Asteroid mining

Artist illustration of asteroid 16 Psyche. Credit: Maxar/ASU/P.Rubin/NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Psyche spacecraft helps scientists understand what asteroids are made of and prepares the ground for commercial reactors

The composition of asteroid Psyche can tell scientists more about Earth's core because the two objects may have a similar structure. Both probably contain platinum, nickel, iron and maybe even gold - rich materials
Artist illustration of asteroid 16 Psyche Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

The precious metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche may not be a solid lump of metal after all but a pile of rocks

The researchers based their work on previous observational data that showed the asteroid is primarily a mixture of three components: metal, low-iron pyroxene and carbonaceous chondrite. A laboratory experiment led the researchers to the conclusion that density
Astronaut Luca Parmitano puts "biological reactors" into a centrifuge aboard the International Space Station. Photo: European Space Agency

Using biological reactors powered by bacteria to mine minerals in space

A mine in the earth, polluting its environment. Photo: Dassault Systems

Will mining asteroids save the earth?