From the deep space, the first asteroid -mining private company would get platinum

• Astrophorge space mining company has launched an experimental spacecraft with a Falcon 9 rocket
• The probe called Odin starts beyond the moon for the 2022 OB5 asteroid
• The purpose of the mission is to start asteroid mining
• There is a lot of debate due to legal issues related
• Astrophorge's mining adventure starts with the Intuitive Machines HOLD mission

Mining is a complex, dirty and high environmental activity on Earth, which aims to obtain a small amount of valuable material – especially metals. These metals are also found in asteroids, probably in much higher quantities. Therefore, many are considering the protection of the environment, the reduction of costs, and – As IFL Science Write – Replacing one group of complications and challenges to another group to find valuable elements.

Historic attempt

There was a lot of debate in the with space mining related legal issues. The United States unilaterally authorizes the production of the material for commercial purposes from celestial bodies and other countries have followed this example. No one has mined his asteroid, but this mission may open the way for such a development.

The odin is that Intuitive Machines It starts with his second moon mission. But while the latter's goal is to land on the moon, Odin, if all goes well, will execute the fly by five days after departure and then starts into the deep. The satellite would already write history by getting into the deep, because it was in just 10 months from design to start. And this is the first commercially organized deep -seated expedition.

THE 2022 OB5 The probability of reaching asteroid is still low, but this is a pioneering mission, so each step will be challenging and exciting. The « capture » of the asteroid is difficult because it is a quick -speeding ball, just 100 meters in diameter, which may contain a lot of metals. The space probe reaches 2022 OB5 in about 300 days and will analyze the asteroid composition when flying next to it.

« The task of Odin is to collect critical images of the target astronoma, preparing the way for our next mission, Vestri, aims to land on the asteroid and start the extraction » – read on Astrophorge's website.

They travel to platinum

“I'm very excited. As an investor of Astrophorge, I think we are at the forefront of attempting to produce the near -earth asteroids platinum group and to commerce other exotic metals for commercial purposes ” Victor Vescovo told the iflscience.

The Odin Space Probe is just waiting for departure / photo: SpaceX / Astrophorge

“If they wonder where we get these exotic metals from the ground, they come from space. Then why don't we just go into space and get them? And as the cost of getting into space for Starship and To New Glenn's rocket Thanks to the drastic reduction, this is the closeness of this opportunity. We are very excited to send out the deepest commercial space probe that has ever been deeper ” He added.

The current start-up date and date are on February 26 at 7:17 pm (EST) from the 39A launch of the Kennedy Space Center (which means 1: 17 at night in Hungarian time).