Article

The race for asteroid mining is intensifying, driven by companies like AstroForge and Karman+, which are working on technological developments and preliminary missions. AstroForge launched a spacecraft in 2025 to mine an asteroid, while Karman+ secured significant funding for autonomous mining capabilities.

Anna Marie Brennan from the University of Waikato highlights the increasing commercial interest and critical gaps in legal governance for space mining. She advocates for an independent international mechanism, modeled after the International Seabed Authority, to ensure environmental compliance and ethical standards.

Currently, legal protections for the space environment, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, are inadequate. Most asteroid mining ventures are U.S.-based, raising concerns given the country's withdrawal from several international environmental treaties, including the Paris Agreement.