Roid Rage Not Bringing Asteroids To Earth, Thanks
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Jan 8, 2026 Tim Imholt, a principal engineer at AstroForge’s mining team, reveals the cutting-edge world of asteroid mining. He discusses the reasons behind the soaring prices of platinum and silver due to demand and supply challenges. Tim explains how focused lasers, rather than traditional drills, are the key to zero-gravity mining. He also clarifies why we won't be toting asteroids back to Earth and outlines their future missions using a swarm of small spacecraft to optimize efficiency and safety.
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Compact, Targeted Returns
- AstroForge targets about 1,000 kg of platinum-group metals packaged as a concentrate for refineries.
- That mass fits in roughly 60 cubic centimeters and will reenter inside the spacecraft body using existing heatshield designs.
Design For Downside Protection
- AstroForge designs to be cost-competitive with terrestrial mines and targets lower than ~30% of typical all-in sustaining costs.
- That gives the company downside protection if metal prices fall.
Humble, Collaborative Team Culture
- Tim describes working at MIT and Raytheon and how AstroForge lacks big egos and focuses on collaboration.
- He credits the team's humility and Hustle for solving hard problems together.