September 12: Commercial space tourism, once a fantasy straight out of a sci-fi movie, blasted off for real. The industry appears to be steadily growing and delivering wow moments—like the historic spacewalk by two crew members on September 12, streamed live on X, leaving us all on the edge of our seats.
December 30: Just when we were poised to enter the new year, a new dawn broke upon India's space universe: its first-ever space docking mission (Space Docking Experiment, or SpaDeX) took off, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's space exploration journey. This bold leap places India on the cusp of joining the exclusive league of the US, Russia and China—nations that have mastered the advanced and intricate technology of space docking.
SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment), launched aboard ISRO's reliable PSLV rocket, aims to test docking capabilities critical for assembling and maintaining spacecraft in orbit, a cornerstone of the country's ambitious plans to establish a space station. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath noted the satellites have been placed perfectly in orbit, with docking trials set for early January, underscoring the cautious precision behind this mission.
This achievement is yet another feather in ISRO's cap, reinforcing India's growing dominance in space exploration. Space docking is not merely a technological milestone; it is a gateway to transformative possibilities, including in-orbit satellite servicing, refuelling, and the construction of large space structures. Indian scientists believe that such advancements are vital to realising the country's dream of having its own permanent space station and boosting its credentials in the increasingly competitive global space race. Beyond national pride, this mission symbolises India's readiness to embrace the most complex challenges in space technology.
Can India Join The Race?
ISRO's impressive achievements in space missions in recent years should give us hope that India will soon join a space race of another type: the mining of steroids.
As we usher in 2025, marking a quarter of the century gone by, I can't help but recall a 1995 episode of a BBC show called Tomorrow's World. Freshly arrived in England from India, I was captivated by its bold prediction: by 2025, humanity would be mining asteroids.
That vision, forged 30 years ago, was daring but brimming with the era's optimism about space exploration. The vision of 1995 remains a powerful testament to human ambition and dreams, with the promise of space mining still within reach. From the Wright brothers' pioneering work on flight to the Apollo missions' monumental achievement of landing humans on the moon, human beings have consistently pushed the boundaries of what was once thought impossible. And now, with the advent of advanced technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence and materials science, the prospect of extracting resources from asteroids is becoming increasingly feasible.
Japan, US Take The Lead
While we are still far away from asteroid mining, the strides made since then are encouraging. The US and Japan have laid the foundation for a future where this dream could soon become reality. Japan's Hayabusa 1 and 2 missions and NASA's OSIRIS-REx have already returned asteroid samples, bringing us closer to unlocking the potential of space resources.
The Americans would contest it but Japan has emerged as a leader in asteroid exploration and sample collection. Its Hayabusa missions have been groundbreaking. Under the missions, the spacecraft raided asteroid Ryugu and brought back to earth a pinch (5.4 grams) of sample in 2020. The sample, though tiny, was enough for a rich analysis of its compositions. The Japanese analysis revealed the presence of organic compounds, including amino acids, which are fundamental building blocks of life.
Japan's Hayabusa2 spaceship blasted off in December 2014, travelled 3.2 billion miles round-trip to asteroid Ryugu, and spent a journey time of six years to collect and deliver its sample.
To create a private space companies ecosystem, Japan announced a nearly $1 billion fund to support space start-ups, an initiative that has resulted in everything from microsatellite manufacturing to the development of an advanced solid-state battery that can survive the frigid temperatures on the Moon. Japan has also sponsored impressive research and development in robotics. For example, the Space Capable Asteroid Robotic Explorer is a first-of-its-kind climbing robot with potential asteroid mining applications developed through a partnership between Japan's Tohoku University and the Asteroid Mining Corporation
Besides Japan, the US has been a leader in asteroid mining initiatives, driven by NASA and private companies like SpaceX, Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries. NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission successfully collected a sample from asteroid Bennu and delivered it on Earth in 2023, showcasing the technology needed for asteroid mining. In fact, at 121.6 grams, its sample size is much bigger than the one collected by the Japanese missions.
The seriousness of the US in the arena can be gauged by the fact that it passed the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act in 2015, allowing private companies to own and sell resources extracted from celestial bodies.
Asteroid mining for rare minerals is an emerging field that has garnered interest from multiple other countries and private entities. China has ambitious plans for asteroid exploration and mining, aligned with its broader goals of becoming a space superpower. The Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) announced a mission to explore and potentially mine near-Earth asteroids by 2030. It is reported that China is integrating asteroid mining into its Belt and Road Initiative for potential technological and economic advantages. Surprisingly, a tiny European country like Luxembourg has emerged as a key player in Europe, investing heavily in space mining initiatives and partnering with companies like iSpace and Deep Space Industries.
India Can Do It Too
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has expressed interest in asteroid mining but is currently focused on lunar and Mars exploration. However, it has a strong foundation to explore asteroid mining. Three vital things are with India:
- Cost-effectiveness and technological advancements: India has demonstrated its ability to develop cost-effective space technologies, as seen in its successful Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan missions. ISRO has also made significant advancements in areas like propulsion systems, materials science and robotics, which are essential for asteroid mining.
- Existing expertise in space exploration and robotics: ISRO has developed advanced robotics capabilities, including the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover, which demonstrated the country's ability to design and operate complex robotic systems.
- Growing private space industry and partnerships: India's private space industry is growing rapidly, with companies like Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, and Pixxel working on advanced space technologies. India has also established partnerships with international space agencies and companies, which could provide opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing on asteroid mining missions.
But should India jump onto the asteroid exploration bandwagon?
The counter question is, why should any country mine asteroids? Several nations with big economies are eyeing asteroid mining as a solution to both economic and environmental challenges, particularly as Earth's finite resources face growing pressure. Asteroids are rich in rare and valuable minerals like platinum, cobalt and nickel, as well as critical elements like lithium and rare earth metals essential for green technologies. They could also provide water that can be split into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel and life support, enabling deeper space exploration and reducing reliance on Earth-based resources. A single asteroid could contain more valuable metals than all of Earth's mines combined.
A Limitless Supply
It is clear that as demand for minerals surges due to green energy transition, asteroids could offer a virtually limitless supply. The Paris Agreement of 2015 set a global commitment to transition to renewable energy, requiring a dramatic increase in the production of green technologies. However, many critical materials for this transition—lithium for batteries, and neodymium for turbines—are finite. Current estimates suggest reserves of some of these metals could be depleted within a century. Without alternative sources like asteroids, the Green Revolution could face significant roadblocks.
All this may sound futuristic to some, especially to those who are of the 'here-and-now' variety. But we must learn from Japan and the US, the two countries that have taken giant steps towards asteroid mining. Of course, there are huge challenges, such as developing the right technologies, cost-effectiveness of mining, technology to scale up and bring the material back on the Earth in bulk. All this needs billions of dollars of investment and, above all, political will. If a tiny country like Luxembourg's with a tiny population can dream of mining asteroids, why shouldn't India, with a population of 1.5 billion and a giant economy to sustain, do it? We do not have endless resources and we cannot afford to rely on huge imports of rare minerals and metals. By developing the capacity to mine asteroids in 15-20 years, India could secure the materials needed to power a sustainable future while preserving our ecology.
There are currently about 30,000 asteroids orbiting the sun in a way that brings them close to Earth, but many more could still be discovered. Perhaps ISRO will focus on the ones that contain rare minerals and metals we need so badly.
(Syed Zubair Ahmed is a London-based senior Indian journalist with three decades of experience with the Western media)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
