An incredible treasure may be hidden on the Moon – platinum deposits worth more than $1 trillion. This is the sensational conclusion of a team of researchers led by Dr. Jayanth Chennamangalam from Oxford. Their study, published in the journal Planetary and Space Science, opens up not only the prospects for space wealth but also a new way to finance the exploration of the Universe.
The key to the treasure is in the craters
By analyzing more than 1.3 million lunar craters with a diameter of more than a kilometer, scientists have discovered about 6,500 formations created by asteroids of a special type. These celestial “projectiles” carried a significant amount of platinum, palladium, and iridium, extremely valuable metals. After the impact, their fragments could have been buried under a layer of lunar regolith.
“There could be many more craters on the Moon with asteroid remnants containing valuable metals than individual ore asteroids,” Chennamangalam said.
In addition, it is much easier to extract resources in relatively stable craters with gravity than on small asteroids, where gravity is almost absent.
The attraction of craters is not only in the wealth itself. The scientist sees space mining as a revolutionary way to finance science. “If we can monetize space resources, private enterprises will invest in solar system exploration,” explains Chennamangalam.
Legal fog
However, the path to lunar gold is covered in thick legal fog. The main obstacle is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. This fundamental document prohibits any state from claiming sovereignty over or occupying the Moon or other celestial bodies. Does it allow private companies to simply extract resources? This is a subject of lively debate.
The United States has tried to propose boundaries by creating the Artemis Accords, which provide for the establishment of security zones around mining sites. However, key space players China and Russia have refused to sign these agreements, questioning their legitimacy and effectiveness in establishing clear international rules.
Before space excavators can start working, humanity will have to find answers to complex legal and ethical questions: who has the right to mine the treasures of our satellite and under what conditions? Lunar platinum remains not only a geological mystery but also a puzzle for international law.
Earlier, we talked about what treasures asteroids hide.
Provided by NewScientist
