Imagine a substance that costs $20 million per kilogram. It is practically non-existent on Earth, yet abundant across the lunar surface. It can cool quantum computers to temperatures near absolute zero and, perhaps someday, become the fuel for clean nuclear fusion energy. This is not the plot of a science fiction novel. This is helium-3 — a rare isotope now at the center of a new space race.

As Rob Meyerson, CEO of the startup Interlune, states: *"At a price of $20 million per kilogram, helium-3 is the only resource in the universe whose value is high enough to justify a round trip to space and back to Earth."*

But what makes this lunar gas so special? And when will we finally be able to extract it?

Helium-3: What Is It and Why Is It So Important?

Helium-3 is a light, non-radioactive isotope of helium. On our planet, it is extremely rare. The main source is the decay of tritium (a substance produced in nuclear reactors), which yields only a few kilograms per year.

However, its applications are staggering:

Quantum Computing. Helium-3 is a critical component for dilution refrigerators — devices that cool qubits to temperatures around 7 millikelvin (just hundredths of a degree above absolute zero). Only under such conditions can quantum systems operate without errors. As the number of quantum computers grows from hundreds to tens of thousands, demand for helium-3 will rise exponentially.

Medicine. Polarized helium-3 is used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain images of the lungs with incredible detail.

National Security. This isotope is an ideal neutron absorber, making it indispensable in radiation detectors at borders and in nuclear security systems.

Fusion Energy of the Future. The most ambitious prospect. Unlike traditional tritium-based reactions, which produce a powerful neutron flux and radioactive waste, the reaction of deuterium with helium-3 releases primarily charged particles. This means the reactor would be significantly safer and cleaner. In essence, helium-3 is the clean fuel for humanity's dream of inexhaustible energy.

How Did Helium-3 End Up on the Moon?

The answer lies in our star. For over 4 billion years, the Sun has been blasting a stream of charged particles into space — the solar wind. Helium-3 is one of those particles.

Earth has a powerful magnetic field that deflects the solar wind, protecting our planet. The Moon, however, has neither a magnetic field nor an atmosphere. For billions of years, it has been helplessly bombarded by this stream, and helium-3 particles have embedded themselves into the crystal lattices of lunar minerals.

Thus, the Moon became a giant collector of this rare isotope.

Where to Find It and How Much Is There?

Helium-3 is distributed unevenly across the lunar surface. According to data from Russian scientists at the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the richest deposits are located in two regions: the Sea of Tranquility and the Ocean of Storms. The key mineral carrier is ilmenite, a component of lunar basalts.

However, there is one major problem: concentration. In soil samples brought back by the Apollo missions, helium-3 content was in the parts-per-billion range. To collect just one liter of this gas, hundreds of tons of lunar dust would need to be processed.

Nevertheless, the total reserves are impressive. Estimates suggest there could be more than one million tons of helium-3 on the Moon. That amount could meet Earth's energy needs for thousands of years.

Who Is Planning to Mine This Lunar Treasure and How?
Currently, the most prominent project in this field is the American startup Interlune. It was founded in 2020 by former top managers of Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos's space company).

Interlune's plan is ambitious and includes several stages:

1. Prototype Excavator

In May 2025, the company, together with industrial giant Vermeer, unveiled a full-scale prototype lunar excavator. This machine, the size of an electric car, is designed to operate in extreme conditions: from scorching heat down to -170°C.

It is expected to process up to 100-110 tons of regolith (lunar soil) per hour, penetrating to depths of up to three meters. As Gary Lai, Interlune's Chief Technology Officer, notes: "These scales require engineering solutions that have never been applied even on Earth."

2. Extraction Technology

The process involves four stages: digging the soil, sorting particles, extracting gas by heating, and finally separating the mixture to obtain pure helium-3. This is an extremely complex task, as the gas mixture contains regular helium-4 and other gases alongside helium-3.

3. First Missions

Interlune plans to launch a prospecting mission as early as the end of 2027. This mission will confirm the presence of rich deposits and collect samples. By 2030, the company aims to deploy the first industrial excavator on the Moon.

Customers Already Exist: The Birth of a New Economy

The most astonishing fact is that Interlune already has contracts for the delivery of helium-3 that hasn't even been mined yet. This is an unprecedented situation, demonstrating enormous demand.

The US Government. In mid-2025, the US Department of Energy signed a contract to purchase three liters of lunar helium-3. This is the first-ever government contract for an extraterrestrial resource.

Commercial Clients. Maybell Quantum signed an agreement to purchase thousands of liters of helium-3 for cooling quantum computers. Deliveries are set to begin in 2029.

Record-Breaking Deal. In September 2025, news broke of the largest deal yet: Bluefors, a manufacturer of cryogenic equipment, signed a contract to purchase tens of thousands of tons of helium-3 worth over $300 million. Deliveries will run from 2028 to 2037.

Rob Meyerson of Interlune comments: *"This is the strongest signal of demand for lunar helium-3, which could become the foundation for quantum computing and even fusion energy in the future."*

The Resource Race: The Geopolitical Dimension

Helium-3 has become not just a technological challenge but also an arena for geopolitical rivalry.

The United States is actively promoting the "Artemis Accords" — a set of principles for international cooperation on the Moon that enshrine the right of private companies to extracted resources.

China and Russia have not joined these accords. They have jointly announced their intention to build an international scientific lunar station in the 2030s and also view helium-3 as a strategic resource.

Officials in Beijing have explicitly stated that this isotope "theoretically could provide the country with energy for millennia."

This situation resembles the race for rare earth metals, but on a cosmic scale. The country or company that first establishes stable supplies will gain enormous influence over the global high-tech market.

Problems and Skepticism: Why This Is Still Science Fiction
Despite the optimism, many experts urge caution. The US Geological Survey assesses helium-3 as a resource that, under current economic and technical conditions, is practically inaccessible for industrial development.

Here are just some of the challenges:

Abrasive Dust. Lunar regolith is not sand; it consists of microscopic, sharp glass shards. During the Apollo missions, this dust jammed spacesuit seals and scratched everything it touched. Creating machinery that can operate in such an environment for years is incredibly difficult.

Vacuum and Gravity. In a vacuum, ordinary lubricants evaporate. Low gravity alters the behavior of mechanisms.

Autonomy. Due to signal delay, it's impossible to control equipment from Earth in real-time. Excavators must operate fully autonomously, requiring immense intelligence from their algorithms.

Energy. Heating hundreds of tons of soil on-site requires powerful energy sources, such as solar concentrators or even compact nuclear reactors.

Planetology professor Ian Crawford pointed out as early as 2021 that even if extraction were successful, helium-3 would only be able to compete with terrestrial energy sources in the distant future. However, with the growth of the quantum industry, which needs helium-3 right now, the project's economics might work out much faster.

Conclusion: When Will This Happen?

The path from an excavator prototype on Earth to industrial mining on the Moon is incredibly complex. Yet the speed of developments is astonishing. Just a few years ago, helium-3 mining was pure theory. Today, we have real machines, real multi-billion dollar contracts, and real plans to launch missions before the end of the decade.

In the coming years, we will likely see not so much commercial mining but demonstration projects designed to prove the very feasibility of such operations. But if Interlune or other companies succeed, the Moon will transform from a barren desert into a strategic resource base, and humanity will take its first step toward becoming a multiplanetary civilization.

As Rob Meyerson said, "We need to set difficult goals. And I think it's achievable."

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