lunar mining
Harvesting celestial resources
Lunar mining is the extraction of resources from the Moon's surface or subsurface.
The concept encompasses mining water ice from permanently shadowed craters, harvesting helium-3 for potential fusion reactors, and processing lunar regolith for oxygen, metals, or construction materials.
Though still theoretical, lunar mining features prominently in space exploration plans: The agency's long-term strategy depends on lunar mining to sustain a permanent base.
- helium-3Light noble gas variant
- rocket fuelCombustible for spacecraft propulsion
- water iceFrozen flavored dessert
- South PoleSouthernmost point on Earth
- spacecraftVehicle for outer space
space economy · drilling rig · low gravity · magnesium silicate · space elevator · titanium · international collaboration · rover · aluminum oxide · basalt · export regulations · launch vehicle · commercial spaceflight · space race · rare earth elements · vacuum chamber · intellectual property law · cost-benefit analysis
lunar miningsurface mining
Topsoil-removal ore extraction
underground mining · deep-sea mining · open-pit mining · coal mining · strip mining
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