Oleg Kazanov, head of the Federal Agency for the Exploitation of Subsurface Mineral Resources, stated that the geological history of the Moon is much simpler than that of Earth, therefore a great diversity of deposits on its surface is not expected.
Kazanov explained that the moon may contain deposits of titanium, iron and vanadium, based on samples brought from its surface during previous space missions.
He said: "We do not expect to find great diversity in the deposits there, but the samples brought back from the moon suggest the possibility of deposits of titanium, iron and vanadium. However, these resources do not gain particular importance, given their abundance on Earth."
He pointed out that the formation of mineral deposits is closely linked to the geological history of celestial bodies, noting that Earth has undergone a complex geological history and continues to experience geological activity to this day. The movement and collision of tectonic plates, along with oceanic sedimentation and other processes, contribute to the formation of a wide variety of mineral deposits.a
He added: "Geological studies of the moon indicate that its geological history is much simpler than previously thought, and this does not usually provide the conditions necessary for the formation of diverse mineral deposits."
In a related context, scientists from China and the United States discovered minerals containing rare earth elements on the surface of the moon, but this discovery does not necessarily mean that they can be extracted economically.
