California-based space company AstroForge’s ambitious deep space mission to scout an asteroid for mining operations took a dramatic turn just hours after liftoff. The Odin spacecraft, designed to explore and potentially mine an asteroid, lost communication with Earth within 24 hours due to issues with its antennas.
AstroForge aims to establish the first commercial deep space mining operation, but the setback raises concerns about the fate of the $100 million investment. Founder Matt Gialich acknowledged that the hope for re-establishing contact is fading as the mission continues. The team suspects that Odin may be tumbling through space, making further communication impossible.
Despite this challenge, AstroForge remains committed to its asteroid mining plans, with a new spacecraft named Vestri scheduled to land on an asteroid in the future. The company’s optimistic goals were initially met with excitement, but the sudden loss of contact with Odin has cast a shadow over the mission’s success.
Source: https://www.vice.com/en/article/spacecraft-on-the-first-ever-asteroid-mining-mission-lost-contact-with-earth