Before spacecraft begin sending out to extract precious metals from asteroids, large amounts of precious metals may also be found on the Moon, according to a recent study.

Platinum group metals, including platinum, palladium and rhodium, may be scattered in about 6.500 craters created by asteroid impacts on the Moon, according to a study published in the journal Planetary and Space Science.

Mining minerals from space has become an increasingly popular idea in recent years, with several companies seeking a share in a potentially trillion-dollar industry.

Scientists and interested investors say this could benefit humanity, as the amount of accessible metals in the Earth's crust is limited, reports Independent.

“One-eighth of the iron in the Asteroid Belt is over a million times greater than all currently estimated iron ore reserves on Earth, and could last for centuries,” notes a previous study by astrophysicist Martin Elvis.

Now, researchers say the Moon's craters could contain trillions of dollars' worth of precious metals, "values ​​one to two orders of magnitude greater than the number of near-Earth asteroids containing minerals," as they write.

Planned missions to mine minerals on the Moon could also bring additional benefits, such as the development of water extraction technology that could be used for further space exploration.

In the new study, scientists analyzed craters created by asteroid impacts on the Moon to estimate the amount of platinum group metals likely to be found on its surface.

While most asteroids that collide with the Moon tend to vaporize, significant portions of them can survive under certain conditions, according to scientists. Such asteroid debris can be found in large, complex craters.

How many craters are we talking about? About 6.500 lunar craters with a diameter of over one kilometer may contain platinum group metals. If we talk about very large craters, with a diameter of over 19 kilometers, there are about 40 of them.

Meanwhile, up to 3.350 craters over one kilometer in diameter may contain water, as well as 20 craters over 19 kilometers in diameter.

According to the researchers, this data suggests that "it may be more cost-effective, and therefore more profitable, to mine asteroids that have crashed into the Moon than those that are in orbit."