Watch the full session here: https://ypo.vhx.tv/lap-s08-the-business-of-space-apr-2025

Glen Martin, CEO of the Extraterrestrial Mining Company, outlines how lunar mining could reshape energy, computing, and finance. He shares how his team is designing a commercial infrastructure to extract helium-3—a rare, valuable isotope critical for fusion reactors, quantum computing, and medical applications.

Martin details how smart contracts, tokenization, and autonomous systems will govern robotic mining on the moon. He also addresses space security, passive defense, and the broader geopolitical context—including the roles of China, SpaceX, and private infrastructure financing in shaping this emerging domain.

Takeaways:
• Lunar helium-3 could support energy, quantum tech, and medical innovation
• Blockchain and token systems may govern off-Earth economies
• Reusability and cost drops are enabling infrastructure-scale planning
• Space operations must anticipate geopolitical and security risks