From Moon to Earth: Interlune pioneers Helium-3 extraction to fuel future

Interesting Engineering explores in a latest article that a Seattle-based startup is pioneering the extraction of helium-3 from lunar soil. With groundbreaking technology and bold ambitions, Interlune is not only setting its sights on the Moon but also transforming space resource utilisation and advancing Earth’s energy and tech sectors.

This marks a significant breakthrough as Interlune becomes the first private company to successfully sell helium-3—securing agreements with both the US Department of Energy (DOE) and quantum tech firm Maybell Quantum.

Helium-3, a rare, non-radioactive isotope, holds immense potential as a fuel for advanced nuclear fusion reactors and is essential for creating ultra-low-temperature environments needed for quantum computers. While the gas is scarce on Earth, the Moon’s surface has been gradually accumulating helium-3 over billions of years due to constant exposure to solar winds. Interlune aims to capitalize on this lunar bounty, with plans to begin supplying helium-3 by 2029 at a price of $20 million per kilogram.

To make this vision a reality, Interlune has developed a prototype excavator that can dig up to three meters into the lunar surface, where higher concentrations of helium-3 are found. The excavator is capable of processing up to 100 metric tons of lunar regolith per hour and uses a chemical gaseous process to isolate the helium-3. This prototype, created in collaboration with Vermeer—a company known for industrial excavation equipment—is currently undergoing testing in Earth-based simulations of lunar terrain.

A key part of Interlune’s strategy is that it will extract and concentrate helium-3 directly on the Moon, bypassing the need to transport lunar soil back to Earth. As Corban Tillemann-Dick, CEO of Maybell Quantum, explains, “Helium-3 is extremely light and incredibly valuable, so it’s far more economical to retrieve it from the Moon than to build dedicated reactors on Earth.”

Interlune's ambitious plan unfolds in three phases, with the first phase, Crescent Moon, set to launch in 2025. The final mission, Harvest Moon, is slated for 2029, with the goal of completing the extraction process and fulfilling the company’s contracts.

Despite technical challenges ahead, the company’s groundbreaking efforts could significantly contribute to humanity's pursuit of clean energy and the expansion of quantum computing.

By Naila Huseynova