Case Intel
- China has imposed its most stringent rare earth export controls yet just days before a scheduled meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping at the end of October 2025, controlling over 90% of global processed rare earth production and using this dominance as geopolitical leverage
- California-based AstroForge launched its $6.5 million Odin spacecraft in February 2025, marking the first commercial step toward extracting metals from near-Earth asteroids, with just one kilogram of rhodium currently valued at $228,273.80
- The interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to the Sun on October 30, 2025, reminding scientists of the untapped mineral wealth passing through our cosmic neighborhood and the urgent need for technology to capture such resources
LOS ANGELES, CA – The arrival of 3I/ATLAS, the third confirmed interstellar object discovered in July 2025, has ignited fresh excitement among astronomers and space entrepreneurs alike. But beyond the scientific marvel of this ancient cosmic wanderer lies a pressing question for American economic security: How do we prepare to mine the next celestial body that graces our solar system, especially as geopolitical tensions over Earth-based resources reach a boiling point?
China announced sweeping new rare earth export controls on October 9, 2025, tightening global access to critical raw materials required for computer chips and defense technology. The timing, just weeks before the Trump-Xi summit scheduled for late October, signals Beijing’s willingness to weaponize its mineral monopoly. These new restrictions bolster China’s leverage and heighten risks to U.S. defense and semiconductor supply chains.
The message is clear: America’s technological future cannot depend on the goodwill of geopolitical rivals. Innovation must become our liberation.
3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Mars on October 3, 2025, passing approximately 18 million miles from the Red Planet, and is scheduled to reach its closest approach to the Sun on October 30th during its one-time journey through our solar system.
What makes 3I/ATLAS particularly significant isn’t just its interstellar origin—it’s what it represents. Every asteroid, comet, and space rock passing through our neighborhood carries potential resources that could free us from terrestrial supply chain vulnerabilities. 3I/ATLAS serves as a cosmic reminder that valuable metallic asteroids regularly approach Earth, and we currently lack the full-technology to capture their wealth.
Five asteroids will approach Earth between October 13-14, 2025 alone, ranging from car-sized 16-foot objects to house-sized bodies measuring up to 55 feet. Asteroid 2025 TV2 will pass within 790,000 miles of Earth today, followed by 2025 TU1 at 1.42 million miles. While these particular rocks may not contain commercially viable metals, their frequency underscores the opportunity window: space is delivering potential resources to our doorstep on a near-daily basis.
