Meet the Innovators: Space Industries Pty Ltd.

2019 NASA iTech Cycle II Finalist:

Space Industries Pty Ltd. of Perth, Australia

Innovation:

A lunar mining vehicle to produce and return Helium-3 to Earth. The byproduct, water, could be used in-situ on the Moon for fuel, among other things.

What is your technology?

Our Lunar Resource Extraction Vehicle produces resources by using the Sun’s energy in a new resource extraction method. It’s environmentally friendly and sustainable with low impact to the lunar surface compared to conventional mining. To support life in space, we need to produce resources where they are required.

What should people know about your team?

Space Industries is currently based in Perth, western Australia, which is well known for its mining industry. The majority of our team didn't come from a space background, but a mining background. Perth’s unique location provides an excellent location for remote operations capabilities as well as with resource extraction expertise. The idea to form Space Industries came when managing director Joshua Letcher was at the bottom of the ocean in a submarine and thought of the similarities between that and space.

What do you look forward to most about the NASA iTech forum?

We look forward to the opportunity to provide a “sneak peek” of our Lunar Resource Extraction Vehicle to the space industry and public as well as the opportunity for industry experts to pick our mission and vehicle to pieces.

This information was provided by Space Industries Pty Ltd. NASA iTech is a year-long effort to find innovative ideas that could address challenges facing space exploration. Ten competition finalists will present their ideas Oct. 7-8, 2019, at a NASA iTech forum in Las Cruces, New Mexico. At the culmination of the forum, three winning teams will be selected and recognized during a non-monetary awards ceremony.