The history of space travel, from Sputnik to .
Space: In 1957 Sputnik ignited the space age. In 1961, Vostok put the first human in orbit. In 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. During the 70s and 80s humanity explored the inner solar system.
Why it matters: We learned about life support and high energy re-entry — the core of everything that followed.
Space: The International Space Station (1998 onwards) show people can live in space long term. Thanks to SpaceX orbital-class reusable boosters lead to significantly reduced costs. After years of little, the 2020s brought the possibility of Mars missions back to the table.
Why it matters: Cheaper launches leads to the possibility of depots, heavy cargo, and complex missions in space. Autonomy and robotics get field tested and then proven off-Earth.
AstraMine: founded (2030) out of a university ISRU lab; by 2032 we were able to produce oxygen at scale. Our first module (power/thermal/water) passes harsh trials in 2033.
Space: Two successful missions establish our long-stay crews with cargo. Nuclear propulsion significantly reduce travel times; aerocapture techniques are refined for freight.
Why it matters: Long-stay missions imrpove reliability and allow true local production. The beginning of our “Make what we need there” doctrine.
AstraMine: We won our first Mars surface contract with the UK Government to build and operate oxygen/methane plants and utilities on Mars.
Space now: Our bases with propellant orbit Earth reducing costs and energy requirements. Our Mars factories focus on ISRU and additive manufacturing — not just exporting ore, but enabling everything else.
AstraMine today: Certified surface-ops, over the years we have been forced to expand into lots of different areas quickly as necessities arise. Our roles now span everything from AI oversight, systems integrity, education, ISRU ops, protection, and wellbeing.
What’s next: Smarter autonomy always with human oversight. Upgrades for higher water recovery and better material reuse. Key prerequisites to any future off-Earth economy. We aim to explore the asteroid more thoroughly and then Venus soon!