Phase 3 – The fully automated mining fleet that begins physical extraction and initial in-situ resource utilization once probe data confirms viability and the fleet has arrived at the target asteroid.
Deploy a swarm of specialised mining vessels (built on the universal modular core) to locate, anchor to, and extract material from the asteroid. Operations start fully automated/teleoperated for maximum safety, speed, and economic validation before any crewed presence.
Operator authority applies from Phase 0. Crew deploy after the IPLS-3.1-018 conditions and operator consent. Profitability is not a crew-safety gate.
Requirement: The mining fleet may be deployed after the operator authorises departure. Assets bind to the Universal Modular Platform and the 3.1.19 network standards. PIS-v1 is an upgrade path.
Rationale: Ensures mining operations begin only after all prerequisites are met, maximising safety and economic viability.
Open Questions: None at v0.7
Requirement: The mining swarm allocates tasks peer to peer inside the IPLS-5.1-002 envelope. ASI analysis is advisory. Operator veto applies. Coordination continues without a central node. On veto the asset finishes the current safe step and starts no further step.
Rationale: Enables efficient, scalable extraction across large asteroid surfaces without constant human intervention.
Requirement: Every mining vessel shall use UMP-compatible anchoring, drilling, and excavation modules capable of secure attachment and controlled material removal while preserving asteroid structural integrity.
Rationale: Prevents uncontrolled fragmentation and ensures safe, repeatable extraction operations.
Requirement: Mining vessels shall perform initial in-situ resource utilization (sorting, crushing, smelting) on-board and output standardised ingots or pellets compatible with orbital manufacturing and base construction.
Rationale: Reduces transport mass and enables immediate use of extracted materials.
Requirement: The mining fleet shall maintain N+3 redundancy at swarm level so that loss of multiple vessels does not halt operations.
Rationale: Ensures continuous production even under partial fleet failure scenarios far from resupply.
Requirement: All fleet telemetry, resource yields, and system health data shall be relayed in real time to the nearest command node or hollowed base via PIS-v1 with full operator access and veto authority.
Rationale: Maintains complete visibility and control during automated operations.
Requirement: Mining vessels shall support hot-swapping of excavation, processing, and propulsion modules by UMP-MECH-001 and UMP-HOTSWAP-001. PIS-v1 and NWM-v1 references do not apply in Phase 3.
Rationale: Maximises uptime and allows in-flight reconfiguration without returning to base.
Requirement: The entire mining fleet shall be designed for ≥200-year service life with graceful degradation, field-repairable via ISRU spares, and pre-engineered TSP-v1 upgrade pathways.
Rationale: Supports long-term, sustainable asteroid resource extraction across multiple campaigns.
Requirement: Handover covers cargo routing and docking only. Command stays with the operator. Allocation follows IPLS-3.1-019. PIS-v1 is an upgrade path.
Rationale: Ensures continuous production flow from automated extraction directly into permanent base infrastructure without interruption.
Requirement: The entire mining fleet shall be pre-engineered for TSP-v1 supersession, retaining full self-sustaining capability even if individual vessels are upgraded or retired, with graceful degradation over centuries.
Rationale: Allows continuous evolution of mining technology without decommissioning functional assets, supporting multi-century resource extraction campaigns.