Swiss researchers have developed a logistics model for delivering metals from asteroids to Mars, which could supply future bases without costly shipments from Earth, reports infohub.kz.
Specialists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne presented a study on supplying a future human colony on Mars. According to calculations, it is more cost-effective to mine building materials and metals for infrastructure from passing M-type asteroids, which are rich in iron and nickel.
Shipping cargo from Earth requires significant financial expenditure and takes six to nine months. To solve the resource problem, scientists created a computer model that accounts for the trajectories of celestial bodies and fuel consumption. As a source of fuel, they propose using carbonaceous asteroids with water ice reserves, from which rocket fuel can be produced directly in space.
The authors emphasize that current spacecraft technologies already allow for such logistics chains. Space mining could become a key factor in the successful colonization of Mars.