"Groundbreaking Asteroid Mining Startup Prepares for Historic Deep Space Mission"

California-based startup Astroforge is preparing to launch the first-ever commercial deep space mission with the goal of mining asteroids for precious metals. The company successfully test fired the rockets that will enable its spacecraft, Brokkr-2, to reach an asteroid in about nine months. Astroforge aims to tap into the abundant metals found in asteroids, which could help meet the increasing demand for metals as the world transitions to clean energy. With lower launch costs and off-the-shelf components available, the company estimates the total cost of its mission to be less than $10 million. If successful, Astroforge plans to develop further missions to characterize asteroids, develop mining technologies, and eventually mine and return material to Earth for sale.