ISS Microbes Extract Platinum and Palladium From Meteorites
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station used bacteria and the fungus Penicillium simplicissimum to bioleach platinum and palladium from L-chondrite meteorite samples. The experiments showed microgravity enhances the fungus’s metal uptake and release, making space-based bioleaching more effective than on Earth and highlighting a potential path toward mining valuable metals in space, alongside ongoing asteroid-mining efforts like TransAstra.
