In the rapidly evolving landscape of NewSpace start-ups, SolSys Mining, co-founded by รystein R. Borgersen, stands out as an example of innovation and adaptability. Originally conceived as an asteroid mining company in 2018, SolSys has strategically pivoted to focus on lunar resource utilization, positioning itself as part of the eco-system enabling humanity’s return to the Moon.
๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ก
SolSys Mining recently achieved a significant milestone by completing an ESA funded project titled ELISA “Enabling Lunar In-Situ Agriculture by Producing Fertilizer from Beneficiated Regolith.” The project tackled a major challenge in lunar farming using In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU): while lunar soil contains essential minerals for plant growth, it has insufficient amounts of nitrogen compounds and tends to compact when exposed to water, hindering plant germination and root development. The project explored innovative solutions combining mechanical, chemical, and biological processes to extract nutrients from lunar regolith that can be used for agriculture
๐๐๐๐ซ-๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ: ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ
While long-term goals remain focused on beneficiation, which is the process that improves the usability and economic value of in-situ planetary resources, SolSys Mining has identified a promising near-term revenue source: sustainably produced lunar regolith simulant (LuNOR). With renewed global interest in a long-term human presence on the moon, this next-generation simulant is in high demand for research and testing purposes. Supported by funding from the Norwegian Space Agency, SolSys Mining is well-positioned to capitalize on this growing market.
Ethel Tolentino, CEO of SolSys, states: โOur agility comes from a strong foundation in industrial minerals processing, allowing us to adapt to the complexities of lunar resource utilization. Looking ahead, we want to leverage this expertise and find synergistic opportunities that advance ISRU and deliver real benefits to Earth.โ
By focusing on in-situ processing, SolSys is not just preparing for lunar missions, but also laying the groundwork for resource utilization throughout the solar system. Having already won funding from two space agencies; it is to be seen if this start-up succeeds to raise investor funding to monetize the vast potential of space resources.