NASA's Lunar Mining Operation , Could Launch Within the Next Decade.<br />'The Independent' reports that a NASA scientist has <br />claimed that the United States will begin mining <br />the Moon for resources within the next decade.<br />According to NASA's Gerald Sanders, <br />the space agency's pilot processing plant <br />will first seek to procure oxygen and water. .<br />At a June 28 mining conference in Brisbane, <br />Sanders said that NASA's mining mission can begin <br />as soon as a test drill rig is sent to the Moon. .<br />Sanders claims that current NASA estimates <br />suggest “hundreds of billions of dollars <br />worth of untapped resources” are on the Moon.<br />As the lunar mining operation <br />expands, iron and other elements<br />could become valuable resources.<br />'The Independent' reports that NASA is hoping <br />that the promise of lunar mining will attract <br />commercial interest, which will reduce costs. .<br />We are trying to invest in the exploration <br />phase, understand the resources... to <br />[lower] risk such that external investment <br />makes sense that could lead to <br />development and production. , Gerald Sanders, NASA's Johnson Space Center, via 'The Independent'.<br />We are literally just <br />scratching the surface, Gerald Sanders, NASA's Johnson Space Center, via 'The Independent'.<br />Earlier this year, NASA reached a number of milestones <br />in the race to mine the Moon, including the extraction <br />of oxygen from simulated lunar soil for the first time. .<br />Earlier this year, NASA reached a number of milestones <br />in the race to mine the Moon, including the extraction <br />of oxygen from simulated lunar soil for the first time.
