Moon Craters as Metal Vaults: The Core Claim
A new study published in Planetary and Space Science suggests that the Moon’s impact craters could harbor substantial deposits of platinum-group metals (PGMs) such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium. The researchers propose that across roughly 6,500 craters formed by ancient asteroid impacts, these scarce and valuable metals may be scattered in meaningful quantities, offering a potential path to a lunar-based supply of critical resources.
What the Study Says and Why It Matters
The team argues that the regolith in these craters could host measurable concentrations of PGMs, distributed over a vast geographic span on the Moon. In the context of Earth’s finite reserves, tapping lunar stores could become a strategic development for industries relying on these metals for catalysts, electronics, and other high-tech applications.
Astrophysicist and study co-author Martin Elvis noted the enormous scale of resources in related celestial bodies, explaining that
“One eighth of the iron in the asteroid belt is more than a million times greater than all of the Earth’s currently estimated iron ore reserves, and it may well suffice for centuries.” While this quote points to broader solar-system riches, the implication for lunar mining is that the Moon could complement or even supplemental terrestrial supplies in the long run.
Why Mine Craters Instead of Orbiting Asteroids?
The authors contend that these crater-derived values are one to two orders of magnitude larger than the number of ore-bearing near-Earth asteroids currently known. In other words, the Moon’s surface offers a more accessible, widely distributed source of PGMs than attempting to harvest metals from asteroids that remain in space. This perspective shifts some of the focus from asteroid mining to in-situ resource extraction on the Moon itself.
Hydrated Minerals: Water as an Added Benefit
Beyond metals, the study highlights the potential for water resources. It suggests that about 3,400 impact craters may contain water in hydrated minerals on or near the lunar surface. Access to lunar water could support life-support systems, fuel production, and other operations that would be essential for sustained human or robotic presence on the Moon.
Practical Implications for the Space Economy
If validated, these findings could influence future mission planning and technology development. Extracting PGMs from crater deposits would require advances in excavation, processing, and refining under harsh lunar conditions. Yet the long-term payoff could include a new, off-Earth supply chain for high-value metals and a stepping stone toward broader lunar industrial activity.
Next Steps and Public Perception
As with all frontier science, these ideas demand further data, modeling, and in-situ experiments. The prospect of lunar mining touches on complex issues, from scientific feasibility to policy and international cooperation, all set against the backdrop of human expansion into cislunar space.
