Space Metal Waste Refining: Engineering the Circular Space Economy Through Advanced Resource Recovery Technologies

Space debris is increasingly becoming a valuable source of strategic materials for future orbital infrastructure. This presentation explores the emerging concept of Space Metal Waste Refining, combining autonomous debris capture, AI-assisted material identification, robotic dismantling, advanced separation and metallurgical refining technologies.

Particular focus will be placed on hydrometallurgy, electrochemical refining, molten salt electrolysis, closed-loop recovery and in-orbit manufacturing, highlighting their potential to transform end-of-life satellites into sources of high-value metallic feedstock.

The presentation will examine current initiatives and industrial developments in orbital recycling and propose the concept of an Autonomous Orbital Metallurgical Refinery: a robotic system capable of recovering, refining and reusing metals directly in space. This approach could reduce dependence on Earth-launched materials, lower launch mass and provide the technological foundations for a circular economy beyond Earth, supporting future activities in LEO, on the Moon and eventually in deep space.

Speaker
Hassan Teimourisafar, Process Engineer, Innovation, Research and Solution Unit at BTT Italia srl