A new spacecraft named Odin has just begun a remarkable journey into deep space to explore an asteroid for potential mining opportunities. Launched aboard a SpaceX rocket, Odin is on a mission to investigate asteroid 2022 OB5, which is believed to contain valuable metals like platinum.
This ambitious project is part of a broader effort to tap into the resources of our solar system. Alongside Odin, a robotic moon lander was also sent into space. This lander will drill for water on the Moon, while a lunar orbiter will map water resources using technology from the University of Oxford.
The mission to the asteroid is considered high-risk but could open the door to commercial mining in space. The asteroid is located about one million miles from Earth, and it will take Odin approximately 300 days to reach it. Once there, the probe will take detailed images of the asteroid’s surface to confirm its metallic composition.
AstroForge, the startup behind this mission, is excited about the potential for mining in space. Matt Gialich, co-founder of AstroForge, highlighted that mining platinum on Earth is costly—around $900 an ounce. He explained that many of the best sources of these metals on our planet have already been depleted, making space mining an attractive alternative.
Gialich noted that the cost of space missions has significantly decreased, allowing for the development of low-cost spacecraft. This shift in economics makes the idea of asteroid mining more feasible. If Odin’s initial survey shows that the asteroid is rich in metals, a second spacecraft will be sent to land on the asteroid later this year to conduct further tests.
AstroForge has also developed a low-energy refining process that could produce high-quality metal efficiently. The goal is to return this precious cargo to Earth, potentially revolutionizing how we source materials for technology and industry.
Experts like Professor Sara Russell from the Natural History Museum in London have studied meteorites that have landed on Earth. She confirmed that metallic asteroids, while less common than stony ones, do exist and can be rich in valuable metals like platinum, cobalt, and nickel.
The mission represents a shift in how humanity approaches resource extraction. Gialich emphasized the environmental impact of traditional mining on Earth, suggesting that asteroid mining could provide a more sustainable way to meet our resource needs without harming our planet. This mission could be the first step toward a future where we look to the stars for the materials that drive our economy.