ISRU Archives - The Enterprise Orbit

Deltion Innovations takes first step in building out space mining supply chain

Six months after NASA cancelled its lunar-bound Resource Prospector mission, mining technology provider Deltion Innovations, which was part of the team, signed an industry-first memorandum of understanding (MOU) with commercial lunar payload services firm Moon Express for future lunar mining missions. The deal comes at an interesting time for lunar-focused space companies. 2019 is shaping up to become an inflection point for commercial lunar services -- if a few key

Two commercial companies sign MOU for future space mining missions

Lunar payload services firm Moon Express has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Deltion Innovations for collaboration on future lunar missions using in-situ resource utilization. The agreement is very likely the first such agreement between two commercial companies for future ISRU missions in space. “This is a very important milestone for Deltion,” CEO Dale Boucher said in a statement. “This is an opportunity to provide a more balanced suite

Germany joins growing list of countries interested in setting space mining laws

In August 2018, the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI) released a position paper outlining the need for Germany to establish a legal framework now for future space mining missions. BDI has called for Germany to create national space laws similar to those established in Luxembourg to promote private investment and innovation among Germany’s commercial space sector for space mining technologies. Germany has a variety of commercial space companies developing

New ‘compound’ synthetic tracking tech boosts prospects of asteroid mining

A new take on digital synthetic tracking could help space mining companies more quickly identify asteroids for mining. Asteroid mining firm TransAstra has been developing a suite of technologies that it says will enable future in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) missions. The company has received an award from NASA’s’ Tipping Point program and NIAC funding to develop some of the prospecting tech. “We’re developing new remote prospecting technologies based on something

With Moon in mind, ESA looks to private sector for developing ISRU

The European Space Agency is calling for proposals for sending humans to the Moon, as well as for technology that will sustain crews while there. The agency is looking for proposals to leverage in-situ resources utilization technologies to help create a sustainable off-Earth colony, like the “Moon Village” concept ESA’s director general Johann-Dietrich Woerner has proposed. “We are looking to invest in the development and pay for the use of