368 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
Saletta and Orrman-Rossiter 2018a). Once the equipment
is in space, it must be transported to the mining site. This
can be done using a variety of methods, including space-
craft, robots, or drones. The cost of transportation will vary
depending on the transportation method. Finally, there is
the risk of accidents and damage to equipment. Space is
a dangerous environment, and there is always the risk of
accidents happening. When the equipment is damaged, it
can be very expensive to repair or replace (Hein, Saidani,
and Tollu 2018). All of these factors contribute to the
high expenditure of space travel with mining equipment.
However, the potential rewards of mining in space could
be significant. As the technology for space travel continues
to improve, the cost of space travel is expected to decrease
(Pandya 2019). This could make it more feasible to mine
in space and will lead to a new era of space exploration and
resource extraction.
Difficulty in Identifying and Accessing Suitable Remote
Bodies of Asteroids And Moon
The harsh environment on the moon and asteroids pres-
ent major challenges to remote exploration of minerals. The
moon and asteroids are exposed to extreme temperatures,
huge amounts of radiation, and dust. This may damage the
exploration and processing equipment and make it difficult
for astronauts to work in these environments. The distance
between the moon and asteroids are millions of kilometres
from earth, which makes it difficult to communicate with
astronauts and send them supplies when required.
Extracting and Processing Minerals in Microgravity
The lack of gravity in space presents significant challenges
in extraction methods like what we will find on earth. The
moon and near-earth-asteroids (NEAs) have no atmosphere
and contain microgravity.
The lack of gravity in space makes it difficult to per-
form many tasks that are taken for granted on earth, such as
walking, lifting, and pouring liquids (Raafat et al., 2013).
This can make it difficult to operate mining equipment
and process metals (Ross 2001b). Explosives are commonly
used to extract minerals on earth, but they cannot be used
in space because of the risk of damaging equipment and
causing injuries (Raafat et al., 2013). This means that alter-
native techniques must be developed to extract minerals,
which can be more challenging and time-consuming.
Lack of Safety Standards and Protocols to Prevent
Environmental Disasters or Conflicts
One major risk is environmental harm, including the
release of hazardous materials or disruption of ecosystems.
For instance, excessive dust release from asteroid mining
could trigger a global climate crisis. Additionally, increased
competition in the space mining sector raises the risk of
resource conflicts, potentially leading to violence among
companies vying for valuable assets (Prathik, Anuradha,
and Uma 2018).
These challenges of space mining are substantial, but
the potential benefits are also bottomless. If these chal-
lenges can be overcome, space mining could provide us
with a virtually limitless supply of the resources we need
Source: (Amos 2018)
Figure 2. Rockets payload comparison by ton
Saletta and Orrman-Rossiter 2018a). Once the equipment
is in space, it must be transported to the mining site. This
can be done using a variety of methods, including space-
craft, robots, or drones. The cost of transportation will vary
depending on the transportation method. Finally, there is
the risk of accidents and damage to equipment. Space is
a dangerous environment, and there is always the risk of
accidents happening. When the equipment is damaged, it
can be very expensive to repair or replace (Hein, Saidani,
and Tollu 2018). All of these factors contribute to the
high expenditure of space travel with mining equipment.
However, the potential rewards of mining in space could
be significant. As the technology for space travel continues
to improve, the cost of space travel is expected to decrease
(Pandya 2019). This could make it more feasible to mine
in space and will lead to a new era of space exploration and
resource extraction.
Difficulty in Identifying and Accessing Suitable Remote
Bodies of Asteroids And Moon
The harsh environment on the moon and asteroids pres-
ent major challenges to remote exploration of minerals. The
moon and asteroids are exposed to extreme temperatures,
huge amounts of radiation, and dust. This may damage the
exploration and processing equipment and make it difficult
for astronauts to work in these environments. The distance
between the moon and asteroids are millions of kilometres
from earth, which makes it difficult to communicate with
astronauts and send them supplies when required.
Extracting and Processing Minerals in Microgravity
The lack of gravity in space presents significant challenges
in extraction methods like what we will find on earth. The
moon and near-earth-asteroids (NEAs) have no atmosphere
and contain microgravity.
The lack of gravity in space makes it difficult to per-
form many tasks that are taken for granted on earth, such as
walking, lifting, and pouring liquids (Raafat et al., 2013).
This can make it difficult to operate mining equipment
and process metals (Ross 2001b). Explosives are commonly
used to extract minerals on earth, but they cannot be used
in space because of the risk of damaging equipment and
causing injuries (Raafat et al., 2013). This means that alter-
native techniques must be developed to extract minerals,
which can be more challenging and time-consuming.
Lack of Safety Standards and Protocols to Prevent
Environmental Disasters or Conflicts
One major risk is environmental harm, including the
release of hazardous materials or disruption of ecosystems.
For instance, excessive dust release from asteroid mining
could trigger a global climate crisis. Additionally, increased
competition in the space mining sector raises the risk of
resource conflicts, potentially leading to violence among
companies vying for valuable assets (Prathik, Anuradha,
and Uma 2018).
These challenges of space mining are substantial, but
the potential benefits are also bottomless. If these chal-
lenges can be overcome, space mining could provide us
with a virtually limitless supply of the resources we need
Source: (Amos 2018)
Figure 2. Rockets payload comparison by ton