Science and Exploration Combine in Plan to Use Lunar Resources

As Earth's closest neighbor, the Moon is the most intriguing celestial body for investigating the presence of exploitable mineral resources. The Moon possesses an abundance of raw materials that could prove useful if we were able to mine it for resources.

Even so, it is difficult to know for sure if any single lunar resource will be valuable enough to drive a lunar resource extraction industry on its own. The plan is to seek out valuable lunar resources, but experts are not certain yet whether it will be worth it. They are unsure whether the costs of exploiting raw materials on the Moon will be lower than the costs of extracting the same materials on Earth.

The Artemis Program

Scientific and public interest in returning humans to the Moon is rising, largely driven by the Artemis Program. Aside from plans to mine for resources on the Moon, there is also interest in using it as a base for further manned solar system exploration. All in all, the Artemis Program’s purpose is focused on scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for the next generation of explorers. This generation was even given a name: the Artemis Generation.

The Artemis missions are planned from Artemis I to Artemis VI, with the final mission scheduled for 2031. Artemis I was launched on November 16, 2022, from the Kennedy Space Center after multiple delays. It was completed on December 11 when the Orion spacecraft landed in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California. What is interesting to note is that this splashdown occurred exactly 50 years to the day after NASA’s Apollo 17 Moon landing, which was the last time any human had set foot on the Moon. The first mission was a test of sorts. This Orion spacecraft carried three mannequins that were equipped with sensors to provide data on what future crew members might experience when traveling to the Moon.

The Future of Mining on the Moon

Scientists are proposing that we utilize valuable resources on the Moon to support a potentially thriving lunar economy that would make off-world activity profitable. Through these profits, the number of missions taking place could expand, as would our knowledge of the Moon and other celestial bodies. For instance, Helium-3 is one such resource that could potentially be cheaper to mine from the Moon because it is much rarer on Earth. Helium-3 is a precious resource that can be used as fuel for future nuclear fusion reactors. This would necessitate some huge innovations in the mining industry to develop suitable remote techniques, but the return on investment could be potentially massive if a commercial Helium-3 reactor were built.

Rare Earth Metals (REM) are another example of valuable minerals that could be found on the Moon. REMs are crucial for modern electronics and the Moon’s REM deposits are an appealing option with China’s virtual monopoly on Earth’s dwindling supplies. Scouting for large REM deposits on the Moon would be a worthwhile investment and the areas where valuable mineral and resource deposits are found would likely drive the location of future moon bases.

The Moon’s potential mining projects are facing skepticism, despite the overall enthusiasm for moon travel and development. One study claimed that mining the Moon could eventually cause economic harm to developing nations. Some are concerned that extracting resources from space could end up devaluing the same materials on Earth and they question the priority of space exploration compared with projects on our home turf. 

With the economy on the fritz, the general consensus is that we should move forward with mining for the Moon’s resources in hopes of addressing our own limited resources. Many believe it is worth a shot to approach things from a new angle. If nothing else, the prospect of going back onto the Moon gives people some much needed excitement for the future and inspiration.