When Will Asteroid Mining Start: AstroForge Launches Mission January 2025

## When Will Asteroid Mining Start: It Already Has --- --- ## AstroForge’s **$55M** Bet Launches January 2025 **California startup AstroForge just launched Odin spacecraft** to asteroid **2022 OB5**. Their timeline: - **2023**: Refinery test in orbit - **February 26-27, 2025**: **Odin surveys 2022 OB5** - **Late 2025**: **Vestri lands on asteroid** - **$55.6 million** raised (**Nova Threshold** led **$40M Series A**) **The explosive market**: **$2.58 billion in 2025**. Projected **$39 billion by 2040** (**19.5% CAGR**). This timeline coincides with [quantum computing breakthroughs](/technology/quantum-computing-2025-commercial-breakthrough) that could revolutionize space navigation and asteroid trajectory calculations. --- --- ## NASA Brought Back 121 Grams, Worth Billions **OSIRIS-REx delivered** **121.6 grams** from asteroid **Bennu** in **September 2023**. **NASA's Psyche mission** launches **October 2023**, arrives **August 2029**. The metal asteroid worth: - **$10,000 quadrillion** in iron and nickel (theoretical) - More metal than **Earth's entire economy for 10,000 years** - Problem: Can't bring it back (yet) **Total asteroid samples returned to Earth**: **127 grams**. That's it. After **25 years of missions**. This sample scarcity parallels the [ancient astronomical discoveries](/space/500-year-old-manuscript-reveals-ancient-astronomy-knowledge) where precious knowledge was preserved in tiny fragments across millennia. --- --- ## Who’s Actually Mining Space **Active players:** - **AstroForge**: **$55M raised**, **3 missions planned** - **ispace (Japan)**: Moon mining, **$195M raised** - **Planetary Resources**: **Bankrupt 2018** - **Deep Space Industries**: **Acquired by Bradford Space** **Government missions:** - **NASA Psyche**: Exploration only, no mining - **China Tianwen-2**: **Sample return 2027** - **UAE asteroid mission**: **2028 launch** [Space tourism hits mainstream](/space/space-tourism-reaches-mainstream) while mining struggles with physics. The race intensifies as [Mars exploration reveals new possibilities](/space/nasa-mars-emergency-discovery-biosignature) for space-based resource extraction. --- --- ## The $10 Quintillion Reality Check **Why it's hard:** - **Launch costs**: **$2,720/kg to orbit** - **Travel time**: **2-6 years per mission** - **Refining in space**: **Never been done** - **Return payload**: **Grams, not tons** **What's actually valuable:** - **Platinum group metals** (rare on Earth) - **Water** (rocket fuel in space) - **Helium-3** (fusion reactors) **Market growth**: **24.9% CAGR** through **2034**. [AI revolutionizes planning](/technology/ai-agents-revolution-13-billion-market-taking-over-2025) but can't beat physics. --- --- ## The Bottom Line **Asteroid mining starts 2025**, but it's not what you think. **AstroForge lands on asteroid this year**. **NASA explores Psyche in 2029**. Market explodes to **$39 billion by 2040**. But bringing back tons of metal? That's not the business. **The real money is in space fuel stations**. _Investment tip: Buy the shovels, not the gold rush._ --- --- ## Sources 1. [Space Insider - AstroForge **$40M** Series A](https://spaceinsider.tech/**2024/08**/20/astroforge-secures-**40m**-series-a-funding-for-pioneering-asteroid-mining-mission/) - Funding details 2. [NASA - OSIRIS-REx Mission](https://science. nasa. gov/mission/osiris-rex/) - 121. 3. [Mordor Intelligence - Space Mining Market](https://www. mordorintelligence. com/industry-reports/space-mining-market-industry) - \*\*$2. 4. [NASA - Psyche Mission](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/) - 2029 arrival date 5. [Mining. com - AstroForge **2025 M**ission](https://www. mining.