Category Archives: Moon Mining

Wednesday / 24 September 2014

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LEAG To Meet In Oct,
SRR Planetary Mining Symposium May 2015

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Annual Meeting Of Lunar Exploration Analysis Group 22-24 Oct 2014; Focus On Lunar Volatiles & Their Potential To Support Extended Human Stays On Moon, Potential Scientific Objectives Of Human Moon Missions For Global Exploration Roadmap, Discussion Of Upcoming Lunar Robotic Missions; Planetary & Terrestrial Mining Sciences Symposium / Space Resources Roundtable To Be Held In Conjunction With Canadian Institute Of Mining (CIM) Convention In Montreal, Canada, 9-13 May 2015; Abstracts Due By 31 Oct

Image Credit: LEAG, PTMSS, MGM

Tuesday / 23 September 2014

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ASTEROIDS Act & The Outer Space Treaty: Stimulating Commercial Space Investment

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US House Committee On Science, Space & Technology Reviews ASTEROID Act To Analyze How It Can Legally Protect Investment In Commercial Asteroid / Moon / Solar System Enterprises; Space Law Expert Joanne Gabrynowicz Provides Insight On How New Act Can Adhere To Structures Of International Law / Outer Space Treaty By Limiting Space / Time Scope Of Extraterrestrial Commercial Enterprise Exclusive Zone To That Which Is Reasonably Necessary 

Image Credit: Space Democrats, io9

Tuesday / 16 September 2014

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Thorium Distribution Reveals Clues To Lunar History & Future

ThoriumMoon

Analysis Of Compton-Belkovich Region On Moon Farside Shows Thorium Concentration Of 15 – 33ppm, Additional Thorium Unexpectedly Found Spread Up To 300km Eastward Of Region At ~2ppm; Distribution Of Thorium Likely Created By Explosive Eruption Of Silica Magma; Thorium Has Long Been Identified As A Potential Safe, Valuable Alternative For Nuclear Power & Option To Power Lunar Settlements; Spacepowers India & China Are Developing Plans To Advance Terrestrial Thorium Reactor Development

Image Credit: NASA, US Geological Society

Thursday / 11 September 2014

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Canada Industry Minister Confirms Lunar Aspirations / Capabilities

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James Moore Says Canada Has Technological Capability & Political Will To  Send Humans To Moon & Mars; Industry Minister Comments Made In Televised Interview With Astronaut Chris Hadfield; Canada Is Participating With Other National Space Agencies In Global Exploration Roadmap Which Foresees Human Missions To Lunar Orbit & Surface In Mid-2020s; Banking On Its Expertise In Robotics & Mining, Canada Proposes To Send An Astronaut To Lunar Space To Control A Canadian Moon Rover, Assist In Developing Small Lunar Settlement To Learn To Live Away From Earth, Prepare For Further Solar System Exploration

Image Credit: cbc.ca, ESA

Thursday / 28 August 2014

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Mining Moon Viable Alternative To Exploiting Dwindling Terrestrial Resources

ArcticVmoon

Increasing Scarcity Of Resources On Earth & Potential Environmental Repercussions Could Significantly Drive Up Cost Of Energy / Critical Metals By At Least 10-20 Times In Next 20 Years; Rapidly Advancing Space Access / Exploration Technology, Initiatives Of Governments & Commercial Enterprises, Making Space Viable Venue To Access Plentiful Resources Through Space-Based Solar Power, Mining Moon & NEOs; Environmental Advocates Noting That Moon Mining May Be Preferable To Desecrating Arctic

Image Credit: Popular Mechanics, Greenpeace

Thursday / 21 August 2014

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Moon Mining Featured On Science Channel Premier

MEmanVuniverse

GLXP Teams Moon Express & Astrobotic Featured In Premier Of ‘Man vs The Universe’ On Science Channel; Episode Entitled ‘Mining The Moon’ Relates How Private Enterprises Are Utilizing Efficient Low-Cost Designs & Youthful Ingenuity To Reassert USA Leadership In Moon Exploration; GLXP Winner Will Be Well Positioned To Develop Moon Mining Technology, Leading Edge Of Potential $Trillion Industry; Moon Express Confirms South Pole Moon As Ideal Destination

Image Credit: Moon Express, Science Channel, NASA

Thursday / 7 August 2014

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China Lunar Program May Develop Lunar Mining Potential

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Sole Country Operating On Lunar Surface May Be Eyeing Lucrative Moon Mining Operation; Chief Scientist Of China Lunar Exploration Program Ziyuan Ouyang Notes Lunar Helium-3 Could ‘Solve Humanity’s Energy Demand For Around 10,000 Years At Least’; He-3 Estimated At 13 Parts Per Billion By Weight In Lunar Regolith, Or ~1,100,000 Tonnes Total; Estimates On Potential Economic Value Of The He-3 Gas Is US$3B / Tonne, Estimated Cost For Fusion Development & Starting Lunar Operations ~US$20B Over 2 Decades; China Has Expressed Interest, Has Not Outlined Concrete Plans To Mine Moon For He-3

Image Credit: Moon Society, cyberphysics.com

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 July 2014

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Space Property Rights Bill In US Congress Could Facilitate Commercial Lunar Development

TrillionsAsteroid0714

US Representatives (L-R) Bill Posey (R-FL) & Derek Kilmer (D-WA) Introduce ‘American Space Technology For Exploring Resource Opportunities In Deep Space (ASTEROIDS)’ Act Of 2014; Bill Would Promote Private Exploration & Protect Commercial Rights Of Space Enterprises By Clarifying That Resources Mined From Asteroids Are Property Of Entity That Obtained Them, Ensuring US Companies Can Conduct Operations Without Harmful Interference; Act Specifically Addresses Asteroid Mining Yet Will Have Strong Influence On Moon Enterprise / Property Rights Issues

Image Credit: Planetary Resources, us.gov

 

Tuesday / 24 June 2014

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ESA Senior Exploration Officer Calls For Moon Mining Cooperation

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Bernard Foing Calls For International Cooperation / World Strategy For Exploration & Utilization Of Moon; Suggests Precursor Landers Should Be Operated In Coordinated Robotic Village, Utilize In-Situ Resources, To Prepare Sustainable Path Towards Humans Living Off The Land In International Bases; “Moon Is Like The 8th Continent Of Earth… Only Reasonable We Want To Mine It”; Comments Made At Ongoing EuroScience Open Forum Meeting In Copenhagen

Image Credit: Corbey Waste, esof2014.org, sg.hu

Tuesday / 17 June 2014

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China Moon Program & Implications Of Lunar Helium-3

ChinaHelium3_0614

Growing Demand For Energy, Leading-Edge Moon Exploration Program Lead Some To Believe China Seeking To Advance Helium-3 Nuclear Fusion Technology; Estimated 1.1M Tonnes Of Helium-3 On Lunar Surface, 1 Tonne Of Helium-3 Could Produce Equivalent Of 50M Barrels Of Crude Oil, Virtually No Waste, Negligible Radiation; International Cooperation / Participation In Moon Development May Determine Whether China Moon Activities Lead To Helium-3 Monopoly / Energy Supremacy, Or Equitable Sharing For Benefit Of All Humanity

Image Credit: CNSA, weeklysciencequiz.blogspot.com, greenoptimistic.com