Mining beyond Earth with Space Robots: Exploration, Sampling, and Extraction
2026-08-21 • Robotics
Robotics
AI summaryⓘ
The authors explain that mining resources in space, like water and minerals on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, could help humans live and work out there. Because space is really tough and far away, robots that can work on their own are needed for mining. They describe a six-step process for space mining, from finding targets using sensors to collecting materials and using them either on-site or bringing them back to Earth. The paper also shares useful data sources and outlines challenges and future directions for robotic space mining technology.
Space miningHelium-3Autonomous robotsRemote sensingIn situ detectionExcavationResource extractionTerrestrial transportOff-world economySimulation environments
Authors
Dong Li, Dujun Nie, Xiaotong Zhang, Ruilin Wang, Yuchen Li, Chang Ge, Chao Xiong, Kaichang Di, Andreas Nüchter, Levente Kovács, Qingquan Li, Shirong Ge, Fei-Yue Wang, Long Chen
Abstract
Space resource acquisition and utilization, commonly referred to as Space Mining, represent critical pathways for enabling sustained human exploration and unlocking commercial opportunities in space. These resources mainly include helium-3, water, mineral resources on the Moon and Mars, and abundant mineral deposits on asteroids. Due to the harsh conditions of space, communication delays, and high launch costs, the development of autonomous robotic systems is critical to achieving efficient, cost-effective space mining. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of space mining robotics and associated technologies. First, we review the background of space mining, including international policies, commercial entities, and recent advancements. We define a systematic six-stage architecture for space mining: Exploration is initiated by (1) remote sensing for target identification and (2) precise in situ robotic detection; Sampling progresses from (3) single-robot small-scale sampling to (4) multi-robot large-scale excavation; and Extraction integrates (5) autonomous resource extraction and (6) final integration into in situ construction or terrestrial transport. Additionally, we review and curate existing resources for space mining research, including real-world mission data, terrestrial analog datasets, and high-fidelity simulation environments. Finally, we identify critical open challenges in autonomous space mining and delineate a strategic research roadmap to bridge current technological gaps, fostering the transition toward a sustainable off-world economy. To track ongoing developments in space mining, we maintain an updated project page: https://github.com/OpenSpace-Lab/Space-Mining-with-Robotics-List.