Where in the galaxy will we mine lithium?

Interplanetary resource wars are nothing new in science fiction, but recently, a few popular shows have converged on one resource in particular: lithium.

In the second season of For All Mankind, an alt-history show about the Cold War space race, the U.S. and the Soviet Union are fighting for control of a lunar lithium deposit that both superpowers wish to mine, presumably to build new batteries for their lunar rovers. Lithium fuels the fusion reactors that power spacecraft in The Expanse, and it plays a starring role in Season 4 of the show, which takes place on a Belter-run lithium mining colony. Then there’s Star Trek’s famed “dilithium,” a fictional substance that shapes the entire universe by enabling faster-than-light warp drive to work (er, somehow). In Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery, which aired last fall, we got our first taste of what life might look like in a version of the Federation where this lithium-inspired wonder material no longer exists.

As someone who spends a significant amount of time writing about the importance of lithium on 21st century Earth, I’m not surprised to see the element coming into focus in science fiction. Lithium underpins the batteries that power everything from cell phones to electric cars, and unless we find new sources soon, the world could face a lithium shortage in the near future. That could fuel the same sorts of conflicts we see play out on a cosmic stage in shows like For All Mankind and The Expanse. Still, pop culture’s increased interest in the humble three-proton element made me wonder: Assuming that future humans still need lithium to charge their iPhone 57s and power their fusion drives, where exactly will they mine it?