Resource Scarcity Solved?
The successful return of 500kg of high-purity platinum group metals (PGMs) from the asteroid belt marks the beginning of the post-scarcity era for industrial metals. Spot prices for palladium dropped 40% on the news.
Orbital Manufacturing
Rather than bringing raw ore back to Earth, new startups are smelting and 3D printing heavy machinery in zero-gravity, drastically reducing the cost of building orbital infrastructure.
Geopolitical Tensions
The 'Outer Space Treaty' is being stress-tested as nations race to claim mineral rights on the Moon and Mars, leading to a new 'Star Wars' style arms race.
Clean Earth
Environmentalists are cautiously optimistic, hoping that off-world mining will allow us to shut down polluting terrestrial mines and restore Earth's ecosystems.