The moon rises over the earth shortly before sunrise, as seen from the space shuttle Columbia during NASA’s STS-52 mission, October 1992. The shuttle is orbiting Earth at an altitude of 285 km over Lake Tanganyika in central Africa. The sun is just below the horizon, and the brown layer marks the tropical tropopause. (Photo by Space Frontiers/Getty Images)
Astronomers are looking ahead to the possibility of Earth capturing its next “mini moon,” a temporary natural satellite that occasionally gets caught in our planet’s orbit.
While mini moons are small and short-lived compared to the actual Moon, researchers suggest that the next one could spark interest in asteroid mining because of its potential resource value.
What scientists mean by Earth’s next mini moon and its significance for asteroid mining
Mini moons are typically small asteroids that drift close to Earth and become temporarily trapped by its gravity before continuing on their path around the Sun. These events are rare but scientifically valuable, as they provide a chance to study space rocks up close without sending missions deep into the solar system.
According to experts, the arrival of another mini moon could also draw the attention of private companies and agencies focused on asteroid mining. Small captured objects may hold metals, minerals, or water ice that could prove useful for future space exploration.
This has led to comparisons with a “gold rush,” where the limited and temporary presence of such an object could drive a race to explore and study it.
Previous encounters and research opportunities
Earth has had confirmed mini moons before. One example is 2006 RH120, which circled Earth for about a year from 2006 to 2007 before resuming its solar orbit. Another, 2020 CD3, was observed in Earth’s orbit for a few years before leaving in 2020.
During these visits, scientists were able to gather limited data, though the objects were too small for extensive exploration. The next captured mini moon could offer a new chance to test spacecraft technology, such as robotic missions designed to land on or sample asteroids.
The connection to asteroid mining
Asteroid mining has been debated for decades as a means of collecting resources that would enable human endeavors in space. Nickel, iron, and cobalt, among other metals, and rare elements are believed to be found in large quantities on asteroids.
Water ice, if found, can be converted into fuel or drinking water. A small moon that makes a close approach to Earth would be nearer than distant asteroids and would be a convenient object for initial mining or sampling missions.
According to scientists, even if immediate extraction of the resources is not done, the event can be useful practice for future operations.
Scientists are ongoing to monitor near-Earth objects and forecast which ones can become mini moons in the future. It is difficult to detect them earlier because most of them are only a few meters in size and barely observable.
Nevertheless, astronomers highlight monitoring importance due to the scientific potential and increased interest from commercial space firms. For the time being, scientists indicate the potential for Earth to capture another mini moon underscores the intersection of astronomy, planetary science, and the commercial impulse to exploit asteroid resources.
Although no definitive timeline exists, discussion of mini moons is now moving beyond science and into applicative uses that have the potential to reshape the future of space travel.