Moon Mining: Lunar Resources Exploration and Extraction

A background to Mining the moon

European empires were built on resources, first from their own territories and then from the New World. Modern nations who have built sophisticated space agencies are in a race to explore the Moon’s surface; they're looking for resources for in-situ-resource-utilisation and as a source of propellant to fuel the spacecraft to establish an economically sustainable Lunar economic ecosystem. You may have noticed recent missions to the Moon from Israel, China, India, Japan in conjunction with Luxembourg, Russia, Europe and the United States. These missions, while championing science, are technologically advanced and focused on exploration, and building the required Cislunar infrastructure so that mining the moon will become a commercial reality.

A message to investors

Space Ventures Investors is invested in this nascent industry. Across the globe are multiple startups, some commercial, some public, some in public private partnerships, that are developing the many parts of the lengthy process required to make interplanetary resource trading possible. This includes processing regolith for 3D printing of habitats and extracting valuable metals, designing landing pads on the surface of the moon, establishing the communications networks between Earth and hardware on the Moon, and lastly identifying strategic and resources locations.

We're Building the Supply Chain for Lunar Surface Resources Extraction

Enter the Lunar Resources Registry (LRR)

Space Ventures Investors was the first investor in Lunar Resources Registry, which participated in a ESA Business Incubation Centre. The activities of Lunar Resources Registry include:

• Promoting Space Resources, Lunar Resources, and Moon Mining as an industry.
• Building a Space Resources Legal Framework: The space laws applicable to resources extraction and ownership provides a “space is for everyone but no-one” framework yet specific countries are creating laws to respect Moon Mining companies and their business of commercial extraction and trade of space resources, e.g. Artemis Accords.
• Developing commercial business plans based on realistic objectives that fit into existing space laws (e.g. navigating the right to ownership of a space resource) to build competitive Moon Mining operations.

With the above in mind, LRR has developed:

• A Lunar Resources Registration system, based on actual past Missions, and future Missions. LRR has published online and printed maps, documenting previous exploration missions.
• Resources Registrations, to establish a target development zone, an objective, and a Mission profile, like sampling regolith for resources or establishing a Moon Base. Note: LRR has created a proprietary list of 50 locations on the Moon to explore for resources. Visit Commercia Map – Registration required.
• Terrain Analysis: Site selection thanks to internal and 3rd party Lunar Terrain analysis, including resources potential, suitability for Rovers, proximity to hazards, and much more.
• Mission Planning, to calculate the required Launch Vehichle, Orbital Transfer, CisLunar Logistics, and Orbital Descent required to reach a precise location, based on the Lander or Rover required for the exact Terrain.
• Lander Development: A Resources Registration, Terrain Anaylsis, and Mission Planning feed back into the Lunar Lander Development to make sure it meets objectives. The goal of Lunar Exploration Mission is resources sampling; this then determines where future Mines on the Moon will be located.