I have a PhD in Aeronautics, my PhD advisor was the C.L. “Kelly” Johnson Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering, I work adjacent to the former Skunk Works site in Burbank. It’s a shame it’s taken me this long to read Kelly’s autobiography, but it’s never too late.
At @TerraformIndies we're interested in developing a trash rock refining process. All these so-called rare minerals are present in undifferentiated basalt in ~1% quantities, we plan to burn electrons to get it done. The npv of the metals in a ton of road gravel (market price $15) is about $1200. This is a Starlink class problem: huge pain in the ass, big moat from pain tolerance. If you know someone who is hell bent on making this happen, please get in touch.