This book highlights a systematic hierarchy for exploiting solar system resources during the rapid global development of space resource exploitation. The hierarchy uses a series of spatial positions of the Lagrange points—such as Earth-Moon L1, Sun-Earth L1/L2, Sun-Mars L1/L2, Ceres, and Sun-Jupiter L1—as the key nodes. This book then presents system architectures for space resource exploitation on the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, Mars, and main belt asteroids. It introduces new concepts for space facilities, including space resource supply stations, extraterrestrial mining stations, and space resource processing stations. This book proposes a technology framework for future space resource exploitation and discusses related technologies such as transportation, exploration, mining, processing, and utilization, presenting new approaches and research progress. It also puts forward the space resource exploitation initiative, along with a preliminary roadmap for establishing a space resource exploitation network that extends to the outer reaches of the solar system. This book raises valuable insights based on long-term in-depth work done by the authors’ team who are leading Chinese scientists in astronautics and space exploration. Their rich experience in international cooperation also adds to the practical significance of this book. This book serves as a must-read reference for researchers and policy makers in space resource studies, students in aerospace technology, planetary science, mining engineering, and other related fields, as well as everyone else interested in this subject.

Wei Wang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of Astronautics, has long been engaged in the research of navigation, guidance, and control technologies, as well as the development of space resource exploitation systems. As the first author or primary contributor, he has been granted over 40 invention patents and published six academic monographs. As the primary contributor, he has received two National Technological Invention Awards of China. His other honors include the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Science and Technology Progress Award, the China Patent Gold Award, the CAST Qiushi Outstanding Youth Award for in Achievement Transformation, the China Government Publishing Awards—Book Prize, and the “Three Hundreds” Original Book Award from the General Administration of Press and Publication.

Wei Yao, Professor and Executive Committee Member of the Space Science and Experiment Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Astronautics, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Science and Experiment, has long been engaged in the research of space resource exploitation and new energy technologies. His research on Chang'e-5 lunar samples for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) has yielded new findings in regolith physical properties, melting and solidification, electrostatic particle transport, and volatile migration. He pioneered extraterrestrial artificial photosynthesis for CO₂ resource utilization, successfully validated through on-orbit experiments aboard the China Space Station. He also developed solar concentrating regolith melting and 3D printing technology with experimental payload for lunar surface demonstration, and photothermal drilling for extraterrestrial water ice extraction with a proof-of-concept prototype.