The American space agency NASA has ambitions to exploit the moon’s resources over the next decade, with the aim of extracting the soil from it by 2032. Here is what we know about this project .
NASA, the US space agency, is set to launch mining operations on the Moon within the next decade, with the aim of extracting resources from it by 2032, according to a Guardian report. The move is part of NASA’s ambitious Artemis mission, which aims to return humans to the moon by 2025, marking the first moon landing since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
As part of its Moon mining plans, NASA intends to send a test drill into space with the aim of harvest lunar soil and establish a processing plant on the surface of the Moon. The goal is to better understand lunar resources and mitigate risks from outside investment, paving the way for potential development and production, said Gerald Sanders, rocket scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
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NASA wants to mine resources on the Moon
According to Reuters, the main customers for lunar resources are expected to be commercial rocket companies, which could use the surface of the Moon to obtain fuel or oxygen. In 2015, NASA was already exploring the potential for a “lunar gold rush”. Water, helium and rare earth metals have been touted as essential elements found on the Moon. Water, in particular, can be converted into rocket fuel, while helium holds promise for advances in energy technologies. Rare-earth metals, such as scandium and yttrium, which are abundant in moon rockscould significantly boost the electronics sector.
NASA also provided a staggering statistic, highlighting the vastness of lunar resources. Mining a single metric ton per day would require about 220 million years to exhaust just 1% of the Moon’s mass.
Either way, NASA sees the Artemis mission as a stepping stone to conquering Mars. The Lunar Project also aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon, and mining our natural satellite could refuel rockets ahead of a much longer journey.
