Mining asteroids is officially getting closer than ever before.

‍What’s happening:‍

• Asteroid mining startup AstroForge has been granted the first ever commercial license from the United States Federal Communications Commission to be allowed to operate in deep space
  

Why it matters:‍

• The new license allows AstroForge to operate in space and establish a network of communication with partners on the ground who can help guide future missions for extracting natural resources from asteroids
  

Going deeper:‍

• AstroForge previously raised a large Series A financing round which saw participation from venture capital funds including Intialized and Y Combinator
  
• AstroForge also has an existing partnership with Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR) to launch their Vestri probe into orbit for their next mission into space
  

The intrigue:‍

• Mining in space has become more and more relevant lately, with Reddit (NYSE: RDDT) co-founder Alexis Ohanian previously leading a financing round for startup Interlune who is aiming to extract Helium-3 from lunar soil

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