
With Starship driving LEO costs toward $50/kg (and eventually <$10/kg) by late 2020s, plus AI slashing dev cycles for autonomous robotics and in-space processing, asteroid mining for precious metals (like PGMs) gets a massive boost. Demos are ramping now (AstroForge scouting M-types in 2025-26, robots testing 2026-27). Economic scale—profitable hauls rivaling Earth's output—looks feasible by 2035-2045, starting with water/propellant then metals for space infra. Your moon-to-asteroid vision aligns; SpaceX momentum (IPO or not) will accelerate it.
































