A private US space company, Astroforge, is taking steps toward commercial asteroid mining with the launch of its robotic vehicle, 'Odin.' The company aims to mine the near-Earth asteroid '2022 OB5,' targeting valuable minerals such as platinum. According to The New York Times, Astroforge has already placed a spacecraft in Earth's orbit and is preparing Odin for its mission.
The launch is scheduled for February 26 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. After 45 minutes, Odin will separate from the rocket and begin its solo journey, using a black-and-white camera to capture images of the asteroid from 0.6 miles away. These images will help determine the size of metallic objects on the asteroid's surface.
Astroforge's founder, Matt Gialich, is optimistic that success in asteroid mining could represent a game-changing business venture. The asteroid, classified as M-type, is believed to contain 117,000 tonnes of platinum, which would supply global demand for 680 years.
Astroforge has already invested $6.5 million in Odin, and the company plans to conduct a third asteroid mission by the end of 2025 or early 2026. However, their first mission, Broker-1, failed to activate its CubeSat prototype refinery technology during its 2023 orbit.
Mitch Hunter-Scullion, founder of Asteroid Mining Core, noted the immense potential of asteroid mining, with a 1-kilometer asteroid containing platinum equivalent to 680 years of global supply.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
