Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the future of mineral development on Earth and beyond. Subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) issued the following statement in response:

"President Trump has made it clear that while we unleash the golden era of American energy dominance, we must also look to humanity’s future in the stars. With a new administration in place that prioritizes development of our nation’s resources, the time is ripe for Congress to revisit this conversation of both terrestrial and space mining to ensure that both industries are supported as they seek permitting reform, as well as innovation in their respective fields." 

Background

Minerals are integral to our modern way of life. Critical and other hardrock minerals are used in countless applications, including consumer electronics, medical devices, satellites and military technologies. Minerals are also essential to the development and use of alternative energy technologies. 

Despite an ever-increasing demand, America’s mineral supply chain is broken. Permitting delays and legislative restrictions discourage domestic investment and restrict long-term mineral supply, making mineral extraction in the U.S. extremely slow. A 2024 study by S&P Global found that U.S. critical mineral projects take an average of 29 years from discovery to production—the second-longest in the world.

These self-imposed regulatory burdens have caused large supply chain vacuums, which China and other adversarial nations have willingly filled. This poses a significant threat to U.S. national security, and leads to significant environmental degradation and human rights abuses in foreign nations. 

Celestial bodies, such as moons and asteroids, contain vast amounts of metals and minerals. Researchers at the Colorado School of Mines and the International Monetary Fund found evidence that critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, platinum and other metals exist in much higher concentrations in asteroids than on Earth.

Today's hearing featured testimony from experts in space mining who shared their knowledge on the future of the industry and the significant developments expected in the coming years. The United States has the opportunity to embrace new and emerging technologies, and it’s imperative we retool the permitting process to allow access to these and other resources.

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