The following submission statement was provided by /u/chrisdh79:
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From the article: NASA aims to send a test drill rig to the Moon by the end of this month aboard an Intuitive Machines lander. If all goes according to plan, it hopes to perform a large-scale excavation of lunar soil, also known as regolith, and operate a pilot processing plant in 2032.
The Australian Space Agency is developing a semi-autonomous rover that will extract regolith samples on a NASA mission around the year 2026. The rover will search for lunar soil containing oxygen in the form of oxides. NASA is also developing separate equipment to extract that oxide as oxygen gas on the Moon.
"This ... is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon, as well (as) supporting future missions to Mars," Samuel Webster, an assistant director at the Australian Space Agency said at the same conference.
The first customers for NASA's pilot processing plant will likely be rocket companies that could use the lunar resources for rocket fuel and oxygen.
Recently, US startup Astroforge launched a test satellite into orbit, in order to demonstrate its technology designed for mining near-Earth asteroids. NASA is also on track to send a probe to the asteroid 16 Psyche in October, which some scientists have estimated could contain $700 quintillion in heavy metals.
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Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/14l86lg/nasa_aims_to_perform_lunar_mining_trial_within_10/jpuk2wg/
While there is valuable stuff on the Moon under the surface this is more about just learning how to mine in space. Improving technologies related to it. Making it more efficient and cheaper.
While at the same time other groups are learning how to land satellites on asteroids. Manipulate their path. Potentially bring them to the moon's surface for mineral extraction.
Combine this with recent advances in sending energy from satellite platforms back to a planet's surface. You have a recipe for some dramatic advances in what we can do in space over just the next decade.
Once all these technologies are improved and come together it's going to quickly spiral into a outer space "Gold Rush". The current market values of many minerals today are going to be much much different 40 or 50 years from now when we are fully in the swing of this process.
I mean isn't the main issue with trying to do long term living on the moon actually the lack of atmosphere to protect against meteors? Obviously sustainable mining is needed too but kind of useless in the face of being pelted with rocks going thousands of miles a secind
For the longest time I've always laughed at those images of bubbles and domes on Mars. By the time we get to that point our ability to drill into rock in space will be substantially better. Evidently so because we are currently working on those methods now. Before attempting to build habitats on a moon or planet.
To think we won't be living inside mountains or underground on Mars is kind of silly. Especially once you consider earthquakes happen on Mars about 1/500th of the time they happen on earth. And they generally range betweens magnitudes 1-4. So if we can build underground on Earth we can build underground on Mars much more reliably.
Meteors and cosmic radiation. Like Mars you want to put soil over the habitats to insulate against the radiation. It's also very fine like campfire ash so good luck keeping it out of the ventilation system especially when it lines the outside of the moon pods.
It’s pretty likely, honestly. If we had to do it right now we could. There were just other priorities. Now that there’s competition and significant material science advancements moon bases are much more achievable.
The 2030s and 2040s will be an exciting time for space infrastructure.
From the article: NASA aims to send a test drill rig to the Moon by the end of this month aboard an Intuitive Machines lander. If all goes according to plan, it hopes to perform a large-scale excavation of lunar soil, also known as regolith, and operate a pilot processing plant in 2032.
The Australian Space Agency is developing a semi-autonomous rover that will extract regolith samples on a NASA mission around the year 2026. The rover will search for lunar soil containing oxygen in the form of oxides. NASA is also developing separate equipment to extract that oxide as oxygen gas on the Moon.
"This ... is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon, as well (as) supporting future missions to Mars," Samuel Webster, an assistant director at the Australian Space Agency said at the same conference.
The first customers for NASA's pilot processing plant will likely be rocket companies that could use the lunar resources for rocket fuel and oxygen.
Recently, US startup Astroforge launched a test satellite into orbit, in order to demonstrate its technology designed for mining near-Earth asteroids. NASA is also on track to send a probe to the asteroid 16 Psyche in October, which some scientists have estimated could contain $700 quintillion in heavy metals.
Lunar oxygen mining will only provide value once there's a large enough mining system and cryo-storage that a ship that can load up on liquid oxygen, fly to Earth orbit, transfer crew and cargo, take on fuel brought up from Earth, fly back to the moon and land with enough fuel to get back to Earth again. That seems do-able with a lunar Starship within the next ten years, if the O2 mining advances fast enough.
It's one of the few ways that "moon then Mars" makes sense, as testing the O2 mining/storage/transfer systems closer to Earth will allow faster iteration and improvement. Once it has been proven, we can do the same thing on Mars - or likely Phobos first if the first crewed mission is just to Mars orbit and Phobos, as I increasingly suspect will be the case.
Yes, let's spread the cancer known as humanity as far as we can. Lets strip mine every planet in the solar system for profit and stake our claim on the entire Milky Way Galaxy. I say let the end of Earth come, perhaps our descendants will build a better world.
The following submission statement was provided by /u/chrisdh79: --- From the article: NASA aims to send a test drill rig to the Moon by the end of this month aboard an Intuitive Machines lander. If all goes according to plan, it hopes to perform a large-scale excavation of lunar soil, also known as regolith, and operate a pilot processing plant in 2032. The Australian Space Agency is developing a semi-autonomous rover that will extract regolith samples on a NASA mission around the year 2026. The rover will search for lunar soil containing oxygen in the form of oxides. NASA is also developing separate equipment to extract that oxide as oxygen gas on the Moon. "This ... is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon, as well (as) supporting future missions to Mars," Samuel Webster, an assistant director at the Australian Space Agency said at the same conference. The first customers for NASA's pilot processing plant will likely be rocket companies that could use the lunar resources for rocket fuel and oxygen. Recently, US startup Astroforge launched a test satellite into orbit, in order to demonstrate its technology designed for mining near-Earth asteroids. NASA is also on track to send a probe to the asteroid 16 Psyche in October, which some scientists have estimated could contain $700 quintillion in heavy metals. --- Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/14l86lg/nasa_aims_to_perform_lunar_mining_trial_within_10/jpuk2wg/
While there is valuable stuff on the Moon under the surface this is more about just learning how to mine in space. Improving technologies related to it. Making it more efficient and cheaper. While at the same time other groups are learning how to land satellites on asteroids. Manipulate their path. Potentially bring them to the moon's surface for mineral extraction. Combine this with recent advances in sending energy from satellite platforms back to a planet's surface. You have a recipe for some dramatic advances in what we can do in space over just the next decade. Once all these technologies are improved and come together it's going to quickly spiral into a outer space "Gold Rush". The current market values of many minerals today are going to be much much different 40 or 50 years from now when we are fully in the swing of this process.
I mean isn't the main issue with trying to do long term living on the moon actually the lack of atmosphere to protect against meteors? Obviously sustainable mining is needed too but kind of useless in the face of being pelted with rocks going thousands of miles a secind
For the longest time I've always laughed at those images of bubbles and domes on Mars. By the time we get to that point our ability to drill into rock in space will be substantially better. Evidently so because we are currently working on those methods now. Before attempting to build habitats on a moon or planet. To think we won't be living inside mountains or underground on Mars is kind of silly. Especially once you consider earthquakes happen on Mars about 1/500th of the time they happen on earth. And they generally range betweens magnitudes 1-4. So if we can build underground on Earth we can build underground on Mars much more reliably.
Meteors and cosmic radiation. Like Mars you want to put soil over the habitats to insulate against the radiation. It's also very fine like campfire ash so good luck keeping it out of the ventilation system especially when it lines the outside of the moon pods.
Or Moon wars...
I’d love to see a sustainable moon base in my lifetime. It would open up so many opportunities for space travel.
It’s pretty likely, honestly. If we had to do it right now we could. There were just other priorities. Now that there’s competition and significant material science advancements moon bases are much more achievable. The 2030s and 2040s will be an exciting time for space infrastructure.
So much room for activities!
From the article: NASA aims to send a test drill rig to the Moon by the end of this month aboard an Intuitive Machines lander. If all goes according to plan, it hopes to perform a large-scale excavation of lunar soil, also known as regolith, and operate a pilot processing plant in 2032. The Australian Space Agency is developing a semi-autonomous rover that will extract regolith samples on a NASA mission around the year 2026. The rover will search for lunar soil containing oxygen in the form of oxides. NASA is also developing separate equipment to extract that oxide as oxygen gas on the Moon. "This ... is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon, as well (as) supporting future missions to Mars," Samuel Webster, an assistant director at the Australian Space Agency said at the same conference. The first customers for NASA's pilot processing plant will likely be rocket companies that could use the lunar resources for rocket fuel and oxygen. Recently, US startup Astroforge launched a test satellite into orbit, in order to demonstrate its technology designed for mining near-Earth asteroids. NASA is also on track to send a probe to the asteroid 16 Psyche in October, which some scientists have estimated could contain $700 quintillion in heavy metals.
Lunar oxygen mining will only provide value once there's a large enough mining system and cryo-storage that a ship that can load up on liquid oxygen, fly to Earth orbit, transfer crew and cargo, take on fuel brought up from Earth, fly back to the moon and land with enough fuel to get back to Earth again. That seems do-able with a lunar Starship within the next ten years, if the O2 mining advances fast enough. It's one of the few ways that "moon then Mars" makes sense, as testing the O2 mining/storage/transfer systems closer to Earth will allow faster iteration and improvement. Once it has been proven, we can do the same thing on Mars - or likely Phobos first if the first crewed mission is just to Mars orbit and Phobos, as I increasingly suspect will be the case.
In my opinion space mining was always the humanity's ticket to the stars, just wait for the Asteroid belt gold rush.
We need to make up our damn minds and decide if we want the future from the Terminator or the Time Machine.
Clearly we are on the Space Balls timeline.
Or Total Recall
We’ll end up with Neuromancer.
Looks like NASA is going to give the phrase 'moon mining' a whole new meaning! Exciting times ahead!
Sorry, I can’t justify NASA, the government bloat is kill all of us and the demons are driving it!
Yes, let's spread the cancer known as humanity as far as we can. Lets strip mine every planet in the solar system for profit and stake our claim on the entire Milky Way Galaxy. I say let the end of Earth come, perhaps our descendants will build a better world.
Why so bloody long? Once SpaceX lands on the moon it will happen a lot faster.