Mining on the Moon is Getting Closer, But There Are Still Challenges

Topic: Space

The space race is heating up, and there are plans to start mining on the Moon.

In short:

As technology improves in the race to send people to Mars, scientists and companies are looking at how to mine the Moon.

The first step is to understand what resources are on the Moon.

What's next?

Before mining on the Moon can happen, there are technological challenges to overcome, as well as ethical, legal, and environmental considerations.

Since Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon, small samples have been brought back to Earth.

These samples give us an idea of what minerals are in the lunar regolith, and missions like Artemis II help us understand the Moon's environment.

As technology advances, scientists and companies are exploring how to mine the Moon.

Here's a breakdown of the physical, environmental, legal, and ethical challenges of Moon mining.

First steps for extracting resources

Machines like NASA's RASSOR are being tested for use on the Moon.

Jonathon Ralston is developing mining technology for the Moon and Mars.

He says the first step is to understand the environment, like prospecting and exploration on Earth.

There's still much to learn about the Moon, and many unknowns.

When people talk about mining on the Moon, it's more like scientific exploration to understand the local resources.

Sophia Casanova says there's a long way to go before mining on the Moon is possible.

She designs surface missions for ispace, a company that aims to transport payloads to the Moon.

The technology for mining on the Moon is still in its infancy.

Looking for ground truth

In 2019, NASA re-examined its lunar samples.

The CSIRO has a lab to test rovers for use on the Moon's surface.

The samples have been studied to understand the materials, and analogues have been created for testing on Earth.

We need more ground-based missions to understand the Moon's composition.

We want to understand the material on the Moon's surface and subsurface.

Minerals in the regolith

The lunar regolith is made up of about 50% silica and other minerals.

Some missions have found ice in regions of the Moon that never get sunlight.

NASA is preparing to open a lab with Moon rocks that have never been exposed to Earth's atmosphere.

There's excitement about water ice on the Moon, which could be used for life support and propulsion.

NASA estimates there's a million tonnes of helium-3 on the Moon.

Rare earth metals are also present on the Moon.

A company called Interlune aims to commercialize resources from space, starting with helium-3 from the Moon.

Helium-3 is used as a coolant, including in cryogenics.

Dr Ralston says opinion is divided on whether helium-3 is present in high enough concentrations.

ispace is testing rovers for use on the Moon's surface.

Dr Casanova says the focus is on understanding the environment on the lunar south pole.

It's still a long way from extraction-level processes.

The technologies are small demonstrations, and we're constrained by power and energy.

One of the major minerals on the lunar surface is ilmenite, which is rich in oxygen.

A petrol station in space?

When people talk about resource extraction on the Moon, they mean using the materials in space, not bringing them back to Earth.

Water is important because it can be separated into hydrogen and oxygen for propellant or fuel.

The race to land on the Moon has started again, with countries eyeing the Moon's resources.

The idea is to have a 'petrol-station-in-space' concept, which is necessary for sending humans to Mars.

The lunar surface is a challenging environment, with massive temperature swings and sharp, abrasive regolith.

Rovers have gathered information to help scientists understand how to operate in this environment.

Dr Casanova says there are many technological advances needed before significant mining can be done on the Moon.

The technologies used on Earth are big, heavy, and power-hungry, and won't work on the Moon.

The Artemis II mission will further scientific knowledge.

Protecting the Moon

Space archaeologist Alice Gorman is working on how to protect the lunar environment.

There's increasing interest in resource extraction from the Moon.

It's similar to the Cold War space race, with national prestige involved.

The motivations for going to the Moon to mine are not about using resources or science.

One concern is that commercial operations will destroy the science that needs to be done.

If all goes well for NASA's Artemis II mission, the astronauts could fly further than humans have ever gone.

Dr Gorman says it's paramount to understand the impacts of resource extraction on the Moon.

On Earth, environments can recover, but on the Moon, it's different.

Processes on the Moon happen at different timescales, and we don't understand the long-term impacts.

Lunar scientists agree that it's possible to move enough dust into orbit around the Moon to create a dust cloud.

This could have catastrophic consequences for animals on Earth that depend on moonlight.

The Artemis II crew took a photograph of the Moon's Vavilov Crater.

Dr Casanova and Dr Ralston agree that lunar mining will be different from terrestrial mining and caution is needed.

We need to be careful with the Moon's environment, and there will be precise movements and activities to extract resources.

From the Moon to Mars

Mining on Earth involves large amounts of water and energy, but on the Moon, there's no carbon and no liquid water.

The challenges of processing resources on the Moon are similar to those on Earth.

Dr Casanova says mining on the Moon involves using resources to support ships traveling between Earth and Mars.

The Moon will be a testing ground before humans progress to Mars.

Legal and sovereignty issues

The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 has nine main principles, including that the Moon be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.

The treaty states that outer space cannot be subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty.

There's a clause stipulating that all areas of the Moon should be accessible to everyone.

But Dr Gorman says there are untested areas of ambiguity, such as exclusion zones around mining areas.

There could be commercial in-confidence operations going on, and it's unclear how mining on the Moon meshes with the Outer Space Treaty.

Unlike in Australia, there are no explicit laws governing mineral exploration and extraction on the Moon.

NASA is shaking up its Artemis Moon exploration program, adding an extra practice flight before a crewed lunar landing.

There's a lot of Moon and south pole, so numerous nations or companies could extract resources without overlapping or conflicting.

But what happens if they do, and what happens if the area someone wants to mine is also one that scientists want to preserve?

The UN developed a Moon Treaty in 1979, but only 18 countries have ratified it, and none have landed on the Moon.

Space lawyer Gregory Radisic says countries without a rocket ship can sign anything they want, but they're not part of the party.

Mr Radisic explains that countries agreed to a principle of non-appropriation during the 1960s.

The principle says no one can own land on the Moon or any celestial body.

But then there were Apollo missions, which were like mining under the guise of scientific exploration and research.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has a working group drafting legal aspects of space resource activities.

The draft principles include environmental assessments before any resource extraction, avoiding adverse changes to Earth and the Moon.

But it's unclear what would happen if private companies decide to ignore the draft principles.

NASA's ISRU Pilot Excavator performs a simulated lunar mission.

Dr Gorman says it's a common opinion that space billionaires aren't best placed to judge the ethical issues around lunar mining.

When governments carry out these exercises, they are accountable to the public, but private corporations are not.

Space barons and billionaires

NASA and other space agencies are outsourcing projects to private actors like Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin.

Elon Musk says the project could be achieved within 10 years.

Dr Gorman is concerned about what this could mean for the future of the Moon.

She says space billionaires probably don't care about future generations.

Elon Musk has set his sights on Mars, so are we going to sacrifice the Moon for these space billionaires to conquer Mars?

NASA and the US Department of Energy announced a commitment to support the research and development of a nuclear fission surface power system for use on the Moon.

Russia plans to put a nuclear power plant on the Moon in the next decade.

International rules ban putting nuclear weapons in space, but there are no bans on nuclear energy sources.

Mr Radisic says it's essential to consider the impacts of construction on the Moon on Earth.

Imagine seeing a new moon with a light flickering back, and how that would change every child's perspective of outer space.

What if we land a craft and wipe away Neil Armstrong's first bootprint on the Moon?

How devastating would that be for humanity, just for a power source?

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