Mining asteroids is officially getting closer than ever before.
What’s happening:
- Asteroid mining startup AstroForge has been granted the first ever commercial license from the United States Federal Communications Commission to be allowed to operate in deep space
Why it matters:
- The new license allows AstroForge to operate in space and establish a network of communication with partners on the ground who can help guide future missions for extracting natural resources from asteroids
Going deeper:
- AstroForge previously raised a large Series A financing round which saw participation from venture capital funds including Intialized and Y Combinator
- AstroForge also has an existing partnership with Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR) to launch their Vestri probe into orbit for their next mission into space
The intrigue:
- Mining in space has become more and more relevant lately, with Reddit (NYSE: RDDT) co-founder Alexis Ohanian previously leading a financing round for startup Interlune who is aiming to extract Helium-3 from lunar soil
