AstroForge builds low‑cost, modular spacecraft that travel to near‑Earth asteroids, extract and refine platinum‑group metals in space, and return the materials to Earth. By leveraging high‑yield in‑situ mining and recent launch cost reductions, the company offers industrial metal producers a sustainable source with margins up to 85%, far exceeding terrestrial mining profitability.
Funding
$216.1K raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
+7Founders
Product
Problem
Current terrestrial mining of platinum group metals suffers from low profit margins, limited supply, high environmental impact, and costly extraction processes, creating a supply-demand gap for critical metals used in advanced technologies.
Solution
AstroForge develops low‑cost, replicable spacecraft designed to travel to and mine metal‑rich near‑Earth asteroids. By capturing high‑resolution imagery and conducting in‑situ extraction, the company aims to harvest platinum group metals directly from space, offering yields up to 85% margin compared to ~7% on Earth. The extracted materials are refined onboard and returned to Earth, providing a sustainable, high‑volume source that can supply global demand for decades. Their modular spacecraft architecture enables rapid mission turnaround and scalability, reducing launch costs and operational overhead. This approach lowers the carbon footprint of metal production while unlocking a trillion‑dollar space economy projected for 2040.
Target Audience
Primary customers are industrial metal producers, aerospace manufacturers, and technology firms that require large quantities of platinum group metals for electronics, catalysis, and advanced materials.
Features
- Modular, low‑cost spacecraft platform optimized for deep‑space navigation and asteroid rendezvous
- Integrated high‑resolution imaging and autonomous guidance for precise targeting of metal‑rich asteroids
- In‑space extraction and refining system capable of processing platinum group metals on the asteroid
- Scalable design allowing rapid replication of mining missions to increase total yield
- Utilization of recent launch cost reductions (≈99% drop since 2010) to improve economic viability
- End‑to‑end mission control software for tracking, data collection, and material return logistics