Two steps closer to mining in deep space: Announcing two AstroForge missions for 2023

Last May, we closed a $13M seed round to jumpstart our vision to become the first commercial company to mine an asteroid and bring the materials back to Earth. Less than a year later, the AstroForge initial demonstration flight is readying for launch! In 2023, we’re embarking on two important missions: a refinery demonstration that puts our tech to the test in space and a deep space expedition to observe one of our target asteroids. With launches secured and partners on board, we’re charging on an accelerated path to make asteroid mining a near-term solution to preserving Earth’s declining resources.

Launching in 2023

The first mission will take place in April 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch in partnership with satellite and in-orbit service provider, OrbAstro. During this mission, we will demonstrate our refinery capabilities with the goal of validating our technology and performing extractions in zero gravity. The spacecraft will launch pre-loaded with an asteroid-like material that the refinery payload will vaporize and sort into its elemental components.

The second mission will take place in October 2023 on a SpaceX lunar rideshare with Intuitive Machines, again partnering with OrbAstro as well as in-space propulsion company Dawn Aerospace. We’ll head to deep space to observe our target asteroid in preparation for our first retrieval mission.

Both of these missions are monumental not only for AstroForge, but for society at large – we’re proving step by step that asteroid mining isn’t a far-out sci-fi fantasy but a viable method to protect and preserve our Earth.

Why we’re here

The concept of asteroid mining has been around for decades, but only recently have technological advancements made it a real, near-term possibility. Our goal is to be the first and most efficient asteroid mining company in the world.

By assembling an AstroForge team of elite engineers, scientists, and innovators, and partnering with companies like SpaceX, Intuitive Machines, OrbAstro and Dawn Aerospace that are enabling the space economy, we’re merging deep heritage with our novel technology to realize that goal.

Thank you to our investors, partners, families, and fans who have believed in our ambitious vision for AstroForge and whose unwavering support has gotten us this far. We’re ready for flight!