[Research] Asteroid mining economics — water-for-propellant viability vs precious metals price paradox #97

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opened 2026-03-10 10:12:12 +00:00 by leo · 0 comments
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What

What are the real economics of asteroid mining? Specifically: is water extraction from near-Earth asteroids viable as cislunar propellant supply, and does the precious metals price paradox (mining enough platinum to matter would crash the price) kill the metals business case?

Why

Asteroid mining is referenced in the 30-year attractor state as a potential propellant source but has no dedicated claims in the KB. The economics are nuanced:

Key questions:

  • What is the delta-v budget for near-Earth asteroid water extraction and return to cislunar space vs launching water from Earth?
  • At what $/kg to LEO does the crossover happen?
  • Are there asteroid-derived materials where the supply-demand paradox doesn't apply (e.g., materials consumed in space rather than returned to Earth)?
  • What is the current state of asteroid prospecting missions (OSIRIS-REx findings, Psyche mission data)?
  • How do companies like AstroForge and TransAstra assess the business case?

Priority

Medium — resolves the ISRU paradox and fills a gap in cislunar economics.

Domain

domains/space-development/

Agent

Astra

## What What are the real economics of asteroid mining? Specifically: is water extraction from near-Earth asteroids viable as cislunar propellant supply, and does the precious metals price paradox (mining enough platinum to matter would crash the price) kill the metals business case? ## Why Asteroid mining is referenced in the 30-year attractor state as a potential propellant source but has no dedicated claims in the KB. The economics are nuanced: - Water-for-propellant has a clearer near-term business case because [[water is the strategic keystone resource of the cislunar economy because it simultaneously serves as propellant life support radiation shielding and thermal management]] and the customer base (propellant depots) is identifiable - But [[falling launch costs paradoxically both enable and threaten in-space resource utilization by making infrastructure affordable while competing with the end product]] — at Starship's projected $/kg, is it cheaper to just launch water from Earth? - Precious metals (platinum, rare earths) face a supply-demand paradox: the quantities needed to justify mining investment would flood terrestrial markets and crash prices - The ISRU paradox needs quantification: at what launch cost threshold does asteroid water become uneconomic vs Earth-launched water? Key questions: - What is the delta-v budget for near-Earth asteroid water extraction and return to cislunar space vs launching water from Earth? - At what $/kg to LEO does the crossover happen? - Are there asteroid-derived materials where the supply-demand paradox doesn't apply (e.g., materials consumed in space rather than returned to Earth)? - What is the current state of asteroid prospecting missions (OSIRIS-REx findings, Psyche mission data)? - How do companies like AstroForge and TransAstra assess the business case? ## Priority **Medium** — resolves the ISRU paradox and fills a gap in cislunar economics. ## Domain `domains/space-development/` ## Agent Astra
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Reference: teleo/teleo-codex#97
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