another commercial venture that sprung up in 2012, Golden Spike of Colorado, will be
offering trips to the moon, including to potential lunar miners. Within a few decades, these firms
may be meeting earthly demands for precious metals, such as platinum and gold, and the rare
earth elements vital for personal electronics, such as yttrium and lanthanum. But like the gold
rush pioneers who transformed the western United States, the first space miners wont just
enrich themselves.

Function Words Content Words

The on of it will its in while to be from by a few
these be for as and But who themselves
forum comes hot heels 2012 unveiling two
private asteroid-mining firms Planetary
Resources Washington says launch first
prospecting telescopes two years Deep
Space Industries Virginia hopes harvesting
metals asteroids offering trips moon including
potential lunar minors Within decades firms
may meeting earthly demands precious
metals such platinum gold rare earth
elements vital personal electronics yttrium
lanthanum like rush pioneers transformed
western United States first space miners
wont just enrich

Compound Complex

asteroid-mining Another Within themselves comes heels unveiling firms Planetary

Resources says prospecting telescopes
years Industries hopes harvesting metals
asteroids Golden offering trips including
miners decades meeting earthly demands
elements personal electronics pioneers
transformed western United States enrich
 Inflectional Derivational

comes heels unveiling mining firms unveiling Planetary Resources telescopes

Resources says prospecting telescopes commercial potential earthly personal
years Industries hopes harvesting metals electronics transformed western enrich
asteroids Golden offering trips including
miners decades firms meeting demands
elements electronics pioneers transformed
United States themselves

Stem Derivation
veil (N) unveil (Verb)
Planet (N) Planetary (Adj)
source (N) resource (N)
scope (N) telescope (N)
earth (N) earthly (Adj)
person (N) personal (Adj)
electron (N) electronics (N)
form (N) transform (verb)
west (N) western (adj)
rich (adj) enrich (v)

Word Origin Root Affix(es)/Suffix (es)

prospecting Latin spect (look) pro-forward

ing- verb forms
commercial Latin merc (merchandise) com-together
cial- having
characteristics of
asteroids Greek aster (star) oid-resembling (like)
potential Latin potent (being able) Ial-relating to
United Latin unit(joined,together) ed-verb form

Prefix Root Word

info= information merc =merchandise Infomercial

tile= relating to Mercantile
com= with Commerce
ant= serving in the capacity merchant
of