Mining the moon research underway
A GROUP of UNSW engineers are working to assess the commercial viability of mining beyond earth on the moon.
The news followed an announcement made by NASA in August 2018, which confirmed the moon’s poles contained significant quantities of ice.
This discovery opened the door for scientists and mining companies to explore the possibility of mining moon ice and processing it into rocket fuel and water for agriculture and human consumption.
UNSW Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research director Andrew Dempster believed Australia was in a unique position in the global industry because of its mining experience.
“Australia has a natural advantage for off-earth mining – we have some of the very best mining research, technology and automation tools in the world, and the largest mining companies,” Dr Dempster said.
Mining moon-ice and converting it to rocket fuel would significantly cut the costs associated with space exploration, and there would be long term possibilities for mining moon ice to growing plants, distil water for human consumption and producing oxygen which, ultimately, would open up the possibility of a lunar colony.
While the global space industry was expected to grow to more than $1 trillion in the next 20 years, there were still some terrestrial concerns and perceived risks.
Working with UNSW mining expert professor Serkan Sayaman, Dr Dempster was developing credible evidence that mining water from the moon could be commercially viable by showing that it was possible to create the machinery, energy resources and communications required to start a project that has positive investment returns.
“Once we prove that the technology exists and major risks can be mitigated, I expect that mining companies will see the commercial potential for this sort of venture and put some dollars toward making it a reality,” Dr Dempster said.