Space and Planetary Resources

The Earth is surrounded by several celestial bodies with a vast wealth of resources for space and terrestrial applications. The minerals, metals, water, and volatile elements on the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, comets, and Mars, as well as the unlimited solar energy, vacuum, and low gravity in space have for some time being considered valuable extraterrestrial resources for robotic and human space missions. The identification, extraction, and utilization of these resources will enable space exploration by providing the necessary energy, materials, and human consumables to significantly reduce the mass, cost, and risk of missions, while also extending their reach and duration. In the future, space resources may also prove to be highly valuable for Earth applications.