An Endolith technician swirls a flask containing a starter culture of the company’s proprietary microbes. The amber color comes from trace metals and nutrients added to mimic the chemistry of copper ore environments. Credit: EndolithFive years after President Donald Trump signaled his support for extracting metals from the moon, his new administration is seeking to satisfy the United States’ hunger for critical minerals by encouraging mining under the polar ice caps, amid warzones, and at the...