NASA has plans to mine the moon, and it isn’t looking for green cheese..That was the message from a key rocket scientist who said the agency is looking to quantify potential mineral resources including energy, water and rare Earths as part of a drive to explore commercial opportunities in space..Speaking at a mining conference in Brisbane, Australia, 35-year NASA veteran Gerald Sanders said the agency is developing a specialized drilling rig to test the lunar soil as part of the Artemis mission in 2024. . Moon miningMoon miner. ."We are trying to invest in the exploration phase, understand the resources ... to (lower) risk such that external investment makes sense that could lead to development and production," he told a mining conference in Brisbane, as per Reuters.."We are literally just scratching the surface.".The purpose of the Artemis program is to establish a long-term presence on the moon to support future manned missions to Mars. Due to Earth’s gravity, future components of any mission to the Red Planet — a spaceship, for example — would have to be built in space..On its website, NASA says one of the priorities of Artemis is to develop industries to commercialize space exploration, including the tendering of $2.6 billion worth of commercial lunar payload contracts through 2028. .The first customers for the moon’s resources are expected to be rocket companies looking for fuel — hydrogen from water and oxygen derived from oxides derived from iron — in the lunar soil..NASA plans to build a pilot processing plant by 2032.. Moon miningAustralian Rover .“Artemis missions enable a growing lunar economy by fueling new industries, supporting job growth, and furthering the demand for a skilled workforce,” it says..“We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.”.Led by NASA, Artemis is a joint mission with the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and 23 other countries including Brazil, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. .The Australian Space Agency is designing a semi-autonomous rover that will be deployed to the moon in 2026. Meanwhile, RCAF pilot Jeremy Hansen was designated to be Canada’s first lunar astronaut earlier this year and will be travelling to the moon on the next flight in November of next year.. Jeremy Hansen .Among its other goals, Artemis aims to put the first woman and ‘person of colour’ on the lunar surface by 2025.
