Frontiers and prospects of lunar mining technology

The moon harbors exceptionally abundant and strategically valuable spatial and material resources. As human lunar exploration gradually enters a new phase of development and utilization, lunar mining is transitioning from a strategic concept to tangible possibility. However, the unique properties of lunar regolith and the extreme complexity of the deep-space environment pose significant challenges to lunar mining. It has become imperative to explore and establish fundamental theories and key technologies for lunar mining that are applicable to the in-situ lunar environmental conditions. From the perspective of mining engineering, this paper systematically reviews the types and distribution characteristics of lunar mineral resources and compares the complexity and particularity of the lunar mining environment with terrestrial mining. Focusing on the key technical processes of “exploration-mining-utilization”involved in lunar mining, it elaborates on the main technical approaches and their current development status across five critical areas: in-situ lunar resource exploration and identification, mining and processing, conversion and utilization, lunar base construction, and in-situ energy support. The core mechanisms and adaptive challenges are also discussed. Based on this, addressing the key theoretical and future technological demands of lunar mining, the paper proposes a new paradigm for theoretical research in deep-space geomechanics, spanning from micro to macro scales, and identifies research directions for remote sensing prediction theories of lunar geomechanical properties at a global scale. Furthermore, it refines the conceptual framework and research directions for key technologies that require breakthroughs, such as deep in-situ coring technology with in-situ environmental conditions preservation for lunar prospecting, in-situ thermoelectric power generation technology on the moon, and lunar subsurface tunneling technology. Suggestions for theoretical construction and technical implementation are provided, which are expected to offer theoretical and technical guidance for future lunar mining engineering, in-situ resource development and utilization, lunar surface base construction, and underground space development.