They freeze the o b to get their production shafts down to bedrock. At first everyone said it could not be done. And at Cameco they mine to-day by remote control and extract by using large diameter bore holes to protect the miners from uranium radiation in some high grade areas. Ain't tecnology wonderful ?
If the value is there the asteroid belt could be mined. The question is "is the value there" and don't compare potash and uranium because they got enormous boosts by the government injecting cash - that nice easy scenario won't happen here.