The US and China are racing to return humans to the Moon, spurring private firms to pursue lunar resources. Bluefors has reportedly contracted to buy up to 10,000 liters of helium‑3 from Interlune in a deal said to be worth $300 million, but extracting helium‑3 may require processing millions of tons of regolith. Interlune plans to fly a multispectral camera on Astrobotic’s Griffin‑1 to estimate local concentrations. Significant technical, economic and legal hurdles mean a viable lunar mining economy is still years — perhaps decades — away.
Company Claims Helium‑3 on Moon’s Surface — Could Lunar Mining Really Pay Off?
The US and China are racing to return humans to the Moon, spurring private firms to pursue lunar resources. Bluefors has reportedly contracted to buy up to 10,000 liters of helium‑3 from Interlune in a deal said to be worth $300 million, but extracting helium‑3 may require processing millions of tons of regolith. Interlune plans to fly a multispectral camera on Astrobotic’s Griffin‑1 to estimate local concentrations. Significant technical, economic and legal hurdles mean a viable lunar mining economy is still years — perhaps decades — away.
23:05, 02.11.2025Science
Company Claims Helium‑3 on Moon’s Surface — Could Lunar Mining Really Pay Off?
The United States and China are racing to return humans to the Moon, with current target timelines around 2028 and 2030. That geopolitical push is accelerating private‑sector interest in lunar resources, notably helium‑3, an isotope prized for its potential use in fusion power and as an ultra‑cold coolant for quantum computing.
Recent commercial moves: Helsinki cryogenics firm Bluefors reportedly signed an agreement with space startup Interlune to buy up to 10,000 liters of lunar helium‑3 in a contract the companies say could be worth roughly $300 million. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has also announced work to map and assess lunar resources, including helium‑3 and water ice, from orbit and on the ground.
Major technical and economic obstacles: Helium‑3 is deposited on the Moon’s surface by the solar wind but occurs at very low concentrations. Analysts estimate that recovering commercially meaningful quantities could require processing millions of tons of regolith. Transporting, landing and operating heavy excavation and processing equipment on the lunar surface would be extraordinarily expensive, making the venture high risk.
Why water ice matters: Water ice is critically important because it can be turned into drinking water, breathable oxygen and rocket propellant — supplies that would reduce resupply needs from Earth and enable longer stays on the surface.
Power, control and legal implications: Lunar nights last about two Earth weeks, so bases relying only on solar panels face reliability challenges. Nuclear power is often discussed as a more practical long‑term option; some analysts warn that the first actor to deploy a nuclear power source on the Moon could establish de facto safety zones, influencing legal precedents and operational access for others.
Uncertainty about fusion and resource scale: The quantity of helium‑3 on the Moon is still uncertain, and practical, commercial helium‑3 fusion remains speculative — fusion energy has been a technical challenge for decades. Estimates of other valuable materials such as platinum‑group metals vary widely and should be treated as provisional.
Next steps: To better assess prospects, Interlune plans to fly a multispectral camera on Astrobotic’s Griffin‑1 lander as soon as next year to estimate helium‑3 concentrations in local regolith. That data will be an early but important input for evaluating whether a lunar resource economy could become practical.
Bottom line: Early purchase agreements and mapping missions show growing commercial interest, but large‑scale moon mining faces substantial scientific, engineering, financial and legal hurdles — it remains a long‑term, high‑risk proposition.