Engineers are landing hardware on the moon to extract ice and helium-3. The extraction of water ice allows for the production of hydrogen fuel and oxygen for lungs which removes the requirement to transport these supplies from Earth. I’d put it this way: the regolith contains the chemicals for fuel and air.
And corporations are already testing the drills needed to sustain a presence on the moon.
Law disputes will arise because the 1967 Outer Space Treaty lacks instructions for mining rights. But nations are moving ahead with their own rules for moon property. This topic gained attention around two months ago on December 31 2025 when experts warned about the friction between countries.
The prospect of extracting elements from the ground provides a money incentive that encourages capital to fund rockets capable of transporting refinery equipment to the moon surface. I see a vacuum of law that could lead to confrontations over the sunlight and the ice.
Cooperation between countries offers a path to share the benefits of these materials.
Science sensors and habitation modules are arriving at the Moon South Pole to prepare for crews. I think the establishment of a shared registry for mining sites will ensure that every mission has the space to operate without interference. The abundance of resources in the ground will provide the power to support a colony.
Information for this article was obtained from “Yahoo News”. This topic was from some time ago (Wed Dec 31 2025 04:00:00 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)).
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