In her latest column in ENR exploring innovation in outer space, Marshall Gerstein Partner Kate Nuehring Su discusses advances in moon mining technology.
One example of the patenting activity seen in this sector involves Helium-3, an isotope of ordinary balloon gas that has the potential to power nuclear fusion plants without generating radioactive waste. "It also has other applications in medical imaging and quantum computing," Kate writes in ENR. "Helium 3 is rare on the Earth but is relatively plentiful on the Moon thanks to billions of years of deposits by solar winds. With some price estimates for Helium-3 at a staggering $20 million or more per kilogram, mining it may provide the economic justification for permanent settlements on the moon."
The patent application belongs to Interlune Corporation, a startup led by Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt and former Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson, among other notable innovators. Interlune is not the only entity interested in mining on the moon, but Meyerson told Kate recently that it expects competition. "Interlune has a remarkable team of scientists and engineers developing novel technologies to harvest natural resources from space, starting with Helium-3 from the Moon. Our approach will be smaller, lighter, and more energy efficient than other systems."
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