Space Resource Exploitation

This book highlights a systematic hierarchy for exploiting solar system resources during the rapid global development of space resource exploitation. The hierarchy uses a series of spatial positions of the Lagrange points—such as Earth-Moon L1, Sun-Earth L1/L2, Sun-Mars L1/L2, Ceres, and Sun-Jupiter L1—as the key nodes. This book then presents system architectures for space resource exploitation on the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, Mars, and main belt asteroids. It introduces new concepts for space facilities, including space resource supply stations, extraterrestrial mining stations, and space resource processing stations. This book proposes a technology framework for future space resource exploitation and discusses related technologies such as transportation, exploration, mining, processing, and utilization, presenting new approaches and research progress. It also puts forward the space resource exploitation initiative, along with a preliminary roadmap for establishing a space resource exploitation network that extends to the outer reaches of the solar system. This book raises valuable insights based on long-term in-depth work done by the authors’ team who are leading Chinese scientists in astronautics and space exploration. Their rich experience in international cooperation also adds to the practical significance of this book. This book serves as a must-read reference for researchers and policy makers in space resource studies, students in aerospace technology, planetary science, mining engineering, and other related fields, as well as everyone else interested in this subject.