While Moon Express might initially make money by sending small payloads, the big fortune would come from bringing back platinum and other rare metals, Dr. Pell said.

“It’s probably the biggest wealth creation opportunity in modern history, ” said Barney Pell, a former NASA computer scientist turned entrepreneur and now a co-founder of Moon Express.

"It's probably the biggest wealth creation opportunity in modern history," said Barney Pell, a former NASA computer scientist turned entrepreneur and now a co-founder of Moon Express.