NASA's Lunar Mining Operation , Could Launch Within the Next Decade.
'The Independent' reports that a NASA scientist has
claimed that the United States will begin mining
the Moon for resources within the next decade.
According to NASA's Gerald Sanders,
the space agency's pilot processing plant
will first seek to procure oxygen and water. .
At a June 28 mining conference in Brisbane,
Sanders said that NASA's mining mission can begin
as soon as a test drill rig is sent to the Moon. .
Sanders claims that current NASA estimates
suggest “hundreds of billions of dollars
worth of untapped resources” are on the Moon.
As the lunar mining operation
expands, iron and other elements
could become valuable resources.
'The Independent' reports that NASA is hoping
that the promise of lunar mining will attract
commercial interest, which will reduce costs. .
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. , Gerald Sanders, NASA's Johnson Space Center, via 'The Independent'.
We are literally just
scratching the surface, Gerald Sanders, NASA's Johnson Space Center, via 'The Independent'.
Earlier this year, NASA reached a number of milestones
in the race to mine the Moon, including the extraction
of oxygen from simulated lunar soil for the first time. .
Earlier this year, NASA reached a number of milestones
in the race to mine the Moon, including the extraction
of oxygen from simulated lunar soil for the first time.