The genesis of our company lies in the passionate vision of our CEO, Pascal Koch. During his time in school, he was propelled by the question of how to address the global resource problem without the further endangerment of our planet. He not only recognized the importance of a substantial increase in the recycling rate but also found a fundamental solution in space mining – an innovation enabling the utilization of resources found throughout the entire solar system. The vision extends beyond mere material extraction. Pascal saw space mining as a unique opportunity for humanity on Earth and the possibility to expand into space. Driven by this conviction, he directed his entire academic career toward space mining.
During his geophysics studies, he identified a common problem in existing projects – a lack of reliable geological data in the planned mission areas. Out of this realization, IMENSUS was born – a visionary geoscientific service provider in the solar system.
In the summer of 2022, he assembled a dedicated team consisting of a fellow geophysics student and two aerospace engineering students. Together, they combine their skills and passion to bring their vision to life.
The topic of space mining is inherently complex, involving a variety of celestial bodies in the solar system. The Moon, Mars, and asteroids are just a few of the fascinating objects under consideration. Space mining spans an entire industrial process chain, involving numerous stakeholders and technologies.
Our focus is on ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization) on the Moon, where we see the greatest potential and rapid development. ISRU refers to the use of locally available resources for human activities in space.
Through a detailed analysis of the industrial process chain of ISRU, we have recognized that our services are crucial at multiple key points. From site exploration for the construction of urgently needed infrastructure and resource assessment at the beginning of the process chain, to plans for mining and geotechnical monitoring – we are geared towards accompanying every step of the way, bringing our geoscientific expertise to these critical areas.
Our goal is clearly defined: We aspire to develop an autonomous rover and successfully deploy it to our clients' mission areas. This rover is equipped with advanced geophysical sensors to precisely measure geological and physical parameters of the subsurface.
The collected data serves as the foundation for calculating a detailed geological model of the subsurface. We offer these valuable insights and models to our clients, accompanied by comprehensive consulting for interpretation and optimal utilization.
Our clients rely on these data and models to plan their significantly more expensive and complex missions in an economical and risk-minimizing way.
By providing precise and reliable information, we contribute to maximizing the success of their infrastructure and mining missions.
Within the scope of the ESA-BIC funding, we are developing and validating the initial prototype of the Lunaphone.
In addition to developing the Lunaphone, we conduct computational simulations to model wave propagation in the lunar subsurface (University of Kiel public funding program). This allows us to understand how our system will perform in distinct scenarios.