Mining the Stars: 2026

There is a single asteroid in our solar system worth more than the entire global economy ($10 Quintillion). In 2026, humanity has launched the first serious mission to claim a piece of that pie.

🌑 The Target: Psyche 16

While NASA's mission was for science, private companies like AstroForge are targeting smaller, metallic asteroids near Earth. They are rich in Platinum, Cobalt, and Iridium—metals critical for batteries and electronics.

🚀 In-Space Refining

The breakthrough of 2026 is "In-Situ Resource Utilization" (ISRU). Instead of bringing tons of raw rock back to Earth, robotic refineries process the ore in zero-gravity, sending only the pure, refined metal back down in heat-shielded capsules.

💰 Economic Impact

Goldman Sachs predicts that the world's first Trillionaire will be a space miner. An abundance of rare metals could crash earthly prices but enable impossible technologies like mass-scale fusion reactors.

⚖️ The Legal Gray Zone

Who owns an asteroid? The Artemis Accords attempt to set rules, but in 2026, space is effectively the "Wild West." If you can reach it and defend it, you own it.

The next Gold Rush is vertical. 🚀💎