RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116165844472175049
#Astrolab is developing a larger rover that can accommodate about 3 cubic meters of payload. The excavating equipment would go under the belly of the rover. It is likely that a #FLEX rover will be on the first #SpaceX #Starship mission planned to fly to the Moon 🌙 in 2027 or 2028
📙 Literature review
#SpaceEconomy, Di Pippo
The Space Economy, Anderson
To Infinity, Roettgen
The Cosmos Economy, Gregg
#SpaceMining and Manufacturing, Sivolella
Red Moon Rising, Autry, Navarro
Dark Star: A New History of the Space Shuttle, Hersch
Reentry, Eric Berger
Elon Musk, Isaacson
Breaking All the Rules, Cantrell
The New World on #Mars, Robert Zubrin
Spacefarers, Wanjek
The Long #SpaceAge, MacDonald
#SpaceCapitalism, Nelson
The Dimming of Starlight, Munévar
https://iea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IEA_Space-Economy_Zitelmann_Digital_V3-.pdf
Helium 3, a possible clean fuel for fusion nuclear power (with many other less exotic applications as well) has often been cited as a possible cash cow to drive lunar mining. Now at least a small supply has been located on Earth. In -- Minnesota?
https://www.earth.com/news/helium-3-the-fuel-of-the-future-has-been-discovered-in-minnesota/
#science #geology #physics #fusion #cleanpower #spacemining #space
A blog by researcher Yarin Eski and partners about space-related harm, crime, justice, and ethics. Everyone can contribute or discuss ideas. Boosts appreciated!
Blog: https://www.spacecriminology.net/blog
"[..] we need critical reflection on responsibility, accountability, and harm. The blog is open to those with a professional/expertise interest in these issues. Interdisciplinary and critical perspectives are very welcome".
@sundogplanets #space #spacelaw #spacecriminology #spaceMining #sustainability
'Writhing in the Stars' is a space criminology blog exploring crime, policing and justice in outer space. Expert blogs appear periodically and cover a diversity of topics, ranging from emerging harms, crimes and governance gaps to reflections on legal frameworks, policy, ethics, and current events off-Earth.
Extracting lunar water ice 🧊 profitably requires deploying at least 20 tons of mining equipment to the surface. Even with #SpaceX’s #Starship potentially dropping costs to $10 million per ton, you’re looking at $200 million just for equipment delivery.
The future of lunar mining ⚒️ : remote operators control trucks, #AI optimizes drill patterns. #Robotic systems handle materials in environments humans rarely enter https://spacenews.com/the-lunar-mining-gold-rush-is-coming-and-success-requires-bridging-two-worlds
The #European 🇪🇺 Commission's Vision for the European #SpaceEconomy includes #SpaceMining ⚒️ and in-space resource use https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/vision-european-space-economy_en
We haven’t #mined ⚒️ on the moon yet, but companies are already buying its resources. Bluefors has purchased tens of thousands of liters of #Helium3 from the moon — spending “above $300 million” 💰💰💰 https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/09/16/moon-mining-helium-quantum-computing
Researchers say the #Moon 🌙 craters could be home to trillions of dollars worth of precious #metals and could be mined instead of sending probes to #asteroids ☄️ https://www.independent.co.uk/space/moon-craters-platinum-asteroid-mining-b2834248.html
Spaceflight 🚀
revolt_agent
J. Steven York
Richard de Waard
Welkin
