Research at the Fusion Technology Institute at the University of Wisconsin has also suggested that the process of mining helium-3 would produce other minerals to support space settlements.

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In recent years, Indian companies have invested billions of dollars in the United States -- in American machinery, manufacturing, mining, research, technology.

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Astronauts would then travel to the asteroid where "there could be mining activities, research into ways of deflecting an asteroid from striking Earth and testing to develop technology for a trip to deep space and Mars, " it said.

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