"House Committee Delves into Controversial Space Mining Debate"

A House hearing on space mining sparked a partisan debate about the viability of the field and the jurisdiction of the committee to examine it. Witnesses argued that space resource extraction could be crucial for the future of the United States but required careful study and government support. Some cautioned that the US was at risk of falling behind China in space resource extraction. Democrats questioned the need for a hearing on space mining and argued that it should be considered by the House Science Committee instead. The hearing also highlighted the challenges faced by space mining company AstroForge, which has encountered problems with its first spacecraft.