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NASA Now Accepting Applications From Companies That Want To Mine the Moon

Posted by samzenpus on from the getting-some-cheese dept.

cold fjord writes "The Verge reports, "NASA is now working with private companies to take the first steps in exploring the moon for valuable resources like helium 3 and rare earth metals. Initial proposals are due tomorrow for the Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown program (CATALYST). One or more private companies will win a contract to build prospecting robots, the first step toward mining the moon. Final proposals are due on March 17th, 2014. NASA has not said when it will announce the winner."

5 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. Space 1999, Sorta by tiberus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Okay, am I the only one have flashbacks to 13 September 1999, when the nuclear storage facility on Moonbase Alpha exploded sending the Moon hurtling out of orbit?

    So, mine the Moon, ship the material to Earth... Um, won't this change it's mass and as a consequence, it's amount of gravity in generates and then it's orbit? Sorry for being all Doom & Gloom here.

  2. "rare earths" by avandesande · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Rare earth minerals aren't rare at all- they are just costly and polluting to process.

    Also with a lack of geologic processes such as volcanism and water I doubt minerals will be concentrated anywhere.

    Seems like more of a publicity stunt than anything.

    --
    love is just extroverted narcissism
  3. Don't we need to talk with other countries first? by sts2nihon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I can just imagine a space-age gold rush erupting and the face of the moon forever altered...

  4. Re:I need NASA's permission to mine the moon now? by mythosaz · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Due to the landmark case Finders v Keepers, I'm pretty sure NASA owns the moon.

  5. Re:Can we just mine the dark side? by Sperbels · · Score: 3, Interesting

    if they use a lot of industrial lighting to illuminate the operations a new moon could easily become a sparkly moon

    We're too far away to see those lights without strong telescopes. And considering the mining would probably be done by robots, we might not even need visible spectrum lights.