China's venture into space mining has made remarkable strides with the introduction of its first multifunctional space mining robot, developed by experts at the China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT).
As Earth's resources continue to deplete, scientists are turning their attention to extraterrestrial mining on the Moon, Mars, and near-Earth asteroids.
The new robot, designed to operate in microgravity environment, could pave the way for future "interstellar miners."
Developed by a research team led by Professor Liu Xinhua at CUMT, the space mining robot differs from the widely known humanoid robots and robotic dogs.
Instead, it adopts a six-legged design, featuring three wheel legs and three claw legs, which allows it to function efficiently in microgravity conditions.
"In space, objects do not stay in place like they do on Earth due to the lack of gravity. If you push something, it will float away, just like astronauts inside a space station," explained Professor Liu.
One of the biggest challenges in space mining is drilling into surfaces under low gravity.
On Earth, the weight of a robot provides the necessary force to push a drill into the ground. However, with the Moon's gravity being only one-sixth of Earth's and asteroids having even weaker gravitational fields, stabilizing a drill becomes a significant challenge.
To address this, the research team took inspiration from insect claws and designed a special claw structure to improve the robot's grip.
"This claw system is an array-type structure that enhances adhesion and gripping ability in microgravity environments. It allows the robot to stay anchored while collecting samples and move efficiently based on the terrain," said Professor Liu.
Beyond maintaining stability, the space mining robot is equipped with a biomimetic six-legged movement system. Each leg has wheel and anchor configurations, enabling the robot to traverse rough and uneven surfaces on asteroids.
The prototype has already undergone preliminary testing and has been submitted for a patent.
"We successfully conducted microgravity simulation experiments. The robot was able to walk, anchor itself, and even collect samples in a simulated lunar soil environment, validating our initial design," said Professor Liu.
China develops multifunctional space mining robot to tackle microgravity challenges
Chinese and foreign scientists have jointly carried out a series of exchange and investigation activities this week to respond to the United Nations' initiative on glacier preservation.
The United Nations declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, accompanied by the proclamation of the 21st March of each year as the World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025.
A public advocacy and glacier investigation activity with the initiative of "Let the Glacier Cool" was launched at Dagu Glacier scenic area in southwest China's Sichuan Province, a key place in global glacier preservation, from Monday to Tuesday.
In 2024, the Global Glacier Loss List (GGCL) project was jointly launched by Rice University, the University of Iceland, the Icelandic Glaciological Society, the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The project tracks recently disappeared, almost disappeared, and critically endangered glaciers worldwide. Among them, the Dagu Glacier is the only glacier in China on the list.
In this regard, Chinese and foreign glacier experts and scholars conducted in-depth investigations into the changes in Dagu Glacier during the event.
"Let China's voice be heard in the 2025 International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, World Day for Glaciers, and the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences. We need to awaken people's awareness of glacier changes, and everyone can reduce emissions and live a green life to slow down global warming, so that we can prolong the life of glaciers," said Li Zhongqin, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Meanwhile, the Dagu Glacier International Academic Summit Forum was held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, from Sunday to Tuesday.
The forum was jointly organized by the NIEER, the Center for Glacier Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE) under the CAS, and the Sichuan Dagu Glacier Administration Bureau.
More than 100 glaciologists, climate policy experts and representatives of international organizations from more than 10 countries including China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, the United States and the United Kingdom, attended the conference online and offline, and had in-depth dialogues on the scientific challenges and international cooperation in global glacier protection.
"Because of global warming, glaciers around the world are generally melting. For example, the latest research data released last month showed that the annual loss of global glaciers, if converted into water equivalent, is 273 billion tons. The public can clearly see that the glaciers are shrinking rapidly and disappearing rapidly," said Kang Shichang, director of the IMHE.
Global experts gather in Sichuan to respond to UN glacier initiative
