Extraterrestrial Mining – To Enable Space Exploration and Benefit Life on Earth

A thriving lunar economy has the potential to benefit life on Earth. But what will actually drive economic growth from its current state? Many indicators point to a lunar economy driven by strong commercial demand.

The California Gold Rush and resulting California state economy is a valuable historical account that may be analog to lunar economic growth. During the period from 1846 to 1852, the population of San Francisco grew from 200 to 36,000 residents. They were there either in search of, or in support of, mining gold from the Californian valleys and rivers. As progress was made, the sudden influx of gold invigorated the economy and a population rush drove infrastructure developments. Newcomers created the demand for new communication and transportation tools, where some turned to improving farming conditions and techniques to supply the mining community. Needless to say, the economy exploded.

Getting the gold out of the ground required tools. It started with pans, rockers, and pickaxes – the base tools needed to get gold out of the ground. As the ‘easy’ gold was consumed, mining technology evolved to reach the gold that was more difficult to mine.

Moog supports lunar exploration and the infrastructure building activities that are necessary to enable build a sustainable lunar economy. Our expertise in terrestrial construction vehicle electrification and autonomy, our 60-year space legacy, and our partnerships with pioneering space companies put Moog in an ideal position to make a significant impact. Of particular interest is to provide the ‘tool’ needed to find the ‘gold’ that will drive the population surge that ultimately drives the infrastructure development.

As Business Development Manager at Moog Space and Defense, and part of the Space Division’s Advanced Programs and Innovation Team, Jeremy Fehrenbacher has been involved in NASA’s Break the Ice Challenge for two years, along with other projects focused on lunar and space exploration. Fehrenbacher’s involvement and focus on this growing area helps Moog understand current and future lunar opportunities.

What is extraterrestrial mining?

“Extraterrestrial mining refers to the futuristic process of extracting valuable raw materials from celestial bodies, such as the Moon. These resources could prove useful in the production of fuels, housing materials, life support solutions, scientific samples, and possibly many other applications that ultimately drive economic growth. Moog has the capability to help establish a sustainable lunar economy to excavate the raw materials needed to facilitate the creation of a permanent habitat on the Moon,” explains Fehrenbacher.

Being able to excavate, transport, and process regolith on the Moon could decrease supply needs from Earth, potentially enabling a more sustainable development of a lunar economy and possibly even supporting future missions to Mars.

In 2022, Moog participated in NASA’s Break the Ice Challenge Phase 2, Level 1, developing a robotic excavator concept design and plans for testing. Moog’s conceptual lunar excavator won the challenge, among a dozen other U.S. teams. In the next level of the challenge (Phase 2, Level 2), Moog partnered with pioneering space company Cislune to conduct durability tests of a prototype excavator. The challenge consisted of a fifteen-day excavation demonstration in an arid part of the Mojave Desert where Cislune excavated 3,280 kg (7,231 lbs) of regolith simulant (Moon like surface material). Their successful testing won them the runner-up of NASA’s Break the Ice Challenge, Phase 2, Level 2.

Erik Franks, CEO of Cislune, is proud of his team’s success. “Cislune learned a great deal about how to build a durable excavator that can survive driving nearly two marathons distance or 54 miles over 15 days of the competition. The dirt road we tested on started out compacted but was broken up by repeated transits. In Level 3 of the challenge, we will adjust with larger and more drive wheels to avoid getting stuck. A larger team than three would also help with getting more excavation and transit time leading to better totals,” says Franks.

NASA is planning for the last round of Break the Ice competitions to take place in the spring of 2024 where competitors bring their prototypes to a NASA facility for a series of head-to-head matchups, simulating reduced gravity and complex terrain.

Why did Moog get involved in the Break the Ice Challenge?

“Moog has an established track record of successfully delivering hardware for deep space missions. The lunar excavator capitalizes on our expertise in precision actuation, radiation-hardened avionics, and active/passive dampening solutions. Additionally, we combine these capabilities with our industry-leading expertise in automation and electrification, which we have gained through our involvement in the terrestrial construction vehicle market,” says Fehrenbacher.

Are there other benefits of moving lunar regolith?

Besides mining for ore, harvesting regolith has additional benefits to the lunar surface economy such as housing development and transportation infrastructure development. The natural effects of regolith could help shield humans and systems from primary radiation while surface preparation enables roadways and landing pads.

What is Moog looking to do with lunar excavation technology in the future?

“There are many opportunities in the growing lunar economy. We believe that one day there could be a need for a fleet of excavators deployed to strategically significant locations on the lunar surface, with the purpose of delivering lunar regolith as a service,” says Fehrenbacher. “Moog's excavator solution is designed to be adaptable to various celestial bodies, ensuring its availability for use beyond just the lunar surface, such as the mineral-rich asteroid Psyche or Mars.”

What else might Moog be able to provide in lunar surface activities?

As the lunar economy expands, many of our component technologies can be adapted for use on the lunar surface, as they are already compatible with deep space and high radiation environments. Our wide catalog of flight heritage solutions includes offerings in active dampening and stability controls, onboard computing, power management, and motor drives.