Passage 1 is adapted from Michael Slezak, "Space Mining:
the Next Gold Rush?
The passage talks about the mining beyond Earth. The forum unveiled two private asteroid-mining firms.
Line 19 clearly states that within a few decades, these two firms may meet earthly demands for precious metals like platinum and gold and rare earth elements like yttrium and lanthanum. 'Demands' here signify the desire for the above-mentioned elements.
Thus, option D is the correct answer.