University of Arizona Advances Autonomous Lunar Mining under $500K NASA Grant
Engineers at UArizona developing robot swarm mining techniques for lunar application under NASA Minority University Research and Education Project Space Technology Artemis Research (M-STAR) fund; Human and Explainable Autonomous Robotic System (HEART) is collaboration between Moe Momayez (L) of Mining & Geological and Jekan Thanga of Aerospace & Mechanical engineering departments aimed at melding excavation, ISRU, machine learning, economical 3D printing in support of robotic and human exploration; Efforts may be precursor to Von Neumann-style self-replication
Redwire Regolith Print (RRP) experiment utilizes Additive Manufacturing Facility (developed by subsidiary Made In Space) on ISS, fitted with custom printing heads / build plates brought by Cygnus NG-16 S.S. Ellison Onizuka, to fabricate 3 test slabs composed of regolith simulant; RRP seeks to validate construction method in low gravity, with goal of applying technique in-situ for long term, radiation-blocking Moon infrastructure; Test slabs to be returned to Earth for control comparison / durability testing; 1 Sep SPAC merger expected to raise US$170M
Proposals for excavation / conveyance of ice-containing regolith from Moon Permanently Shadowed Regions, supporting long-duration human activity receiving US$500k through NASA Centennial Challenge; Redwire Space (Jacksonville FL) receives first place / $125k for Lunar Regolith Excavator (L-Rex) and Lunar Transporter (L-Tran); Colorado School of Mines (Golden CO) second place / $75k for Lunar Ice Digging System (LIDS); Austere Engineering (Littleton CO) third place / $50k; PRIME-1 ice drill to be delivered on CLPS IM-2, Q4 2022; CNSA Chang’e-6 to retrieve MSP sample 2024
2021 Lunar Development Conference 9-10 July To Be 
Systems Of Moon Excavation Are Focus Of Break The Ice Lunar Challenge, A Centennial Challenge Directed By KSC And MSFC With US$500k Phase 1 Funds, $4.5M Allocated To Phase 2; NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase 3 Sponsored R&D Led By William ‘Red’ Whittaker On 15-kg / 1-Lunar Day Lifespan PitRanger Mini Rover Designed To Create HD Images Of Lava Tube Interiors Via Aggregation; With Intentions Of Stimulating Cislunar Economy, Masten, Lunar Outpost, ispace Europe & Japan Win Bids To Transport / Sell Moon Samples
Oxygen, Key Element For Sustaining Human Life And Powerful Source Of Propulsion Fuel, May Be Refined From Moon Regolith Using ISRU Version Of Electrolysis Process Currently Employed In Earth Mining; ESA Contracted Rotherham-Based Metalysis To Develop Method Tailored For Lunar Surface; Composition Of Regolith Estimated 45% Oxygen By Weight; Process Requires 950°C Molten Salt Bath; Iron, Titanium Extraction Byproducts Useful For 3D Printed Construction; ESA Materials Engineer Advenit Makaya, Project Lead, Indicates Extraction Technology Demonstration Is Oxygen Plant Precursor
Thought Leaders At Center For Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, King’s College London And Missouri University Of Science & Technology 
Latest NASA Centennial Challenge Phase 1 Runs 25 Sep To 25 March 2021; Seeks Original, Innovative Plans To Store / Distribute Thermal And Electrical Energy From Hypothetical 10kW Power Plant Located Outside Of Permanently Shadowed Region (PSR) To Resource Extraction Worksites: Regolith And Water Collectors Inside PSR, Oxygen Plant In Lit Region; Competition Offers Up To US$500K For First Phase – $100K Per Each Of 3 Mission Areas With 4 Prizes Of $50K For Runners-Up; $4.5M Prize Purse For Second Phase Starting June 2021