NASA has announced it wants to buy Moon rocks from private companies in a bid to kick start lunar mining operations. The space agency is taking proposals from companies on how they will collect rock from the Moon, using robotic surface rovers. The collection of lunar rock and transfer of ownership to NASA is a proof of concept for conducting space commerce on the Moon, NASA said. NASA wants the retrieval and transfer of ownership before 2024, when it's planning to send humans back to the Moon. NASA will eventually buy more types of resources such as ice that may be discovered on the Moon, Bridenstine said.

Source: Daily Mail September 11, 2020 08:56 UTC