Space resources company Interlune has secured an over US$300 million agreement to supply helium-3 harvested from the moon to Bluefors, a Finland-based manufacturer of cryogenic cooling systems for quantum technology.  

The deal will see Interlune, a Seattle, Washington-based company, provide up to 10,000 litres of helium-3 annually between 2028 and 2037. 

Helium-3 is an extremely rare isotope on Earth, traditionally produced from the decay of tritium, a rare material that is a by-product of nuclear reactors. In Canada, helium-3 is produced at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, where its subsidiary, Laurentis Energy Partners — which specializes in nuclear and clean energy solutions — extracts it from stored tritium generated by the Canada deuterium uranium reactors. 

However, helium-3 is far more abundant on the moon, where it created naturally over time as a result of solar wind particles accumulating on the lunar surface.  The presence of helium-3 on the moon was first discovered through samples returned by NASA’s Apollo missions from 1961 to 1972.  

Today, helium-3 is regarded as one of the most valuable materials that could be brought back from space. Last year, a market report by the rare gas consulting firm, Edelgas Group estimated the trading price of helium-3 at approximately $2,500 per liter. 

The isotope plays a critical role in enabling ultra-low-temperature cooling systems for quantum computing, making it a cornerstone for Bluefors’ cryogenic platforms.  

Bluefors plans to use helium-3 in its cryogenic measurement systems for applications in quantum technology, physics research and the medical and life sciences industries. It has already delivered over 1,500 dilution refrigerators and 15,000 cryocoolers worldwide, making it one of the largest helium-3 consumers globally. 

“Interlune will provide the huge amounts of helium-3 that the quantum industry needs in the coming years to drive innovation, commercialization and progress forward,” said Bluefors founder and CEO Rob Blaauwgeers in a press statement. “Sourcing abundant helium-3 from the moon helps Bluefors build cooling technologies that will unlock the potential of quantum computing even further.”  

Technology progress 

The demand for helium-3 is set to rise sharply. Interlune also sees applications for helium-3 in national security, medical imaging and future fusion energy development. 

Founded in 2020 by former executives of Washington-based space technology company, Blue Origin, Rob Meyerson and Gary Lai, along with Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist Harrison Schmitt, Interlune is among the first companies attempting to commercialize lunar resources.  

Backed by more than US$18 million in venture funding, Interlune is developing a four-step system to extract helium-3 from lunar soil using its flagship lunar excavator, built in partnership with industrial equipment manufacturer Vermeer.  

Designed to process 100 tonnes of lunar soil per hour, the machine is smaller, lighter and more energy-efficient than other concepts, claimed Interlune, making it cheaper to transport and operate on the moon.  

After excavation, Interlune’s system is designed to sort out larger particles, extract gases trapped in fine dust grains and isolate helium-3 through a cryogenic separation process. Tests of subscale and full-size prototypes on Earth have been successful, said Interlune, including experiments in simulated lunar gravity during parabolic flights. 

Interlune’s plans include a lunar demonstration mission in 2027 to test out the complete harvesting process ––from extraction to returning the material back to Earth–– and the development of a pilot plant on the moon by 2029. Over time, it expects to extract additional resources from the moon, such as rare earth elements, industrial metals and water, to support both a long-term human presence on the moon and a growing in-space economy.