The Origins
The concept of using space resources in space, this concept of space 'in-situ resource utilisation' (ISRU) or space resource utilisation (SRU) has been around for many years. Ever since we started sending things to space, we realised that this endeavour was expensive, and somewhat difficult!
ISRU started as a sci-fi -esque idea of using the resources in space to make the construction of larger infrastructure or the launching of much larger standalone missions more viable. The field has been studied on and off for decades, mostly with the focus on oxygen extraction. NASA liked the idea of extracting oxygen from the Moon both for propellant and for life support.
Recently, with the launch of the Artemis program and plans by multiple space fairing nations to establish permanent presence on the Moon, the field of ISRU has expanded significantly. Despite this expansion there is a distinct lack of definition in the terminology surrounding researchers in this field.
ISRU is such a broad category of study, it covers everything from sensing and mapping, through to manufacturing and recycling. Searching for literature in this area can become quite frustrating as ISRU has turned into a 'buzz word' for anything to do with space resources.
Thus the origin of astrometallurgy.
On earth the pursuit of mineral extraction and metal production is referred to as extractive metallurgy.
From the Greek 'Metallon' for metal, and '-ourgia', to work.
And in this context, as is convention for those fields that concern space,
'astro' from the Greek for space, or the stars.
The concept of specifically pursuing metal production in space is only relatively recent. Historic studies in ISRU have in some cases resulted in metal production, however all focus has been on the oxygen produced. It's only since around the mid 2010's that the concept of specifically targeting metal extraction in space, and specifically on the Moon has started receiving dedicated attention.
This site has been made as somewhat of a mix between an introduction to the topic as well as a reference library for those more interested in the technical specifics. Searching for the key word 'ISRU' will leave you with a largely unhelpful collection of work from many hundreds of different topics. Instead, in the future, it is the hope that searching for 'astrometallurgy' will result in a list of relevant literature in the area of resource extraction processes designed for use in space.
