{"id":10450,"date":"2017-08-15T12:01:01","date_gmt":"2017-08-15T12:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/?p=10450"},"modified":"2026-02-03T13:12:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T13:12:26","slug":"small-country-has-big-plans-for-asteroid-mining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/small-country-has-big-plans-for-asteroid-mining\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Country Has Big Plans for Asteroid Mining"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LuxembourgThe once far-fetched idea of asteroid mining<\/a> just got a little more real with Luxembourg\u2019s recent announcement that it has passed a law that defines licensing of resources mined in space.<\/p>\n

According to an article on mining.com<\/a>, Luxembourg is the first European country to offer such a legal framework. The announcement follows an agreement made last year with Deep Space Industries to prospect for water and minerals<\/a> in outer space. Other activities by the Luxembourg government described in the article include\u00a0the 2016 opening\u00a0of a\u00a0\u20ac200 million\u00a0line of credit for entrepreneurial space companies to set up their European headquarters in the country, and the purchase of a major stake in U.S.-based asteroid miner\u00a0Planetary Resources.<\/p>\n

This new law isn\u2019t entirely unique. In May 2015, the U.S. Congress passed the Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015<\/a>, a commercial\u00a0space bill\u00a0that defines space and asteroid resources as well as property rights, stating, \u201cAny asteroid resources obtained in outer space are the property of the entity that obtained such resources, which shall be entitled to all property rights thereto, consistent with applicable provisions of Federal law and existing international obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n

But setting legal guidelines for asteroid mining will be a complicated matter. One of the main issues is how such laws will hold up in the international community. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 is the only international regulation and it bans property rights in space.<\/p>\n

Another obstacle to asteroid mining is the exorbitant cost of space flight and exploration<\/a>. Companies are working on developing reusable rockets that can return from a trip to outer space in-tact, to be flown again. These rockets are designed to enable commercial space flight and to carry supplies to space stations, but the concept also applies to asteroid mining because such rockets, if successful, could be used to ferry minerals and mining equipment back to earth. SpaceX has already had several successful test launches and in March of this year achieved \u201cthe world\u2019s first reflight of an orbital class rocket\u201d according to the company\u2019s web site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some of these companies aren\u2019t just focused on space, they\u2019ve set their sights on Earth as well. Last year, Planetary Resources<\/a> announced\u00a0that it plans to launch Ceres, an infrared imaging system, to help locate resources on Earth. Ceres\u2019 capability will include identifying oil & gas and mineral resources, and monitoring pipelines and remote infrastructure.\u00a0Planetary Resources plans to test the platform with the help of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.<\/p>\n

As \u00a0efforts to mine for new resources are progressing, so are technologies aimed at reprocessing, recycling, and recovery of existing resources. For example, some mining companies have developed novel reprocessing technologies to extract valuable metals, including rare earth metals, from discarded mine tailings. There is also a great deal of interest in technologies for recycling electronic products to recover gold, platinum, and rare earths. Analytical technologies including both\u00a0laboratory and portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instruments<\/a> can accurately identify recovered metals from either source. The real-time assay data provided by portable XRF analyzers<\/a> can be used to quickly and easily gauge the efficiency of extraction and enrichment processes to allow for process adjustments and productivity improvements.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The once far-fetched idea of asteroid mining just got a little more real with Luxembourg\u2019s recent announcement that it has passed a law that defines licensing of resources mined in space. According to an article on mining.com, Luxembourg is the first European country to offer such a legal framework. The announcement follows an agreement made<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":10482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"division":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10450","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-exploration","8":"entry"},"_selected_authors":[1288],"_selected_reviewers":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSmall 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Some have been around for quite awhile, but are still as relevant as ever. If you missed any of the latest articles, just click\u00a0here\u00a0to see the most recently published articles. You can even filter by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General\/Industry"","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/general-industry-mining\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Top 10, words, isolated on a dark blue background. Alphabet on stone blocks.Rating. Rating concept. 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According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), about 85% of potash is used in fertilizers, underscoring its critical role in global farming systems.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Data Management\/Lab Automation"","block_context":{"text":"Data Management\/Lab Automation","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/data-management-lab-automation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"potash evaporation ponds at mining site","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2014\/06\/iStock-1362567340.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13977,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/what-is-in-situ-geochemical-analysis-and-why-it-is-critical-for-modern-field-operations\/","url_meta":{"origin":10450,"position":3},"title":"What Is In Situ Geochemical Analysis \u2014 And Why It Is Critical for Modern Field Operations","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"March 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In situ geochemical analysis has become a cornerstone of modern mineral exploration, mining, and environmental fieldwork. As project timelines tighten and operational costs increase, organizations can no longer afford delays caused by traditional laboratory testing workflows. 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Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometers play a vital role by providing fast, non-destructive elemental analysis of ores, concentrates, and intermediate products. This enables mining operations to optimize extraction efficiency, maintain quality assurance, and meet stringent industry\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Elemental\/Geochemical Analysis"","block_context":{"text":"Elemental\/Geochemical Analysis","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/elemental-geochemical-analysis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"a rock showing signs of copper and gold.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/iStock-1309478061.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13986,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/mining\/best-practices-for-accurate-in-situ-geochemical-analysis\/","url_meta":{"origin":10450,"position":5},"title":"Best Practices for Accurate In Situ Geochemical Analysis","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"March 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In situ geochemical analysis refers to elemental testing performed directly on geological materials in their natural location, avoiding the delays and costs associated with laboratory testing.\u00a0 While in situ geochemical analysis delivers immediate elemental data, the reliability of those results depends heavily on proper field methodology. 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