Mining the Moon or asteroids starts with a single question: how much energy does it take to get there—and back?
What Is Delta-V?
Think of it as the currency of movement in space
Delta-v (Δv) stands for “change in velocity.” In spaceflight, it’s the amount of speed change a spacecraft needs to reach a target, maneuver, and return. Every orbital transfer, descent, ascent, or repositioning consumes delta-v—and therefore fuel. The more delta-v required, the more fuel your spacecraft must carry. And in space, mass is money.
Delta-V Isn’t Distance—It’s Effort
Some far targets are easier to reach than closer ones
Counterintuitively, a nearby asteroid might require more fuel to reach than a more distant one in a favorable orbit. That’s because delta-v is shaped by orbital mechanics, not straight-line distance. Gravitational forces, orbital inclinations, and transfer trajectories all affect how “expensive” a destination is in fuel terms.
For example:
- Getting to low Earth orbit takes ~9.3 km/s delta-v from Earth’s surface
- Transferring to the Moon adds ~4.0 km/s
- Returning from an asteroid may require less than reaching the Moon, depending on orbit
Why Delta-V Controls Mining Feasibility
You can’t extract value if it costs more to move than you gain
For mining to be economically viable, the energy cost of transporting equipment to a resource—and bringing materials back—must be less than the value of what you extract. That means:
- Lower delta-v = more viable target
- Higher delta-v = higher fuel cost and lower net return
This simple truth is why delta-v maps are as critical to mining plans as geological data.
Refueling Changes the Equation
What’s unreachable today becomes practical with fuel access
Without refueling, missions must carry all their fuel from Earth. This dramatically increases launch weight and cost. But with in-space refueling:
- Missions can break into stages and refuel between legs
- Tugs and landers become reusable
- High-delta-v targets become economically reachable
For example:
- A depot at the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point (L1) allows flexible outbound and inbound stops
- Lunar-sourced propellant could fuel missions to nearby asteroids or Mars
Fuel access expands the mining map.
Where Fuel and Delta-V Meet in Practice
Target selection is shaped by both resource value and energy cost
Mining planners must weigh:
- Composition and abundance of target material
- Delta-v cost to access and return
- Availability of refueling along the way
Some asteroids may have rare metals but sit in high-inclination orbits—making them poor candidates. Meanwhile, water-rich asteroids in Earth-like orbits offer lower delta-v, higher repeatability, and better ROI.
The Lunar Factor
The Moon isn’t just a target—it’s a fuel source
Lunar poles contain water ice, which can be converted into hydrogen and oxygen propellant. A future fuel plant on the Moon could:
- Power surface mobility
- Supply orbital depots
- Launch fuel to asteroid-bound missions
With a lunar fuel economy, delta-v costs drop across the board, and more celestial bodies become fair game for mining.
Bottom Line: Delta-V Defines the Mining Map
Energy costs are the first filter in every mining decision
The dream of asteroid and lunar mining depends less on what’s in the ground and more on how much fuel it takes to move around. Delta-v is the constraint. Refueling is the workaround.
Mastering both is how we go from a handful of destinations to a viable, multi-target space economy.
