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‘The Art of Heavenly Craftsmanship’: China’s Space Mining to Realise Classical Romanticism in the 15th Five-Year Plan!1

On 29 January 2026, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation formally announced plans to advance new space sector initiatives during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). These include space tourism, digital-intelligent space infrastructure, space resource development, and space traffic management. The commencement of feasibility studies for the major ‘Tian Gong Kai Wu’ project signifies China’s entry into a substantive phase of advancing its space mining endeavours.2

01/Space Mining: A Strategic Option to Overcome Earth’s Resource Constraints3

As the pace of global industrialisation accelerates, the conflict between resource consumption and environmental protection grows increasingly acute. Shortages of strategic resources such as rare metals and rare earth elements have become critical constraints on the development of high-tech industries. According to data from the United States Geological Survey, the Earth’s proven reserves of platinum group metals can only meet human demand for the next 50 years. Conversely, the helium-3 reserves in lunar surface soil are estimated to exceed one million tonnes. If fully developed and utilised, this could sustain Earth’s energy needs for thousands of years. The development of space resources is not only a vital solution to the Earth’s resource crisis but also a strategic choice for ensuring the sustainable development of human civilisation.4

As the world’s second-largest economy and a leading space power, China’s strategic positioning in space resource development carries profound significance. The ‘Tian Gong Kai Wu’ initiative launched by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation aims to establish a comprehensive space resource development system. By constructing integrated experimental facilities and ground support systems for space resource exploitation, it will focus on breakthroughs in key technologies such as small celestial body resource exploration, intelligent autonomous mining, low-cost transfer and transportation, and in-orbit processing. This will lay the groundwork for future large-scale space resource development. The implementation of this initiative will enable China to achieve leapfrog development in deep space exploration, resource utilisation, and space manufacturing, thereby securing a commanding position in the space economy.5

From an international perspective, space mining has emerged as a new focal point in the competition among aerospace powers. Commercial space enterprises such as SpaceX and Blue Origin have long initiated asteroid mining programmes, while NASA advances its Psyche mission to explore metallic asteroids. The launch of China’s ‘Tian Gong Kai Wu’ initiative marks our nation’s formal entry into the global competition for space resource development. Through a combination of independent innovation and international collaboration, it will drive breakthroughs and applications in space mining technology.6

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02/Technological Breakthroughs Establish a Comprehensive Space Mining Industry Chain System7

Space mining constitutes a complex systems engineering endeavour spanning multiple disciplines and fields, necessitating breakthroughs in a series of critical technological bottlenecks. Within the ‘Tian Gong Kai Wu’ special project, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has identified four core technological directions, establishing a comprehensive industrial chain technology system encompassing resource exploration, extraction, transportation, and processing utilisation.8

Small celestial body resource exploration technology forms the foundation of space mining. China will develop dedicated small celestial body reconnaissance satellites equipped with advanced payloads including high-resolution imaging systems, spectrometers, and radar detection devices to achieve precise detection of target asteroids’ topography, material composition, and internal structure parameters. Previously, China’s Tianwen-2 probe was successfully launched in 2025 to execute the nation’s inaugural asteroid exploration and sample return mission. It is scheduled to arrive at asteroid 2016HO3 in 2026 for detection, sampling, and subsequent return to Earth. This mission will yield invaluable practical experience for small celestial body resource exploration technology, laying the groundwork for selecting development-worthy target celestial bodies in future endeavours.9

Intelligent autonomous mining technology constitutes the core of space mining. Given the complex and hostile nature of the space environment, direct human involvement in mining operations is impractical, necessitating reliance on intelligent robots for autonomous extraction. China will develop intelligent mining robots adapted to microgravity, intense radiation, and extreme temperature fluctuations. These robots will integrate functional modules such as robotic arms, drilling equipment, and sorting systems to achieve efficient extraction of space resources. Concurrently, through the integrated application of artificial intelligence, machine vision, and autonomous navigation technologies, mining robots will be equipped with environmental perception, path planning, fault diagnosis, and self-repair capabilities, ensuring the safety and reliability of the mining process.10

Low-cost transfer transport technology is pivotal to reducing the expenses of space mining. Conventional chemical rocket propulsion remains prohibitively expensive, rendering it unsuitable for large-scale resource transportation. China will prioritise the development of novel propulsion technologies such as electric propulsion and nuclear thermal propulsion, alongside the research and development of reusable space transport systems. This will enable low-cost resource transfer from target celestial bodies to near-Earth orbit or lunar bases. Concurrently, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s Commercial Launch Capability Enhancement Project will develop internationally competitive commercial launch vehicles. This will establish a 20-tonne reusable launch capability to low Earth orbit, complete the development of heavy-lift launch vehicles and associated reusability testing, and achieve a 100-tonne low Earth orbit insertion capability. These technological breakthroughs will provide robust transport capacity for space resource logistics.11

In-orbit processing technology is central to realising the in situ utilisation of space resources. China will develop equipment for processing space resources in orbit, enabling the sorting, purification, and smelting of collected mineral resources to produce goods directly applicable to space manufacturing, energy supply, and other domains. For instance, in-orbit electrolysis of iron oxide in lunar soil could yield oxygen and metallic iron, providing life support and material resources for lunar base construction. Concurrently, utilising the microgravity environment of space for specialised material preparation will yield high-performance materials difficult to obtain on Earth, providing new material sources for high-tech industrial development.12

03/Synergistic Development: Commercial Spaceflight Empowering the Space Mining Industry13

The advancement of space mining hinges upon robust support from commercial spaceflight. While advancing the ‘Tian Gong Kai Wu’ initiative, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is implementing five major projects: the Commercial Launch Capability Enhancement Project, the Commercial Satellite Performance Leap Project, the Industrial Infrastructure Reinforcement Project, and others. These collectively establish a commercial spaceflight ecosystem underpinning the development of the space mining industry.14

Commercial launch vehicles serve as the ‘space ladder’ for mining operations. China will develop internationally competitive commercial rockets capable of scheduled transport services. Regarding reusable commercial rockets, the nation aims to achieve a 20-tonne reusable launch capability to low Earth orbit, enabling large-scale, commercially mature applications of reusable rockets. For heavy-lift launch vehicles, development and reusability testing will be completed, establishing a 100-tonne low Earth orbit insertion capability. These advancements will substantially reduce space launch costs, providing efficient and convenient transport services for launching space mining equipment, transporting personnel, and returning resources.15

Commercial satellite constellations will provide information support for space mining. China will advance the construction of the National Satellite Internet Constellation, the Qianfan Constellation, and various new application satellite constellations, while developing next-generation flat-panel satellites, software-defined satellites, computing power satellites, and ultra-low Earth orbit satellites. These constellations will establish an integrated space-ground communication, navigation, and remote sensing information network, delivering services including target detection, navigation positioning, and data transmission for space mining. For instance: - High-resolution remote sensing satellites will conduct continuous monitoring of asteroids, providing precise environmental data for mining robots; - Satellite navigation systems will enable accurate positioning and coordinated operations of mining equipment; - Satellite communication networks will facilitate real-time data exchange between ground control centres and space mining systems.16

Commercial space infrastructure serves as the ‘ground support’ for space mining. China will address shortcomings in launch, recovery, tracking, telemetry, and command operations, establishing new commercial launch pads or sites in Hainan, the eastern coast, and Jiuquan to form a complementary and coordinated commercial launch site system. Intelligent land and sea landing sites alongside search and rescue recovery capabilities will be developed. and establish an integrated space-ground commercial spaceflight telemetry, tracking and command network to deliver intelligent, low-cost, and highly reliable telemetry solutions. These enhanced infrastructures will provide comprehensive support services for the launch, recovery, and in-orbit operation of space mining equipment, ensuring the successful execution of space mining missions.17

By 2025, China’s commercial space sector had achieved significant progress, with multiple commercial rockets including the Ceres-1 and Zhuque-3 launched in rapid succession. Key developments included satellite launches, recovery technology validation, and increased commercial launch frequencies. The National Space Administration’s Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality and Safe Development of Commercial Space Activities (2025–2027) explicitly integrates commercial space into the national space development framework, aiming to achieve high-quality commercial space development by 2027. This policy support and industrial advancement creates a favourable environment for the space mining sector, accelerating the commercial application of space mining technologies.18


04/Building a Space Economy Ecosystem Through Interconnected Sectors19

Space mining is not an isolated industry but an organic whole that interacts and develops synergistically with sectors such as space tourism, space digital-intelligence infrastructure, and space traffic management. The four new domains being planned and advanced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation will establish a comprehensive space economy ecosystem, providing robust support for the development of the space mining industry.20

Space digital-intelligence infrastructure provides computational power support for space mining. China will construct gigawatt-scale space digital-intelligence infrastructure, establishing an integrated cloud-edge-end architecture for space systems. This will achieve deep integration of computing, storage, and transport capabilities, enabling ‘space-to-space computing,’ ‘ground-to-space computing,’ and ‘space-ground synchronous computing.’ This infrastructure will furnish space mining with formidable computational capabilities, supporting autonomous decision-making for mining robots, real-time analysis of resource exploration data, and simulation-based optimisation of mining processes. This will substantially enhance the efficiency and intelligence of space mining operations.21

Space traffic management is pivotal to ensuring the safety of space mining. As space activities intensify, the growing volume of space debris poses a severe threat to mining equipment. China will undertake key technological breakthroughs in space debris monitoring, early warning, and removal. The ‘Star Eye’ space surveillance constellation project, comprising 156 satellites, will establish a monitoring network for global continuous tracking and high-precision positioning of hundreds of thousands of space objects. This will create real-time ‘digital archives’ for satellites and debris, enabling advance collision risk calculations and warnings. These measures will provide safety assurances for the in-orbit operation of space mining equipment, ensuring the smooth execution of space mining missions.22

The development of space tourism will accumulate technology and experience for space mining. China will accelerate the iterative development of suborbital and orbital space tourism vehicles, complete relevant unmanned or manned flight verifications, establish a comprehensive space tourism operational system, and achieve scheduled suborbital space tourism flights. The advancement of space tourism will drive progress in fields such as manned spaceflight technology, life support systems for space environments, and spacecraft recovery technology. These technological achievements can be directly applied to space mining, providing technical support for establishing future space mining bases and enabling human habitation.23

05/Challenges and Prospects: Humanity Will Ultimately Embark on Interstellar Resource Development24

Although China has made significant strides in space mining, it still faces a series of technical, economic, and legal challenges. On the technical front, breakthroughs remain necessary in resource extraction under microgravity conditions, equipment reliability in extreme environments, and long-distance space communications. Economically, space mining demands substantial upfront investment with extended return cycles, necessitating sustainable business models. Legally, the international community lacks a unified legal framework governing space resource ownership and utilisation, requiring active participation in shaping global regulations to safeguard China’s legitimate rights and interests.25

To address these challenges, China will implement measures to foster the healthy development of its space mining industry. Regarding technological innovation, efforts will focus on strengthening fundamental research and tackling key core technologies, establishing an innovation system integrating industry, academia, research, and application to drive breakthroughs and practical applications in space mining technologies. For industrial cultivation, policy support will be enhanced to guide private capital into the space mining sector and foster a cohort of internationally competitive leading enterprises. In terms of international cooperation, China will actively engage in global space governance, strengthen collaboration and exchanges with other nations and international organisations, and jointly advance the peaceful utilisation of space resources.26

Footnotes

  1. “天工开物”：中国太空采矿将在“十五五”实践古典浪漫！ ↩

  2. 2026 年1月29日，中国航天科技集团正式对外宣布，将在 “十五五” 时期（2026-2030 年）谋划推动太空旅游、太空数智基础设施、太空资源开发、太空交通管理等新领域发展，其中 “天工开物” 重大专项的论证启动，标志着中国太空采矿事业进入实质性推进阶段。 ↩

  3. 01/太空采矿破解地球资源瓶颈的战略选择 ↩

  4. 随着全球工业化进程加速，地球资源消耗与环境保护之间的矛盾日益凸显。稀有金属、稀土元素等战略资源的短缺已成为制约高科技产业发展的关键因素。据美国地质调查局数据显示，地球上已探明的铂族金属储量仅能满足人类未来 50 年的需求，而月球表面土壤中氦 - 3 的储量可达 100 万吨以上，若全部开发利用，足以支撑地球能源需求数千年。太空资源开发不仅是解决地球资源危机的重要途径，更是保障人类文明可持续发展的战略选择。 ↩

  5. 中国作为全球第二大经济体和航天强国，在太空资源开发领域的布局具有深远的战略意义。中国航天科技集团发布的 “天工开物” 专项，旨在构建完整的太空资源开发体系，通过建设太空资源开发综合实验和地面支持系统，重点突破小天体资源勘查、智能自主开采、低成本转移运输、在轨处理等关键技术，为未来规模化开发太空资源奠定基础。这一专项的实施，将使我国在深空探测、资源利用、空间制造等领域实现跨越式发展，抢占太空经济制高点。 ↩

  6. 从国际视角看，太空采矿已成为航天强国竞争的新焦点。美国太空探索技术公司（SpaceX）、蓝色起源等商业航天企业早已启动小行星采矿计划，美国国家航空航天局（NASA）也在推进 “Psyche” 任务，对金属小行星进行探测。中国 “天工开物” 专项的启动，标志着我国正式加入太空资源开发的全球竞争行列，将通过自主创新与国际合作相结合的方式，推动太空采矿技术的突破与应用。 ↩

  7. 02/技术突破构建太空采矿全产业链体系 ↩

  8. 太空采矿是一项涉及多学科、多领域的复杂系统工程，需要突破一系列关键技术瓶颈。中国航天科技集团在 “天工开物” 专项中明确了四大核心技术方向，构建起从资源勘查、开采、运输到加工利用的全产业链技术体系。 ↩

  9. 小天体资源勘查技术是太空采矿的基础。我国将通过研制专用的小天体探测卫星，搭载高分辨率成像系统、光谱分析仪、雷达探测设备等先进载荷，实现对目标小行星的地形地貌、物质组成、内部结构等参数的精确探测。此前，我国天问二号探测器已于 2025 年成功发射，执行中国首次小行星探测与采样返回任务，计划在 2026 年飞抵小行星 2016HO3 进行探测、取样并返回地球。这项任务将为小天体资源勘查技术提供宝贵的实践经验，为后续选择具有开发价值的目标天体奠定基础。 ↩

  10. 智能自主开采技术是太空采矿的核心。由于太空环境复杂恶劣，人类难以直接参与采矿作业，必须依靠智能机器人实现自主开采。我国将研发适应微重力、强辐射、极端温差环境的智能采矿机器人，集成机械臂、钻探设备、分选系统等功能模块，实现对太空资源的高效开采。同时，通过人工智能、机器视觉、自主导航等技术的融合应用，使采矿机器人具备环境感知、路径规划、故障诊断与自主修复能力，确保开采过程的安全性与可靠性。 ↩

  11. 低成本转移运输技术是降低太空采矿成本的关键。传统的化学火箭推进方式成本高昂，难以满足大规模资源运输需求。我国将重点发展电推进、核热推进等新型推进技术，研发可重复使用的空间运输系统，实现从目标天体到近地轨道或月球基地的低成本资源运输。中国航天科技集团同时推进的商业运载能力提升工程，将研制具备国际竞争力的商业运载火箭，形成近地轨道 20 吨级重复使用运载能力，完成重型运载火箭研制和相关重复使用试验，具备近地轨道百吨级入轨能力，这些技术突破将为太空资源运输提供强大的运力支撑。 ↩

  12. 在轨处理技术是实现太空资源就地利用的核心。我国将开发太空资源在轨加工处理设备，实现对采集的矿物资源进行分选、提纯、冶炼等加工过程，生产出可直接用于空间制造、能源供应等领域的产品。例如，通过在轨电解月球土壤中的氧化铁，可生产氧气和金属铁，为月球基地建设提供生命保障和材料支持。同时，利用太空微重力环境开展特殊材料制备，将生产出地球上难以获得的高性能材料，为高科技产业发展提供新的材料来源。 ↩

  13. 03/协同发展商业航天赋能太空采矿产业 ↩

  14. 太空采矿的发展离不开商业航天的有力支撑。中国航天科技集团在推进 “天工开物” 专项的同时，实施商业运载能力提升工程、商业卫星效能跃升工程、产业基础设施补强工程等五大工程，构建起支撑太空采矿产业发展的商业航天生态体系。 ↩

  15. 商业运载火箭是太空采矿的 “天梯”。我国将研制具备国际竞争力的商业运载火箭，实现航班化运输。在可重复使用商业火箭方面，形成近地轨道 20 吨级重复使用状态运载能力，实现重复使用火箭规模化、商业化成熟应用；在重型运载火箭方面，完成研制和相关重复使用试验，具备近地轨道百吨级入轨能力。这些进展将大幅降低太空发射成本，为太空采矿设备的发射、人员运输和资源返回提供高效便捷的运输服务。 ↩

  16. 商业卫星星座为太空采矿提供信息支撑。我国将开展国家卫星互联网星座、千帆星座、各类新型应用卫星星座建设，研发新一代平板卫星、软件定义卫星、算力卫星、超低轨卫星等新型卫星。这些卫星星座将构建起天地一体化的通信、导航、遥感信息网络，为太空采矿提供目标探测、导航定位、数据传输等服务。例如，通过高分辨率遥感卫星对小行星进行持续监测，为采矿机器人提供精确的环境数据；利用卫星导航系统实现采矿设备的精准定位与协同作业；通过卫星通信网络实现地面控制中心与太空采矿系统的实时数据交互。 ↩

  17. 商业航天基础设施是太空采矿的 “地面保障”。我国将补齐发射、回收、测运控等环节的短板，开展海南、东部沿海、酒泉等地商业发射新工位或新发射场建设，形成互补协同的商业发射场体系；建设智能化陆上、海上着陆场和搜救回收力量；打造天地一体化商业航天测运控网，提供智能化、低成本、高可靠的测运控解决方案。这些基础设施的完善，将为太空采矿设备的发射、回收和在轨运行提供全方位的保障服务，确保太空采矿任务的顺利实施。 ↩

  18. 2025 年，我国商业航天已取得显著进展，谷神星一号、朱雀三号等多型商业火箭密集发射，卫星发射、回收技术验证、商业发射频次增长等成为关键词。国家航天局发布的推进商业航天高质量安全发展行动计划 (2025—2027 年)，明确将商业航天纳入国家航天发展总体布局，到 2027 年实现商业航天高质量发展。这些政策支持和产业进展，为太空采矿产业的发展创造了良好的环境，加速了太空采矿技术的商业化应用进程。 ↩

  19. 04/关联领域构建太空经济生态圈 ↩

  20. 太空采矿不是孤立的产业，而是与太空旅游、太空数智基础设施、太空交通管理等领域相互关联、协同发展的有机整体。中国航天科技集团谋划推动的四大新领域发展，将构建起完整的太空经济生态圈，为太空采矿产业的发展提供强大的支撑。 ↩

  21. 太空数智基础设施为太空采矿提供算力支撑。我国将建设吉瓦级太空数智基础设施，创建云、边、端一体的新型太空体系架构，实现算力、存力、运力等深度融合，赋能 “天数天算"" 地数天算 ""天地同算”。这一基础设施将为太空采矿提供强大的计算能力，支持采矿机器人的自主决策、资源探测数据的实时分析、采矿过程的模拟优化等，大幅提升太空采矿的效率和智能化水平。 ↩

  22. 太空交通管理是保障太空采矿安全的关键。随着太空活动的日益频繁，太空碎片数量不断增加，对太空采矿设备的安全构成严重威胁。我国将开展太空碎片监测、预警、清除等关键技术攻关，建设 “星眼” 太空感知星座计划，由 156 颗卫星组成监测网，对太空中数十万个目标进行全球持续追踪和高精度定位，为卫星和碎片建立实时的 “数字档案”，提前计算和预警碰撞风险。这些措施将为太空采矿设备的在轨运行提供安全保障，确保太空采矿任务的顺利进行。 ↩

  23. 太空旅游的发展将为太空采矿积累技术和经验。我国将加快迭代形成亚轨道和轨道太空旅游飞行器产品，完成相关无人或有人飞行验证，建立完善的太空旅游运营体系，实现亚轨道太空旅游航班化运营。太空旅游的发展将推动载人航天技术、空间生命保障技术、航天器回收技术等领域的进步，这些技术成果可直接应用于太空采矿领域，为未来建立太空采矿基地、实现人员驻留提供技术支撑。 ↩

  24. 05/挑战与展望人类终将开启星际资源开发 ↩

  25. 尽管我国在太空采矿领域已取得显著进展，但仍面临一系列技术、经济、法律等方面的挑战。在技术层面，微重力环境下的资源开采、极端环境下的设备可靠性、长距离空间通信等技术难题仍需突破；在经济层面，太空采矿的前期投入巨大，投资回报周期长，需要建立可持续的商业模式；在法律层面，国际社会尚未就太空资源的归属和开发利用形成统一的法律框架，需要积极参与国际规则的制定，维护我国的合法权益。 ↩

  26. 面对这些挑战，我国将采取一系列措施推动太空采矿产业的健康发展。在技术创新方面，加强基础研究和关键核心技术攻关，建立产学研用相结合的创新体系，推动太空采矿技术的突破与应用；在产业培育方面，加大政策支持力度，引导社会资本参与太空采矿产业，培育一批具有国际竞争力的龙头企业；在国际合作方面，积极参与国际太空治理，加强与其他国家和国际组织的合作与交流，共同推动太空资源的和平利用。 ↩