TransAstra's "New Moon" Mission Aims to Bring Asteroids to Earth's Orbit for Space Industrialization

TransAstra is undertaking a study, supported by investors and customers, to assess the technical feasibility of moving a 100-metric-ton asteroid into a stable near-Earth orbit. The ultimate goal is to establish a robotic research outpost within the Earth-moon system for advanced materials processing and manufacturing in space.

The company's objective is to bring an asteroid into the Earth-moon system to establish a robotic research outpost for materials processing and manufacturing in space.

Working in collaboration with leading institutions including the University of Central Florida, Purdue University, the California Institute of Technology, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, TransAstra's mission, named New Moon, will identify suitable asteroids, analyze their trajectories, and select appropriate spacecraft. The initial asteroid-retrieval mission could potentially launch later this year, with a rendezvous with the target asteroid projected for 2028 or 2029. Looking further ahead, TransAstra envisions hundreds of subsequent robotic missions throughout the 2030s, aiming to aggregate a million tons of asteroid material for broad space industrialization efforts.

Tapping into In-Space Resources

Near-Earth asteroids are recognized as potential sources for vital resources. These include metals usable for manufacturing, water convertible into rocket propellant, and inert material for radiation shielding. Accessing and utilizing these resources in space holds the promise of significantly reducing the reliance on costly launches from Earth.

Utilizing these in-space resources could reduce the need for expensive launches from Earth, contributing to a sustainable space economy.

This approach is crucial for fostering a sustainable space economy, enabling more ambitious and frequent activities beyond Earth's atmosphere without the prohibitive costs associated with launching everything from the ground.

Advancements in Detection and Technology

TransAstra estimates that approximately 260 asteroids with diameters of 20 meters or less are expected to be discovered in the coming years. This increase is largely attributed to significant advancements in sky-survey technology, most notably the commissioning of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Additionally, TransAstra has deployed Sutter telescopes, funded by the Space Force, specifically for tracking both satellites and asteroids.

For over a decade, TransAstra has been at the forefront of developing technologies essential for asteroid mining. This extensive development has been supported through contracts with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, NASA, and other government agencies. The company highlights that its employees and partners collectively hold 23 patents, covering the four critical technological areas for asteroid mining: detection, capture, movement, and processing of space resources.

Pioneering Capture Technology

Last year, TransAstra secured a $2.5 million NASA Commercial Research and Products Program contract, complemented by matching private investment. This funding is dedicated to the production and flight qualification of an inflatable 10-meter asteroid Capture Bag.

A one-meter version of the TransAstra Capture Bag was successfully inflated and retrieved multiple times in the International Space Station Bishop Airlock in October. This operation demonstrated the core inflatable capture technology in a microgravity vacuum environment.

Following this success, TransAstra plans to conduct further testing of the larger 10-meter Capture Bag at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Spacecraft Assembly Facility High Bay. This ongoing development and testing are critical steps toward proving the viability of asteroid retrieval technologies.