Gary Lai
Gary Lai is currently Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Interlune and serves as External Advisory Board Member for the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington College of Engineering. He previously held several leadership and technical roles at Blue Origin, including Chief Architect and New Shepard System Architect, and founded Interlune, a startup. His expertise includes space systems development, program management, and business development.
Interlune raises $5M as it holds nearly $500M in government and industry purchase orders for lunar helium-3; extraction not expected until 2030
Seattle startup Interlune raised an additional $5 million to pursue lunar helium-3 mining, while holding nearly $500 million in purchase orders from the US Air Force, DOE, and quantum computing firms; the company says first extraction won't occur before 2030.
Interlune demonstrates Cold Capture to extract 99% pure helium-3 from industrial helium, aims to scale for lunar mining
Seattle startup Interlune says it produced 99% pure helium-3 from industrial-grade helium using a cryogenic distillation process called Cold Capture, a technique it plans to scale for lunar extraction. The company argues helium-3’s rarity and suitability for quantum computing, detectors and future fusion makes lunar-sourced supply potentially profitable, and demonstrated the process at small scale in early 2025.
Interlune unveils Cold Capture to extract 99% pure helium-3 from Grade A helium, backed by U.S. Air Force
Seattle startup Interlune unveiled 'Cold Capture,' a cryogenic system that extracts 99% pure helium-3 from standard Grade A helium to address terrestrial shortages and validate lunar-harvesting tech, developed with U.S. Air Force support.
Interlune Raises $5 Million SAFE to Advance Lunar Helium-3 Mining with Leadership from Former Blue Origin and Apollo 17 Astronaut
Interlune is raising $5 million through a SAFE offering to fund its lunar resource extraction plans, including harvesting helium-3. The Seattle-based startup, founded in 2020 by former Blue Origin leaders and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, aims to advance technical milestones before its next funding round.
Interlune Partners with Vermeer and US DOE to Develop Moon Excavator and Supply Lunar Helium-3 by 2029
Interlune announced partnerships for moon mining equipment development and plans to supply lunar helium-3 by 2029, aiming to commercialize helium-3 extraction from the moon. The startup revealed a prototype excavator built with Vermeer Corp. and agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy and Maybell Quantum Industries for helium-3 supply.
Interlune Awarded $4.84M Texas Grant to Build Lunar Regolith Center at NASA Johnson Space Center
Seattle-based Interlune received a $4.84 million grant from the Texas Space Commission to establish a lunar regolith simulant center at NASA's Johnson Space Center, part of the Texas A&M University Space Institute. The company aims to develop technology to harvest moon soil for resources like helium-3, with support from prominent former NASA and Blue Origin leaders.
NASA Awards $348,000 Grant to Seattle's Interlune to Test Lunar Soil-Processing Tech on Reduced-Gravity Flights
Interlune received a $348,000 NASA grant to test its CRUMBLE lunar soil-processing system during reduced-gravity flights aimed at harvesting moon resources such as helium-3. The Seattle-based company plans to complete these tests by year-end as part of NASA’s TechFlights program supporting space technology development.
Interlune Plans Robotic Helium-3 Harvesting on Moon with $18M Seed Funding, Aiming for 2026 Prospecting Mission
Seattle-based startup Interlune revealed plans to build a robotic harvester to extract helium-3 from the moon, aiming for a prospecting mission by 2026 and commercial operations in the 2030s. The company raised $18 million in seed funding led by Seven Seven Six, with the goal of enabling advanced technologies like quantum computing and fusion power.
Interlune, Co-Founded by Former Blue Origin President Rob Meyerson, Raises $17.7M to Harvest Moon Resources
Interlune, a startup co-founded by former Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson, is raising $17.7 million to develop technology for harvesting lunar resources to use on Earth. The company, founded in 2020, has received $15.6 million from 18 investors and a $246,000 NSF grant for moon dirt sorting research.
Organizations
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Interlune Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer 2022–present, Former Chief Architect · current
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University of Washington College of Engineering External Advisory Board Member, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2020–present · current
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Posigrade LLC Strategic Advisor 2024 · past
Education
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University of Washington B.S.E., Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering · 1997–1999
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Cornell University B.S., Applied Economics and Business Management · 1992–1995
