Submitted Abstract
This multinational and collaborative research project endeavors to initiate the creation of the standards for reporting lunar and space; mineral exploration results, resources and ore reserves. Together with the development of methodologies and tools for the economic valuation of lunar/space deposits, and for planning the strategic and optimum extraction (mining), processing and transport of lunar and space mines.This project would be primarily based and supervised at the University of Luxembourg (50%), with direct collaboration and supervision from private company ‘ispace’ Europe (30%) with facilities in Luxembourg. This project would also be developed in collaboration with ESA’s group ‘Directorate of Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration’ (10%) in the Netherlands, and with the University of New South Wales (10%) in Australia, which both currently have advanced research projects in IRSU, in the fields of space exploration and mining.This project will produce two significant innovations:Firstly, the creation of the standards code for reporting space and Lunar exploration results, mineral and non-mineral resources (e.g. water), and ore reserves. These will be achieved by following current state of the art terrestrial standards codes (JORC, and NI43-101), which are the most important codes used by exploration and mining companies, together with the most important financial institutions on Earth.Secondly, the creation of methodologies and tools as optimisation models to create strategic lunar/space mine plans, which will describe the most optimum and economic ways of extracting (mining), processing, transporting, and selling moon resources with equipment developed by ‘ispace’, and partner companies. With the purpose of achieving strategic goals as production targets, and specific Net Present Values (NPV). Using state of the art terrestrial strategic mine planning and optimisation methods currently used by Tier 1 mining companies, in combination with in-house developments, and using state of the art current space technologies (exploration, transport and mining).