Extraterrestrial bodies contain a number of resources that are likely targets for future resource extraction operations. There is an increasing interest in extracting resources from these bodies, particularly to reduce the amount of material that must be launched from Earth and, in turn, the cost of space missions. While the economic and technical feasibility of space resource extraction is the focus of many studies, this work considers the associated extraterrestrial environmental implications. Resource extraction in space is likely to result in a number of environmental impacts, ranging from the generation of dust and changes to landscapes, through to regolith contamination and waste generation. A framework for extraterrestrial environmental impact assessment (EIA) for resource extraction operations is proposed for space resource projects. This framework will allow for the environmental impacts of potential space resource extraction projects to be identified, so they can be avoided or addressed through mitigation measures. Carrying out EIAs for space resource extraction operations is likely to improve the outcome of these operations by reducing environmental risk, and thus reducing the potential for unexpected clean up and mitigation costs in the future, increasing investor confidence and improving chances of acceptance by the public and other stakeholders. There is considerable uncertainty as to what impacts space resource extraction is likely to have on the environment, therefore the proposed EIA framework is intended to be improved upon continually, through feedback from the outcomes of future resource extraction projects.

地外天体包含许多可能成为未来资源开采行动目标的资源。人们对从这些天体中提取资源越来越感兴趣，特别是为了减少必须从地球发射的材料数量，进而降低太空任务的成本。虽然空间资源开采的经济和技术可行性是许多研究的重点，但这项工作考虑了相关的外星环境影响。太空中的资源开采可能会导致许多环境影响，从灰尘的产生和景观的变化，到风化层污染和废物的产生。为空间资源项目提出了资源开采作业的外星环境影响评估 (EIA) 框架。该框架将允许确定潜在空间资源开采项目的环境影响，从而可以通过缓解措施避免或解决这些影响。对空间资源开采作业进行环境影响评估可能会通过降低环境风险来改善这些作业的结果，从而减少未来意外清理和缓解成本的可能性，增加投资者的信心并提高公众接受的机会和其他利益相关者。关于空间资源开采可能对环境产生什么影响存在相当大的不确定性，因此拟议的 EIA 框架旨在通过来自未来资源开采项目结果的反馈不断改进。