Space-Based Metal Mining Market Report 2025

The space-based metal mining market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $1.44 billion in 2024 to $1.65 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%. The growth during the historic period can be attributed to the emergence of private space companies, increased interest in lunar and Martian missions, rising focus on asteroid mining, expanding government space budgets, and the growing demand for rare earth metals.

The space-based metal mining market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $2.85 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to the rising demand for sustainable resource extraction, increasing feasibility of space transportation, growing metal requirements for green technologies, improved legal clarity regarding space resource ownership, and the expanding potential for in-situ resource utilization. Major trends expected during this period include the development of sustainable extraction methods, advancement of vacuum-compatible mining tools, integration of blockchain for resource tracking, innovation in microgravity drilling techniques, and advancements in 3D printing using mined metals.

The increasing demand for rare minerals drives the growth of the market due to their essential role in EV and tech manufacturing. The increasing demand for rare minerals is expected to propel the growth of the space-based metal mining market going forward. Rare minerals refer to naturally occurring inorganic substances that are found in limited quantities on Earth and possess unique chemical or physical properties, often used in high-tech, energy, and defense applications. Increasing demand for rare minerals is due to rising electric vehicle (EV) production, as these minerals are essential for manufacturing EV batteries, motors, and electronic components. Space-based metal mining supports rare minerals by enabling the extraction of valuable and scarce elements from asteroids and celestial bodies, reducing dependence on Earth's limited resources. For instance, according to the December 2022 Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, a US-based institution, in 2022, the rare earth mining quota was set at a record 210,000 tons, marking a 25 percent increase from the previous record of 168,000 tons in 2021. Therefore, the increasing demand for rare minerals is growing the space-based metal mining market.

Major companies operating in the space-based metal mining market are focusing on developing innovative solutions, such as on-orbit metal refining systems, to enhance the efficiency of extracting and processing rare minerals in space, reducing the need to transport raw materials back to Earth. On-orbit metal refining systems are space-based technologies designed to extract and purify metals directly in space from mined asteroids or celestial bodies, reducing the need for Earth-based processing. For instance, in January 2023, AstroForge, a US-based aerospace company, launched two missions, Brokkr-1 and Brokkr-2. Brokkr-1, a 6U CubeSat, was intended to demonstrate on-orbit metal refining technology but encountered technical issues that prevented it from achieving its mission goals. In contrast, Brokkr-2, built by OrbAstro on a larger 100-kilogram satellite platform, was designed to simulate asteroid mining by vaporizing asteroid-like material in space. These missions mark initial steps toward testing and validating key technologies essential for future space-based metal mining.

In February 2022, Blue Origin Enterprises, L.P., a US-based astronautics company, acquired Honeybee Robotics for an undisclosed amount. With this acquisition, Blue Origin Enterprises aims to enhance its capabilities in planetary exploration, robotic systems, and in-situ resource utilization to support future lunar and deep-space missions. Honeybee Robotics LLC is a US-based robotics company that provides space-based metal and resource mining technologies.

Major players in the space-based metal mining market are Northrop Grumman Corporation, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Anglo American Platinum Limited, Helios Project Ltd, ispace, inc., Dawn Aerospace B.V, AstroForge Inc., Bradford Space Group Inc., Astrobotic Technology Inc., Moon Express Inc., OFF-WORLD INC., Asteroid Mining Company UAB, Deep Space Industries Inc., Karman+ Inc., Kleos Space S.A., Planetary Resources Inc., Shackleton Energy Company Inc., SpaceFab.US Inc, Trans Astronautica Corporation, Origin Space Technology Co. Ltd.

North America was the largest region in the space-based metal mining market in 2024. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in space-based metal mining report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the space-based metal mining market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The sharp hike in U.S. tariffs and the associated trade disputes in spring 2025 are notably impacting the aerospace and defense sector by raising costs for titanium, carbon fiber composites, and avionics materials largely sourced from global suppliers. Defense contractors, locked into fixed-price government contracts, absorb these added costs, while commercial aerospace firms face airline pushback on higher aircraft prices. Delays in component shipments due to customs bottlenecks further disrupt tight production schedules for jets and satellites. The industry is responding by stockpiling critical materials, seeking waivers for defense-related imports, and collaborating with allied nations to diversify supply chain.

Space-based metal mining involves the extraction of valuable metals and minerals from celestial bodies such as asteroids, the Moon, or Mars using advanced robotic and space technologies. This process is intended to support in-space manufacturing and supply chains while reducing reliance on Earth-based resources for future space exploration and commercial activities.

The primary mining types in space-based metal mining include asteroid mining, Moon mining, and Mars mining. Asteroid mining, which focuses on extracting valuable materials from asteroids, is a central component of this field, as asteroids are rich sources of rare and economically significant metals. These metals include platinum group metals, gold, silver, rare earth elements, and others. The extracted resources have applications across multiple industries, including construction, electronics, aerospace, and more.

The space-based metal mining market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides space-based metal mining market statistics, including space-based metal mining industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a space-based metal mining market share, detailed space-based metal mining market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the space-based metal mining industry. The space-based metal mining market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The space-based metal mining market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as asteroid prospecting services, spacecraft development and launch services, in-orbit resource extraction services, space logistics and transportation services, and data analytics and remote monitoring services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The space-based metal mining market also includes sales of robotic mining equipment, onboard ore processing units, spacecraft propulsion systems, advanced navigation and sensing tools, and metal storage and transport containers. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values and are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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