AstroForge, an American company, has announced its plans to execute a groundbreaking mission in 2025 by landing on a near-Earth metal asteroid to test space mining technology. If successful, this mission could mark the first-ever attempt to extract valuable metals, such as platinum, from an asteroid. AstroForge’s mission involves launching the 200-kilogram Vestri probe next year, with the goal of landing it on an undisclosed near-Earth metal asteroid, reports space.com. This would represent the first time a private company has landed a spacecraft on an asteroid, making it a historic event in space exploration. The company, which focuses on mining precious metals from space, recently secured an additional $40 million in funding, bringing its total investment to $55 million. The Vestri probe aims to test technologies essential for extracting valuable metals from asteroids. If the mission succeeds, it could pave the way for the development of space mining operations. Notably, several American companies have previously explored the concept of extracting water from asteroids to produce hydrogen and oxygen, key components for rocket fuel. These technologies could eventually lead to the creation of space refueling stations, enabling longer space missions. However, such projects are currently on hold. AstroForge has already made strides in this field. Last year, the company launched the Brokkr-1 probe to demonstrate its technology for processing asteroid material and extracting valuable metals. Unfortunately, the mission did not meet its objectives. The real commencement of asteroid mining operations will likely depend on the success of the Vestri mission and subsequent launches. The timeline for commercial asteroid mining remains uncertain and hinges on the outcomes of these pioneering missions. In related news, Chinese scientists have recently developed an innovative method for producing pure gold with enhanced strength and lightness. This technique involves creating uniformly distributed small pores within solid metal, significantly improving gold’s strength without compromising its lightweight properties. The post AstroForge Announces Historic Asteroid Mining Mission for 2025 appeared first on Anomalien.com.