Apparently, there are minerals that are starting to become scarce on Earth. The person considering it is Matt Gialich, a businessman who worked at an electric scooter company. Having said that, he himself began to do research on metals. This intensive study raised a big question for him: what if it were possible to extract metal from asteroids?
Science sees a lot of potential in asteroid metals
According to CNN, Science believes that asteroids are very rich in some metals that practically do not exist on Earth. That’s why Gialich founded AstroForge, a startup focused on making asteroid mining a reality.
This is an innovative project, but it is not exactly unique. This is because, increasingly, companies from various corners of the world have invested several million euros to improve this type of technology.
For many, this is a far-fetched and unrealistic idea. However, for Gialich, the future may actually end there. Even so, he himself recognizes that there will be several “failures” in this process.
As the same source of information states, AstroForge’s objective is quite simple: extract minerals from an asteroid and bring them to Earth. The startup’s focus is on a specific type of metals: platinum group metals (PGMs).
These can be used in various contexts. From jewelry, to catalytic converters, to cancer medicines, they can be very beneficial for society.
This type of metals can be useful in terms of sustainability
Also in ecological terms, PGMs are quite relevant. According to CNN, these raw materials are very important for the design of clean energy technologies.
Remember that AstroForge’s initial mission was carried out in April 2023. The company’s procedure was based on sending a mini-satellite. The ship had preloaded asteroid-like material.
The objective was to vaporize and separate this same material into components while in orbit. In the end, things didn’t go as Gialich had imagined. However, the balance was still positive, as learning was valuable for him.
At the moment, interest in asteroids has been increasing. For this reason, there are experts who believe that their mining exploration may be closer than we think.
NASA and JAXA have already obtained samples of asteroids
As CNN recalls, JAXA (Japanese space agency) and NASA have already collected samples of asteroids for Earth. So one thing is certain: Gialich’s goal may not be as unrealistic as that.
The period is still one of testing and studies, but the AstroForge representative has well-defined objectives. This intends to bring 1000 kilos of minerals to each mission. He himself estimates that this charge could translate into more than 65 million euros.
“Even with several setbacks in our calendar, we are trying to extract an asteroid and we will have brought it back before the end of this decade” – guarantees Gialich (via CNN).
Gialich appears quite confident, even though he admits the possibility of the mission not going as expected. In any case, the AstroForge representative would like the company to at least be known for having advanced this area.
