Near-Earth Asteroids Could Be the Future of Resource Mining

Neil Degrasse Tyson said once the first trillionaire in the world is the person who occupies intergalactic exploitation. Indeed, according to some calculations, a single asteroid could bring you millions, billions or even profits.

It may be hardly surprising. While the global demand for metals and other precious resources is multiplied and problems concerning supply chains abound, hunting for new sources is intensifying – and space resembles a promising border. Asteroids, in particular, can offer a rich reservoir of essential metals for the construction of electrical components. The asteroid psyche, for example, is a colossus of 64,000 square miles considered 30 to 60% in metal. But there is just a little catch: the distance.

Asteroids as a psyche are very far in the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, which makes transport costs prohibitive and limiting current technology. Although there have been missions to collect samples of asteroid equipment, there has not been many, and they have a cost of millions in exchange for small quantities. But there are objects much closer to the earth which, according to some researchers, could, if not exactly, provide a test field for future mining operations in space.

Learn more: Avoid Armageddon: Experts must reach an ideal point to redirect an asteroid

Quasi-moons, mini-lunes and almost land objects

Earlier this month, astronomers spotted a quasi-moon called 2025 PN7-an asteroid from the Arjuna asteroid belt which, from a certain angle, resembles a satellite but which joins us on our orbit for a short time (128 years, according to current predictions).

2025 PN7 is not alone. It is one of the more than 100 objects currently engaged in an earth -shaped orbit, surrounding the sun along our planet, for different times. Kamo’oalewa, another asteroid, is locked up for a period of 381 years. Then there are those – relatively rare and distant – which become even more tangled in the movements of the earth, becoming “mini -lunes” temporarily taken in our orbit.

Indeed, the same authors published an article last year describing the asteroid (2024 PT5), which became a “mini-moon” for two months before leaving. Whether it is really a mini-moon or not has been debated.

A test?

Some astronomers argue that these short -lived companions could offer mining opportunities – or, at the very least, offer space for a dry race. In 2018, a team of international researchers published an article in the journal Borders in astronomy and space sciencessuggesting that minimons could – among others – offer opportunities to “assess the techniques of using in situ resources on asteroidal equipment”.

They continued to say: “From a technological and commercial point of view, they offer an ideal opportunity to … establish the feasibility of asteroid extraction technologies for future commercial applications.”

In a distinct study, published in 2021, researchers have identified which of the 20,000 asteroids almost in known land would suit the exploitation of water resources and not of water, allowing “missions otherwise inaccessible”.

Ed Bloomer, astronomer of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, says that objects like minimons and quasi-moons could be interesting targets such as “concept proof”.

“The closer it is on the part, in general, the easier and the easier and more promising-even as a test bench for technology,” he explains, comparing it to a “pre-conductor test leading the parking lot”.

But when it comes to extracting on a commercial level, Bloomer thinks that we are far away.

“For the moment, you should invest a lot to get a small tiny and tiny performance,” said Bloomer.

And it is not only the cost, but the technology jump that would be necessary.

“We have sent things to asteroids. We have sent things to the comets. We even had yield samples. In terms of real exploitation itself, instead of simply grasping the equipment, it is really difficult. We have never done this, ”adds Bloomer.

Does he see that this happens during his lifetime? “There are so many challenges. I’m not sure I bet on it, ”explains Bloomer.

Learn more: The offense of asteroids gives companies hope in the search for rare metals

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