AstroForge, a space startup specializing in asteroid mining, has raised $40 million from venture capitalists, increasing its total fundraising to $55 million. Founders Matt Gialich and Jose Acain note that this step could be the beginning of a new supply chain for Earth’s raw materials.
Although the idea of mining on asteroids seems fantastic, scientists and entrepreneurs are considering it very seriously. Conducted studies evaluate the economic prospects for extracting metals and resources from space bodies, and some missions have already proven the possibility of mining on a small scale.
For example, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered samples from the asteroid Bennu to Earth in 2023, and Japan’s Hayabusa2 returned on a similar mission in 2020. The Psyche spacecraft is now flying toward the metallic asteroid, but its mission doesn’t include returning samples. Technical challenges remain significant, but economic incentives are pushing to keep trying.
The legal aspects are also not neglected. In 2015, the U.S. Congress passed a law that allows U.S. companies to own and sell resources extracted from asteroids, even though international law, enshrined in the 1966 U.N. Outer Space Treaty, prohibits the appropriation of celestial bodies.
AstroForge faced difficulties during its first demonstration mission in December when there were communication problems with the spacecraft. However, the company plans to continue its operations: a second Odin mission will take place in 2024, and a third Vestri mission is planned for 2025, during which the spacecraft will attempt to land on a near-Earth asteroid.
We previously reported on how AstroForge planned to mine platinum on asteroids.
According to gizmodo.com
