Making Space Exploration Sustainable: A Quantitative Assessment of Valuable Elements for Implementation of In-Situ Utilisation of Lunar Resources

Abstract: Exploring the Solar System is an ongoing process of humanity that cannot be stopped. It requires large amounts of resources to explore space, which need to be acquired from somewhere. Resources mined on Earth cannot be diverted from vital productions on Earth as those required for energy systems transition and developing a sustainable society. With an ever-increasing demand of resources on Earth, resource extraction needs to be increased and diverted to avoid resource depletion. One such diversion is resource extraction from terrestrial bodies other than Earth, such as asteroids, meteorites, and the Moon. This thesis looks at the resources present on the Moon by compiling a chemical database which is then fed to mathematical models aimed to compare historical trends of Earth mining operations and prospected trends from lunar resources. Such approach is expected to establish if lunar mining is viable. The results are discussed in a larger context of how lunar resources can be used for in-situ resource utilization for solar system exploration, as well as questions regarding space law and possible colonialization.