What is Helium-3 and could we get it from the moon?
In a world chasing breakthroughs in quantum computing and future fusion energy, helium-3 stands out as one of the most expensive and potentially transformative materials. A single litre of helium-3 can fetch around $2,000, placing it among the costliest gases on record. Its value is tied to its unique properties at ultra-cold temperatures and its potential role in next-generation cooling systems and nuclear fusion reactors. Yet the supply chain is highly constrained: the dominant source today is not a natural reservoir but the decay of tritium inside nuclear weapons, a tightly controlled material. Estimates from Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s David McCollum suggest tens of thousands of litres are likely produced annually this way, a figure that could fall short of future demand as technologies mature.
This scarcity has spurred interest in alternate sources. Some scientists and entrepreneurs argue that the lunar regolith could host higher concentrations of helium-3 than Earth’s crust. Apollo-era samples hinted at the possibility, and recent corporate efforts are turning that potential into concrete plans. InterLune, a Seattle-based company, is developing technologies to extract helium-3 from the moon and contends that its equipment could be integrated into a lunar lander as early as autumn 2027. Co-founder Rob Meyerson—a former president of Blue Origin—describes a growing team of about 30 people and a four-year development arc aimed at autonomous regolith processing on the lunar surface. One of InterLune’s co-founders is Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, Apollo 17 veteran and longtime helium-3 advocate.
InterLune’s approach envisions crushing and churning lunar dust to release the trapped helium-3, which would then be processed and potentially shipped back to Earth. The team has tested some equipment during parabolic flights to simulate microgravity, and has signaled ambitions for long-term lunar mining infrastructure. However, experts caution that much depends on clarifying lunar helium-3 concentrations, the depth at which it resides, and the total recoverable quantities. Paul Burke of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory notes that Apollo samples may have lost some helium-3 on return to Earth, complicating the picture of lunar abundance. He describes the unknowns as a critical hurdle. The Space News reporting last year estimated lunar concentrations could be measured in parts per billion to the low tens of ppb, implying that harvesting meaningful quantities might require processing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of regolith for each kilogram of helium-3—a “mountain-moving” task.
Despite the challenges, the economics are being actively evaluated. InterLune has run internal calculations to determine the cost of reaching the moon, extracting helium-3, and returning it to Earth, but has declined to disclose figures publicly. The moon-mining thesis has drawn additional interest from other players. Astrotech Corporation, another U.S. firm, has floated a plan to extract helium-3 via a SpaceX Starship mission, with Tom Pickens, the company’s chief executive and chief technology officer, acknowledging the inherent difficulties. Astrotech’s team includes a handful of specialists, and Pickens argues that the concept remains a work in progress.
Market and technology watchers note that helium-3’s appeal is tied not only to fusion energy prospects but to its potential role in advanced cooling systems for quantum computers. In dilution refrigeration, helium-3–helium-4 mixtures can achieve temperatures near absolute zero, enabling certain quantum experiments and device performance enhancements. Yet cooling innovations that reduce helium-3 dependence are also under exploration, with some researchers seeking alternative methods to reach ultra-low temperatures.
Beyond the moon, other players are pursuing helium-3 sources on Earth. Pulsar Helium, a company based in Portugal, has signaled interest in developing helium-3 sites in Minnesota where concentrations have been reported around 12 ppb. Scientists like Richard Easther of the University of Auckland note that such terrestrial sources, while more accessible, also face extraction and concentration challenges. While Reliant on a few known geological pockets, the landscape of helium-3 supply remains uncertain, with supporters arguing that ongoing research could unlock new pathways to tap the isotope more efficiently.
The broader context is that a wave of investment in quantum computing and fusion research hinges on materials that can operate at extreme conditions. Helium-3’s role could be pivotal if its availability improves and production costs decline, potentially enabling larger-scale cooling systems and more robust fusion experiments. But as several researchers and industry leaders caution, the lunar option remains speculative until proven economically viable and technically feasible at scale. The next several years will test whether the moon’s helium-3 can move from a promising concept to a reliable, instrumentally important supply chain that could shape the economics of high-tech research and energy futures.
