AstroForge, a private company, is preparing to launch a microwave oven-sized spacecraft toward a near-Earth asteroid in a bid to mine precious metals and potentially create vast fortunes on Earth. The company, led by founder and CEO Matt Gialich, has already raised $55 million in funding and secured a license from the Federal Communications Commission to transmit from deep space.
The robotic spacecraft, called Odin, will journey to a small asteroid called 2022 OB5, estimated to be rich in metals such as iron, nickel, and potentially platinum group metals (P.G.M.s), which are highly valuable. The asteroid, about 330 feet across, is a target for AstroForge’s exploration efforts, with the hope of confirming its metallic content during a close flyby.
While some experts are skeptical about the viability of asteroid mining on a large scale, AstroForge is moving forward with its ambitious plans. The success of Odin’s mission could have significant implications for the future of space exploration and commercial ventures beyond the moon.
AstroForge’s mission is a pioneering effort in the field of asteroid mining and could pave the way for future missions to extract resources from celestial bodies. The results of Odin’s analysis of 2022 OB5 could provide valuable insights into the composition of asteroids and inform future space exploration efforts. The launch and journey to the asteroid are crucial steps in AstroForge’s quest to unlock the potential riches of asteroid mining.
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