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1280 results for "asteroid mining"
A California company just finished building a spacecraft that could make asteroid mining affordable. After learning from a 2024 failure, AstroForge is ready to prove interplanetary travel doesn't have to cost billions.
Scientists aboard the International Space Station successfully used bacteria and fungi to extract platinum and other valuable metals from asteroid samples in microgravity. This breakthrough could help future space explorers build habitats and life support systems without shipping materials from Earth.
Researchers have mapped out a realistic plan to mine asteroids and deliver metals directly to Mars, turning science fiction into an achievable engineering challenge. The breakthrough shows we could build a self-sustaining colony without shipping everything from Earth.
Tanzania just canceled 40 mining licenses from companies that hoarded land without developing it, and plans to give those opportunities to women, youth, and people with disabilities instead. The move aims to fix environmental damage while opening doors for locals who've been shut out of the mining sector.
A Zimbabwean court just delivered a landmark ruling that puts environmental protection ahead of mining profits. The decision canceled two mining certificates and sent a clear message: follow environmental laws or lose your mining rights.
NASA's asteroid defense mission captured the first proof that space rocks gently toss debris at each other like cosmic snowballs, reshaping surfaces over millions of years. The discovery came from images taken seconds before the spacecraft deliberately crashed into an asteroid in 2022.
A Canadian company has cracked the code on making lithium mining dramatically cheaper and cleaner. The breakthrough could accelerate the shift to affordable electric vehicles while creating hundreds of jobs.
A team at UC Santa Barbara has designed a system to blast dangerous asteroids into harmless bits using rockets and technology we already have. Unlike asteroid deflection methods, this "Pulverize It" program could work even with short warning times.
Ghana's Environmental Protection Authority intercepted over 200 mining machines hidden in 14 containers at Tema Port, marking a major victory in the fight against illegal mining. The equipment, believed to be destined for environmentally destructive operations, will stay locked down until investigators confirm it can't fuel "galamsey" mining.
Amateur astronomers with smart telescopes are joining NASA missions to track dangerous asteroids and discover comets. One citizen scientist in South Africa captured crucial data during NASA's asteroid deflection test.
A Chinese company's electric mining trucks just passed real-world tests at one of Indonesia's largest nickel mines, slashing energy costs in half. The success is now sparking a partnership that could transform how the mining industry tackles climate change.
A California space company is launching a mission to bring a 100-ton asteroid to orbit near Earth, turning it into a robotic research station for manufacturing materials in space. The breakthrough could make space exploration cheaper and more sustainable by using resources already floating in our solar system.
A Ghanaian mining company is investing $20 million over five years to build schools, clinics, and training centers in communities that host their operations. After reviving a shuttered gold mine and rehiring 1,500 workers, Heath Goldfields is now focused on ensuring local families benefit from the wealth beneath their feet.
A remote copper mine in Queensland will run on Australia's largest off-grid renewable energy system, combining massive solar, battery, and backup power in a 15-year clean energy partnership. Mining companies across the country are racing to slash emissions and costs with similar green power solutions.
Scientists finally cracked the puzzle of why asteroid Bennu looked so unexpectedly rocky when NASA's spacecraft arrived. The answer hiding inside samples brought back to Earth reveals a fractured world that changes how we understand asteroids.
The most dangerous asteroid ever discovered won't hit Earth or the moon after all, thanks to NASA's powerful James Webb Space Telescope tracking it 280 million miles away. Scientists now have proof that asteroid 2024 YR4 will safely pass by both worlds in December 2032.
The world's most powerful space survey telescope just started collecting data, and it's already discovering asteroids at a mind-blowing pace. In its very first images, the Rubin Observatory found 1,500 new asteroids, including some spinning faster than scientists thought possible.
A Silicon Valley nonprofit is working to protect our planet from dangerous asteroid impacts through research, education, and global cooperation. Since 2002, the B612 Foundation has been advancing asteroid detection and deflection strategies while teaching the world about these cosmic threats.
For the first time ever, humans have measurably shifted the orbit of a celestial body around the Sun. When NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid in 2022, the impact changed the path of not just one asteroid, but two.
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Three years of zero protest shutdowns in South Africa's platinum belt show how cooperation between mining companies, police, and communities can transform conflict into prosperity. The model is now spreading to other mining regions.
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