The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently approved a license for the asteroid resource mining startup, AstroForge, to allow its probe to communicate with Earth ground stations from deep space.
This is reportedly the first time the FCC has issued such a license to a private asteroid exploration probe.
The approval covers AstroForge’s technology demonstration satellite, "Brokkr-2" (or Odin), which is scheduled for launch into space in January 2025 aboard the second lunar lander of private lunar landing company, Intuitive Machines.
The technology demonstration satellite is expected to fly more than 2 million kilometers from Earth and will conduct communication tests with Earth’s ground stations during its journey.
In a statement on October 18, AstroForge said, “With the FCC’s approval, we can now ramp up final preparations for our second mission, as we work to turn our vision of finding resources on asteroids to build a sustainable future on Earth into reality.”
The company’s first test satellite was launched into space in April 2023 through SpaceX’s rideshare mission.
That launch was a small satellite designed to test technology for refining metals extracted from asteroids in orbit.
AstroForge’s full-scale asteroid mining mission is set to begin in 2025. The company is developing an asteroid mining satellite called “Vestri,” aiming for a launch in late 2025.
Weighing about 200 kg, Vestri is expected to be launched aboard Intuitive Machines’ third unmanned lunar lander. The target asteroid for Vestri has not yet been disclosed.
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US Authorities Approve Deep Space Communication for Private Asteroid Probe
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently approved a license for the asteroid resource mining startup, AstroForge, to allow its probe
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