Mining the moon ready to lift off by 2025

European scientists have announced plans to start mining the moon as early as 2025, though what they’ll be extracting is neither gold nor diamonds, but waste-free nuclear energy thought to be worth trillions of dollars.

The goal is to place a lander on the lunar surface to mine and process regolith for water, oxygen, metals and an isotope called helium-3, which may prove useful for fueling future fusion reactors.

Regolith, is a dust-like material that covers the lunar surface and is the result of billions of years of meteor and comet impacts. If anyone ever lives on the moon, they could use the regolith to build habitats for a base. Europe isn’t the only one getting on board of the lunar mining train. Both India and China have floated ideas about extracting Helium-3 from the Earth’s natural satellite.

The mission will be in charge of the European Space Agency in partnership with ArianeGroup. Europe isn’t the only one getting on board of the lunar mining train. Both India and China have floated ideas about extracting Helium-3 from the Earth’s natural satellite. Beijing has already landed on the moon twice in the 21st century, with more missions to follow.

There are an estimated one million tonnes of helium-3 in the moon, though only 25% of that could be brought to Earth, Gerald Kulcinski, director of the Fusion Technology Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a former member of the NASA Advisory Council. But that’s enough to meet the world’s current energy demands for at least two, and maybe as many as five, centuries, said the expert said, who estimates that helium-3 is worth almost $5 billion a tonne.

No longer science fiction

After being considered mostly a science-fiction tale, governments are now rushing to implement programs and legislation that allow them to join the race for mining in space.

In 2015, former US President Barack Obama signed a law that grants its own companies to mine in space. The ground-breaking rule was touted as a major boost to asteroid mining because it encourages the commercial exploration and utilization of resources from asteroids obtained by US firms.

Geologists believe asteroids are packed with iron ore, nickel and precious metals at much higher concentrations than those found on Earth, making up a market valued in the trillions of dollars.

Shortly after, Luxembourg launced an initiative to promote the mining of asteroids for minerals. The tiny European country, which has been studying possible involvement in the sector since 2013, aims to become Europe’s center for space mining.

Canada is also eyeing the moon. Last year, Northern Ontario-based Deltion Innovations partnered with Moon Express, the first American private space exploration firm to have been granted government permission travel beyond Earth's orbit, on future opportunities in outer space. Some of the space ventures in the works include plan to mine asteroids, track space debris, build the first human settlement on Mars, and billionaire Elon Musk's own plan for an unmanned mission to the red planet.

Geologists as well as emerging companies, such as US based planetary resources, a firm pioneering the space mining industry, believe asteroids are packed with iron ore, nickel and precious metals at much higher concentrations than those found on Earth, making up a market valued in the trillions of dollars.

Environmental impacts of off-world mining

While the focus is on the legalities, as well as who bears the costs of future space exploration and who has the right to profit from it, one critical area is being overlooked.

Asteroids might be “out of sight, out of mind” for the most part, but lunar mining is likely to arouse strong and widespread reactions. The moon is one of the most significant cultural influences that unites people across all times and places in human history.

Would the public support commercial space mining if excavation scars were visible through Earth-based telescopes? Such considerations might be a factor in the design and location of mining operations.

Terrestrial mining companies are generally required to comply with domestic legislation that protects heritage, community values and the environment. Apart from some general statements in the treaties, as yet no similar system is in place for space.

Space mining companies have barely considered that they might have to deal with the same kind of community opposition as mines on Earth, only this time at a global scale.

Diggers in space

Given that the US has enacted a law that purports to establish the right to mine and sell off-world resources, other nations may follow. Indeed, Luxembourg has recently announced it will also establish a legal framework to facilitate space mining.

In moving forward, we need to carefully consider the potential for a tragedy of commons situation in relation to space resources, just as we are with the problem of increasing space debris. What this means is that each entity, acting in its own self-interest, risks destroying a resource for everyone.

Australia has a huge amount of expertise in mining technology and operations, especially in remote locations. The Pilbara region of Western Australia, the heartland of the mining boom, resembles Mars enough to be called a Mard analogue landscape. Australians are also active in developing space mining industries, as part of companies such as DSI. Recent conferences in Sydney focusing on off Earth mining attracted much interest.

It is clear that Australian expertise is relevant in the development of space-related capability. The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science is undertaking a review of space laws to assess what is the most appropriate regulatory framework to promote such innovation into commercial benefit for the country.

The future of access to the solar system

What’s really at stake is the future of universal human access to space and the very way we view space. A rash move at this point could tip the balance and erode the principle of the common heritage of humanity. We must avoid further entrenching the divisions between the space haves and have-nots. While there may be considerable benefits to future generations should we find a way to safely and sustain ably exploit space resources, there are also considerable risks. These need a very careful calibration.

Cool heads are required and the key will be international cooperation on a broad scale. This issue is too important and too complex to be undertaken by a small number of private enterprises. A clear international regime must be established to safeguard the interests of every stakeholder.

Some metals could be brought back to Earth, but long term, a major goal of asteroid mining is to use the mined materials in space in order to help construct habitats and to use the asteroids’ water for both sustaining human beings and as rocket fuel. That means the asteroids themselves become sort of floating pit stops as humans venture farther and farther into the void. Some experts think asteroid mining is actually the entire linchpin of sustaining human life in outer space. As Kimberly and I discussed, this isn’t as far off as it seems. Planetary Resources and Deep Space Ventures are two companies actively pursuing this industry; Planetary Resources has backing from Google’s Larry Page and Richard Branson of Virgin Group.

The construction equipment company Caterpillar is also interested in figuring out ways of mining in hazardous conditions, which could have uses both in space and here on Earth. Kimberly spoke with Eric Reiners, who works for Caterpillar.