Scientists Analyse Feasibility And Challenges Of Asteroid Mining

Asteroid mining is a popular concept when it comes to science fiction, but it is now being considered seriously by scientists in order to access valuable resources in space. A recent study investigated the feasibility of asteroid mining and also analysed the challenges and opportunities.

Similar to Earth, a majority of asteroids contain vast amounts of valuable resources, including metals like platinum, gold and iron, as well as water, which can be used as fuel for spacecraft. Some asteroids are believed to contain trillions of dollars worth of minerals.

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For the study, a team led by researchers from the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) analysed samples of C-type (carbon-rich) asteroids, which account for 75 per cent of known asteroids. The findings, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, might be a vital source of raw materials.

Professor Jacinto Alonso-Azcarate at the University of Castilla-La Mancha analysed the asteroid samples, which were selected by the research group.

"The scientific interest in each of these meteorites is that they sample small, undifferentiated asteroids, and provide valuable information on the chemical composition and evolutionary history of the bodies from which they originate," Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez, first author of the study and astrophysicist at ICE-CSIC, affiliated to the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) said in a press release.

"At ICE-CSIC and IEEC, we specialize in developing experiments to better understand the properties of these asteroids and how the physical processes that occur in space affect their nature and mineralogy. The work now being published is the culmination of that team effort."

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Despite the promise, asteroid mining faces significant technical and economic hurdles. The cost of accessing and extracting resources from asteroids is extremely expensive, and we don't even have the appropriate technology.

"Alongside the progress represented by sample return missions, companies capable of taking decisive steps in the technological development necessary to extract and collect these materials under low-gravity conditions are truly needed. The processing of these materials and the waste generated would also have a significant impact that should be quantified and properly mitigated," Trigo-Rodriguez said.

"For certain water-rich carbonaceous asteroids, extracting water for reuse seems more viable, either as fuel or as a primary resource for exploring other worlds," said Trigo-Rodriguez.

Not just expense and tech, there are also regulatory uncertainties. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits nations from claiming celestial bodies.