NASA expects to mine moon for iron, rare earths by 2032
NASA is looking to develop resources on the moon that initially include oxygen and water, and eventually may expand to iron and rare earths, and has already taken steps toward excavating moon soil in 2032, a scientist said on Wednesday.
A key part of the mission is advancing commercial opportunities in space. The agency is looking to quantify potential resources, including energy, water and lunar soil, as a goal to attract commercial investment, said Gerald Sanders, a rocket scientist at NASA’s Johnston Space Centre for 35 years. “We are trying to invest in the exploration phase, understand the resources... to [lower] risk such that external investment makes sense that could lead to development and production,” he told a mining conference in Brisbane.
The first customers are expected to be commercial rocket companies who could use the moon’s resources for fuel or oxygen.
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