New BTPI Report: “U.S. Must Invest in Biomining to Secure Mineral Independence”

The Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute (BTPI) has released a new report urging federal action to advance biomining, the use of microorganisms to extract metals from ores and waste streams. The study highlights that critical minerals such as rare earths, cobalt, nickel, and lithium are indispensable for U.S. defense systems, clean energy, and advanced electronics, yet China controls more than 80–90 percent of global refining capacity—creating chokepoints that expose serious national security risks. While biomining offers cleaner, lower-cost processing that can tap low-grade ores and reduce environmental harms, the U.S. remains at the research stage with startups and pilots but no commercial-scale operations, falling behind countries like Chile and Finland. The report’s findings underscore that without stronger federal investment to bridge laboratory breakthroughs into industrial deployment, the U.S. risks losing the opportunity to secure domestic mineral independence and safeguard its strategic resilience.

Read the full report here

THE MILITARIZATION OF OUTER SPACE: LEGAL, ETHICAL AND STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF COMMERCIAL INTERESTS

Harrison Mellor

As governments grow increasingly dependent on commercial space systems for military advantage, private companies are thrust into an impossible bind: either enable one side and risk being seen as a belligerent or deny access and potentially alter the course of a war. This dilemma raises an important and difficult question. When commercial assets become legitimate military targets, does attacking them constitute an act of war? Despite these pressing issues around commercial space assets, rules governing them are decades out of date. As private actors become operational gatekeepers in space warfare, a dangerous policy vacuum has emerged; no clear legal or institutional framework exists to guide their actions or assign responsibility. The line between commercial and military space has blurred.

Dark Skies: Criminal Drone Operations Targeting Prisons

The Tech Policy Institute’s newest practitioner brief, “Dark Skies: Criminal Drone Operations Targeting Prisons,” by Jack Venables, documents how organized crime is exploiting off-the-shelf drones to smuggle contraband, disrupt prison operations, and erode custodial security across the UK. The report details escalating tactics (including swarming and heavier payloads), pinpoints legislative and resource gaps, and outlines pragmatic counter-UAS steps—from stronger protected-airspace enforcement to regional trigger plans and procurement guided by operational specialists—to protect the prison estate and public safety

Defending America’s Skies: Public Support for Homeland Counter-Drone Operations

Brooks Tech Policy Institute’s Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr. Paul Lushenko and Dr. Jennifer Spindel of the University of New Hampshire in a new study challenge the assumption that Americans oppose counter-drone operations on domestic soil. The study provides the first experimental evidence on this topic and was presented to the National Security Council at the White House. According to the study there are three main factors that influence public support, namely: the nature of the drone incursion, the identity of the authority authorizing the response, and the perceived impact on public safety. The findings indicate that despite concerns about potential unintended consequences, such as loss of life or property damage, the American public generally supports such operations.

Read the full report here.