As we know 25 tonnes of helium-3, a rare form of helium, could supply the entire United States with power for a full year. Unfortunately, the amount of helium the Earth’s atmosphere receives naturally is insufficient to meet our energy needs. Consequently, the only viable option for obtaining this high-energy fuel is by mining it from the moon.

Interestingly, a company called Interlune has already secured $15 million with the objective of extracting helium-3 from the lunar surface and transporting it back to Earth. Founded by Harrison Schmitt, a member of the Apollo 17 mission, and Rob Meyerson, a former president of Blue Origin, Interlune aims to pioneer private space ventures focused on exploiting lunar resources for commercial purposes. Presently, the company is focused on a robotic lander mission to assess helium-3 concentrations at specific lunar sites.

The rationale behind lunar mining for helium-3 stems from the fact that this isotope is generated through the fusion of two photons with a neutron and two electrons, a process occurring on the Sun. Solar winds carry these particles throughout the solar system, but Earth’s magnetic shield, known as the magnetosphere, prevents most from reaching our planet. While some helium-3 is produced on Earth through tritium decay in nuclear reactors, the quantities are minuscule compared to the potential abundance on the moon.

Unlike Earth, the moon lacks both an atmosphere and a magnetic shield, allowing it to continuously accumulate high-energy particles from solar winds. Estimates suggest that the moon possesses a vast reservoir of approximately 1.2 million tons of helium-3, making it an enticing target for resource exploitation.

In their recent press release, Interlune suggests that helium-3 extracted from the moon could bolster various industries and disciplines, spanning from medical imaging to nuclear fusion and quantum computing.

Interlune investor Alexis Ohanian expressed that accessing the abundant helium-3 and other valuable resources on the moon and beyond could propel technological progress currently constrained by limited supply.

They assert that they possess sustainable and considerate technology to achieve this goal. Interlune’s spokesperson Meyerson emphasized that harvesting natural resources from the moon is now both technically and economically viable, marking a historic milestone.