NASA and the space industry are in agreement: if we want to establish a permanent human presence on the moon, we’ll need to make use of every native resource we can — and none are as important as water ice. Starpath Robotics is one of a handful of startups planning for this future. The startup […]
The not-so-secret-anymore lunar mining startup
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. We’re just two days away from Intuitive Machines’ first-ever mission to the moon. Pro-tip: If you haven’t already, check out this ultra thorough press kit on the mission — the company goes into a ton of detail about the lander architecture, the payloads on board and everything that will […]
Ex-Blue Origin leaders’ secretive lunar startup Interlune has moonshot mining plans
Interlune, a stealth startup headed by ex-Blue Origin executives, is focused on mining the moon for a rare isotope of helium that could be used to scale quantum computing and eventually even fusion power, TechCrunch has learned. Regulatory filings reported here last week showed that the company recently closed $ 15.5 million in new capital; […]
Asteroid mining startup AstroForge faces setbacks – and successes – on demonstration mission
Asteroid mining startup AstroForge is racing against the clock to complete its refinery demonstration on orbit after encountering a number of unexpected setbacks before and after launch, the startup said in a candid blog post published today. This demonstration mission may prove to be a case study in the difficulties of putting hardware on orbit […]
Director of Listed Chinese Company Embezzles $8 Million, Uses Funds to Purchase Bitcoin Mining Rigs
A Chinese prosecutor is reported to have given a thumbs up to the arrest of a listed big data company director accused of embezzling $ 8 million and using the funds to buy bitcoin mining rigs. Although Li Qunnan has denied the allegations, executives insist their evidence implicates him. Director’s Unsanctioned Use of Funds Discovered […]