Category: Article
Education and Careers in Space Mining
As the practice of mining asteroids–also known as space mining–moves from the domain of science fiction into the real world of business, it brings a wealth of new career options. These opportunities are not only open to people who already work in the space industry, such as [more…]
Environmental considerations of asteroid mining
The extraction of resources from asteroids–which used to be a science fiction concept–is swiftly becoming a focus of real-life conversations about resource acquisition and space exploration. Mining extraterrestrial bodies for rich minerals like platinum, gold, and rare-earth elements have enormous potential benefits, but as with earth mining, [more…]
Legal considerations of space mining
Space mining law is as vast as space, starting with international treaties and evolving into national laws. Outer Space Treaty A 1967 pact called the “Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial [more…]
Space mining technologies
Exploration and mining equipment for asteroids Scientific and commercial interests have focused on asteroid exploration and mining. These complex duties are performed by spacecraft and robots, each with specialized functions and capabilities developed for asteroidal conditions. Spacecraft Reconnaissance orbiters and sample-return missions dominate asteroid missions. These ships [more…]
Future of space mining
Even though the idea of mining asteroids has been around for more than fifty years, substantial progress has only been made in the last two decades. Scientific missions, like Hayabusa2 from Japan and OSIRIS-REx from NASA, have successfully sent probes to asteroids, analyzed the raw materials, and [more…]
Current state of space mining ventures
The current status of space mining ventures is potentially volatile. A few years ago, it seemed that space mining was inevitable, with companies like Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries–backed by Google’s Larry Page and Eric Schmidt–cropping up to take advantage of the predicted payoff. However, as [more…]
Brief history of space mining
Space mining hypotheses and concepts history Both speculative fiction and space exploration technologies have shaped space mining as an idea. The idea initially appeared in literature in 1898, but it has evolved via inventive narrative and scientific advances. In Garrett P. Serviss’ 1898 novel Edison’s Conquest of [more…]
Introduction to Space Mining
Initial Steps in Asteroid Mining: From Identification to Extraction Asteroid mining is a complex process that begins by identifying an asteroid that is suitable for extracting resources. Scientists use telescopes and specific space missions to examine the composition of various asteroids, focusing on those that contain a [more…]