Mining the Space Economy

Mining & Minerals - Evaluations / Off-World Exploration, Mining, & Technology

Date posted: 01/05/12

As outlandish as it might seem, with only a finite supply of natural resources and minerals on Earth paired with an infinite demand (over time) for raw materials for commercial and industrial purposes the notion of mining the Moon and other planets in the solar system is being taken seriously by scientists. According to Bernard Foing, executive director of the European Space Agency International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG), there are regions on the Moon with enhanced rare earth elements that could be extracted and imported to Earth, found in areas that lunar scientists call KREEP; as they contain potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE) and phosphors (P), along with radioactive elements such as thorium.