Space company to extract medical imaging isotopes from the moon

Interlune, a natural resource extraction company, has unveiled plans to extract Helium-3 and other resources from the moon. Helium-3 isotopes are scarce on Earth and there is high demand for a scalable supply, as it’s vital for medical imaging, quantum computing and fusion energy. 

Luckily, it is abundant on the lunar surface. As a next step, Interlune plans to finalize the design of its first robotic lunar lander mission, which will validate resource concentrations at a chosen site. 

The announcement of the plan to conduct harvesting operations on the moon comes alongside the successful securing of $15 million in funding for the mission. The investment round was led by Alexis Ohanian's venture firm Seven Seven Six, in addition to the Aurelia Foundry Fund, Gaingels, Liquid 2 Ventures, Shasta Ventures and a group of University of Michigan alumni.

With the new financial backing, Interlune intends to expand its operations beyond Helium-3 extraction, targeting other valuable resources such as industrial metals and rare Earth elements, along with the necessary water to establish a sustainable presence on the moon.