Lunar mining. Author: taken from internet

It seems that Washington’s desire to dominate the Earth is not enough, and now it has become known that the US Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to start mining rare earths and iron on the Moon in the early 2030s. .

A Reuters report citing the agency scientist was published by Oilprice.com and says that Gerald Sanders made the announcement during a conference in Australia.

NASA will first mine oxygen and water on the Moon, and later consider mining iron and rare earths.

“We are trying to invest in the exploration phase, to understand the resources… to (reduce) risk so that outside investment makes sense and can lead to development and production,” Sanders said at a mining event in Australia.

The plans are part of the US space agency’s Artemis mission, which aims to collect information about a second visit to the moon that the agency can then use for Mars, Sanders explained.

The information published on Oilprice.com added that one of the goals of the mission is to quantify the resources available on the Moon so that NASA can attract investment in its research. “We are literally scratching the surface,” Sanders said, referring to the potential resources of the moon.

Later this month, NASA will send test drilling to the lunar surface, Sanders said, adding that a full-scale excavation is scheduled for 2032. Also in the plans is a processing plant for any resources discovered this year.

However, the initial focus of the mission to the Moon will be oxygen, which will be critical to the rest of NASA’s plans. “This is … a key step in establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon, as well as supporting future missions to Mars,” Sanders said at the conference.

NASA sees the Artemis mission as a stepping stone to the conquest of Mars. The Lunar Project also aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon in order to exploit its mineral resources.

Source: Juventud Rebelde