Asteroid mining is increasingly viewed as a viable venture, driven by the potential to extract valuable resources such as platinum and nickel, which are found in high concentrations on some asteroids.
In February 2025, AstroForge launched its Odin spacecraft aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The primary goal of the Odin mission is to test technologies required for asteroid mining, focusing on asteroid 2022 OB5. Despite initial communication challenges, the mission signifies a crucial step forward in the pursuit of commercial asteroid mining.
The economic implications of asteroid mining are substantial. According to Business Insider, a single asteroid could hold platinum worth approximately £40 billion. Victor Vescovo, a prominent billionaire, has proposed scaling up asteroid mining operations once the feasibility of extracting and returning even small amounts (micrograms) of materials has been demonstrated successfully. This endeavor could potentially create the first trillionaire.