Oleg Kazanov, head of Rosnedra, in an interview with RIA "Novosti", assessed the prospects for mining on the Moon. According to him, the satellite may have reserves of titanium, iron, and vanadium, but they are not of particular interest — there are enough of these resources on Earth.
Kazanov explained that the formation of deposits is determined by geological history. Earth has gone through a complex path with the movement of lithospheric plates, oceanic sediments, and volcanism, which created a diversity of resources. The geological history of the Moon, on the contrary, is very simple and usually does not lead to the formation of industrial accumulations.
Minerals with rare earth metals discovered by Chinese and American scientists do not form real deposits, and helium-3, on which hopes were placed, currently has no significant demand or extraction technologies.
Thus, the potential reasons for the exploration of the Moon do not lie in the geological plane, Kazanov concluded. In fact, Rosnedra made it clear: the lunar program will not pay off with its resource base — at least, at the current level of knowledge about the satellite.
Read more on the topic:
- Old wells are drowning: Ministry of Energy prepares measures to save depleted fields
- Russia launches full-cycle production of rare earth metals
- Mining and processing plant for beryllium to be launched in Buryatia in 2026