Latest news with #helium3
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Retired general issues terrifying warning about China mining the moon: 'Power for the entire world'
A retired top Air Force general has warned that China is mining a rare and powerful element from the moon that could give them the upper hand in the new space race. China confirmed its plans to build a nuclear plant on the moon to power the research station it's 'dreaming up' with Russia during an April presentation. The country aims to become a major space power and land astronauts on the moon by 2030. Its planned Chang'e-8 mission for 2028 would lay the groundwork for constructing a permanent, manned lunar base. However, Steven Kwast, a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General and the CEO of SpaceBilt, claimed China has already started mining helium-3 from the moon. Helium-3 is a rare form of the gas helium on Earth, but NASA estimates that a million tons of it is on the moon. Scientists believe helium-3 could provide nuclear energy in a fusion reactor, but since it is not radioactive, it would not produce dangerous waste. Kwast warned during a recent episode of the Shawn Ryan Show that if China monopolizes the element, they could have enough power to crack any computer code. 'If we were to mine the moon for helium-3, at the current level of electricity use... we could power the energy needs of the human race for thousands of years based on the helium-3 that's on the moon right now,' Kwast said. 'Let's take the scenario where China now has enough helium-3 as they're mining it on the moon and bringing it back to Earth to be able to power the entire world for thousands of years. 'They are the ones that can actually operationalize quantum because they can cool it down to the temperature it needs to actually operate.' Kwast explained that helium-3 can be used to control the quantum cooling needed for advance technology, and whoever controls it will be able to break any code on the planet. 'When you start combining those three quantum capabilities - sensing, computing, communication - and you can affordably cool it down to the levels where it can be operationalized, now you've broken every code that ever was. I don't care how good your encryption is. They see every secret, every code, everything,' Kwast said. 'So there's an example of why not being in space with logistics and infrastructure to be able to move to see and to operate can make you vulnerable. 'Space is the place where if America does not change our strategy and how we're investing in space, we will become victims to others that use space as a way of dominating the energy market but also the information market.' While there is no proof that China is actively mining helium-3 on the moon, they have expressed interest in lunar resource extraction. In June 2024, China became the first country to land on the moon's far side. The Chang'e 6 spacecraft returned with 4.4 pounds of lunar rock samples. A new space race is warming up after half a century, with Russia, China and America racing to put robots, human astronauts and even lunar trains on the moon. Rare earth metals - used in smartphones, computers and advanced technologies - are available on the moon, according to research by Boeing.
Sustainability Times
19-05-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'Mining the Moon Begins': US Firm's Robot to Extract Rare Helium-3 and Launch Payloads Back to Earth for Futuristic Energy Use
IN A NUTSHELL 🌕 Interlune , a Seattle-based startup, plans to extract helium-3 from the moon, aiming to revolutionize clean energy and quantum computing. , a Seattle-based startup, plans to extract from the moon, aiming to revolutionize clean energy and quantum computing. 🚀 The company has developed a prototype excavator capable of digging up to ten feet into lunar soil, refining helium-3 directly on the moon for efficiency. 🔋 Helium-3 offers potential for nuclear fusion with minimal radioactive waste, and it is essential for the advancement of quantum computers . . 🌍 Interlune's ambitious project could position the U.S. as a leader in space resource utilization, impacting global energy and technology landscapes. With the race to harness clean energy intensifying, the prospect of utilizing helium-3 from the moon presents a tantalizing opportunity. This rare isotope could be the key to revolutionizing both energy production and quantum computing. A pioneering company, Interlune, is taking bold steps to extract helium-3 from lunar soil and transport it back to Earth. Their groundbreaking work could lead to significant advancements in technology and energy, setting the stage for a new era of innovation. Let's delve deeper into how Interlune's ambitious plans could transform our future. The Working Mechanism of Interlune's Lunar Excavator Helium-3 (He-3), a non-radioactive isotope of helium, is exceptionally scarce on Earth but relatively plentiful on the moon. Over billions of years, solar winds have bombarded the lunar surface, embedding helium-3 into the moon's soil. Interlune has engineered a prototype excavator designed to extract this precious gas. This advanced machine can dig up to ten feet into the moon's surface, accessing regions where helium-3 concentration is higher. The excavator processes up to 110 tons of lunar soil per hour and employs a specialized gaseous chemical method to separate helium-3 from other elements within the lunar environment. Importantly, Interlune plans to refine the gas directly on the moon, shipping only the helium-3 back to Earth. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also reduces costs significantly. The collaboration with Vermeer, renowned for industrial excavation equipment, underscores the project's innovative nature. The prototype is undergoing rigorous testing on Earth to simulate lunar conditions, ensuring its operational success when deployed. 'Ultrafast Charging Is Destroying EVs': Insatiable Speed Craze Is Ravaging Batteries and Slashing Vehicle Lifespans Globally Helium-3 Promises a Hi-Tech Future Helium-3 is poised to be a game-changer in the field of nuclear fusion, offering a pathway to clean energy with minimal radioactive waste. Unlike conventional nuclear reactions, fusion using helium-3 could provide a safer, more sustainable energy source. Furthermore, helium-3's unique properties make it invaluable for the development of quantum computers, which require ultra-low-temperature environments. Interlune has outlined a three-phase plan to harness helium-3's potential. The first phase, Crescent Moon, will use a hyperspectral camera to identify helium-3-rich areas on the moon. Next, Prospect Moon will involve deploying a lander to conduct on-site measurements and test early extraction technologies. Finally, the Harvest Moon phase aims to complete the extraction process and deliver helium-3 to Earth, fulfilling contractual agreements. Each phase presents its own set of challenges, but the potential rewards could be transformative for energy and technology sectors worldwide. This Nordic Power Move Changes Everything: Sweden's 740 MW Electrolyzers Set to Transform Global Steel Into a Zero-Carbon Industry Economic and Strategic Implications of Lunar Helium-3 The economic implications of successfully mining helium-3 are profound. With an estimated cost of US$20 million per 2.2 pounds, helium-3 is set to become one of the most valuable substances on Earth. Its application in both energy and computing could drive economic growth, foster technological advancements, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Strategically, the ability to harvest helium-3 could position the United States as a leader in space resource utilization. This capability might also spur international collaborations and competitions, with nations vying for a stake in lunar mining. As Interlune progresses with its missions, the framework for international space law and resource management will need to adapt, ensuring fair and sustainable practices. 'Soundwaves Turn Trash to Power': Revolutionary Tech Revives Dead Fuel Cells Into Clean Energy Gold Using Sonic Force Challenges and the Road Ahead for Interlune Despite its promising potential, the journey to extract helium-3 is fraught with challenges. Technical hurdles in lunar excavation, refinement processes, and safe transportation to Earth are formidable. Interlune must also navigate the regulatory landscape surrounding space exploration and resource extraction. Furthermore, the company needs to secure significant investment to fund its ambitious projects. The collaboration with industry leaders and the backing of governmental bodies like the Department of Energy highlight the project's credibility and potential. As Interlune advances its missions, the success of its endeavors will hinge on overcoming these obstacles, paving the way for a future where lunar resources play a pivotal role in our technological and energy landscape. Interlune's pursuit of helium-3 from the moon is an audacious yet visionary endeavor that could redefine our approach to energy and technology. By venturing beyond Earth to harness the moon's resources, Interlune is at the forefront of a new frontier in space exploration. As we stand on the cusp of this potential revolution, one question remains: How will the global community adapt to and benefit from this emerging era of space resource utilization? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (23)
Fast Company
09-05-2025
- Science
- Fast Company
This Seattle startup is planning to mine on the moon. It could bring nuclear fusion closer to reality
Humans have long been transfixed by the moon, awed and inspired by its reassuring presence in the night sky and its influence on the tides. In recent decades, though, our fascination with our nearest celestial neighbor has become somewhat more opportunistic: The moon contains valuable resources, and governments and companies are eager to get their hands on them. One such resource is helium-3 (He-3), a gas that some experts say could unlock clean and abundant energy on Earth as a fuel for fusion. It's this gas that Interlune, a Seattle-based startup, has its sights on. The company wants to be the first to commercialize space resources, starting with He-3, which it plans to begin harvesting from the moon and selling on Earth by the end of the decade. Helium-3 is used mostly in medical diagnostics and national security, but it has great potential to unlock groundbreaking technological advancements, the most tantalizing of which is nuclear fusion. Fusion is what powers the stars, and as the climate crisis deepens, scientists are desperately trying to harness it in reactors to produce abundant energy without the use of fossil fuels. He-3 is a desirable fuel for fusion reactors because it would produce very little dangerous radioactive waste. 'Helium-3 fusion reactors open up the opportunity to have power available for people on Earth in a way that's never been available before,' says Aaron Olson, a research physicist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center who has studied helium-3 extraction. 'And that's not only for those of us who happen to live in areas where we have grids that function really well, but it could bring energy to people who live in areas like sub-Saharan Africa, where 90% of the population doesn't have access to electricity.' The problem is that He-3 is extremely rare on Earth, and therefore very expensive. A kilogram of the stuff will set you back roughly $20 million. Most of the terrestrial supply comes from the decay of tritium, which is a byproduct of nuclear reactors and aging nuclear weapons. The United States has been rationing He-3 since 2010. By contrast, the moon holds an abundance of He-3. The isotope is emitted from the sun's corona and carried through the solar wind, and because the moon isn't protected by an atmosphere or magnetic field, these particles have been embedding themselves in the lunar soil—or regolith—for billions of years. Recent estimates suggest the moon has about 1.1 million metric tons of He-3, compared to Earth's reserves of just 1.6 tons. 'Helium-3 is the only resource worth going all the way to the moon and back for,' Interlune's director of business development, Nina Hooper, explained. 'Now it's up to us to go develop the technology that's going to help us extract it.' Interlune's plan is to send its ' harvesters ' to an area that's about a mile wide and located near the moon's equator on its near side, or the side that's always visible to Earth. These unmanned machines will dig into the top three meters of lunar regolith, crush the rocks, extract the He-3 gas, and then put the regolith back where it belongs. 'When we're done, it looks like a tilled field,' says Interlune CEO and cofounder Rob Meyerson, who previously served as president of Blue Origin. Interlune is aiming to start with two test missions, one in 2027 and another in 2029, to measure He-3 levels on the moon, harvest it on a small scale, and bring some back to Earth. It wants to go to market with 20 kilograms of He-3 in 2030, ramping up to 100 kilograms over five years. 'That will do a great job to stabilize the supply chain,' Meyerson adds. Could it also unlock the future of clean energy? Despite promising advances in fusion science, commercial fusion is still a ways off. 'There is still a lot of work to be done before a functional reactor goes online,' says NASA's Olson. 'There are still questions that persist as to how quickly that can happen.' An abundance of He-3 for fusion research could, however, help speed up that process. In the meantime, Interlune has another sector in mind for its first target market: quantum computing. This market is projected to balloon between now and 2030, with big tech players like IBM, Nvidia, and Apple pouring billions into quantum tech research and development with the hopes of creating breakthrough innovations and rapidly solving stubborn problems across science, medicine, and other fields. Helium-3 helps keep these supercomputers cool enough to function efficiently, and Meyerson says Interlune has already secured contracts with 'more than one' company and letters of intent for 'more than a billion dollars' worth of He-3 even before it has demonstrated its technology. 'These customers are relatively price insensitive, so they're willing to pay something near the current market price, and they're really, really eager to secure supply,' he says. This week, Interlune announced Maybell Quantum, a quantum infrastructure company, as its first commercial customer. Maybell agreed to buy 'thousands of liters' of He-3 to be delivered between 2029 and 2035. The U.S. Department of Energy has also agreed to buy He-3 from Interlune in its quest to top up its reserves. Not everyone is eager to see the moon become an industrial hub, though. Astronomers are particularly worried about mining because the moon is an important outpost for space science thanks to how quiet, still, and cold it is. For example, the far-side of the moon is 'the most radio quiet part of the inner solar system,' explains Richard Green, an astronomer emeritus at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory and a vocal advocate for preserving lunar science. That makes it the best place to use radio astronomy to learn about the universe and look for signs of life beyond Earth. 'If the mining equipment is next door and blasting rocks and digging things up, that would just be inconsistent with the stable platform that those really sensitive detections need,' Green adds. He and other researchers want to see the creation of an international system that evaluates claims to certain regions on the moon and allows scientists to 'reserve' sites in advance so they can study the area before any mining takes place. 'It's not that there's anything wrong with mining, it's a legitimate activity,' he says. 'But so is science. How do we set up a system of communication and coordination that doesn't lead to conflict?' The existing rules around space mining are fairly new, and don't offer much help. A 2015 U.S. law ruled that private American companies can own any space resources they mine. In 2020, NASA's Artemis Accords sought to introduce some guidelines on the practice of harvesting space resources, stating that any extraction must be done in compliance with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. That means countries carrying out mining would have to do so for the benefit of all mankind. They'd have to avoid 'harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies,' and would be liable for any damage they cause. All of that said, regulations might be hard to enforce. 'There are no police that are going to land on the moon,' says Green. (Neither China nor Russia have signed onto the Artemis Accords, which aren't legally binding anyway.) Meyerson is quick to underscore that what Interlune wants to do isn't traditional mining. 'There are no chemicals used to strip the helium-3 out of the material,' he says. 'You're not leaving contaminated tailings behind. So as far as comparing this to mining, it's just 180 degrees apart.' He believes that by being the first to harvest moon resources, Interlune can set the standard as the lunar gold rush accelerates. Eventually, Interlune plans to expand its scope to harvest other lunar resources that could be used to build infrastructure and produce rocket fuel on the moon, all of which could serve as a stepping stone for future space exploration. 'We're in this for the long run of building an in-space economy,' says Meyerson. 'We would be processing other resources on the moon, like water that we can turn into rocket fuel, metals like aluminum and titanium and silicon, and then construction material.' Some proponents of space mining also argue it's an environmental Hail Mary. 'There is the notion of the Earth becoming an oasis,' says Olson. 'It's an idea that harvesting resources, whether it be the moon or other places in space, could help us preserve the Earth for future generations in a way where maybe we're not doing as much damaging extractive work on Earth, and some of that could be put in places that are, for lack of a better term, barren.'
Geek Wire
07-05-2025
- Business
- Geek Wire
Interlune announces deals for moon mining equipment — and for selling lunar helium-3
An artist's conception shows a rocket with a capsule containing helium-3 heading back to Earth from the moon's surface. (Interlune Illustration) Seattle-based Interlune provided a triple-barreled update today on its progress toward mining helium-3 on the moon and returning that resource to Earth. The startup joined Vermeer Corp., an industrial equipment manufacturer headquartered in Iowa, to unveil a full-scale prototype of an excavator that's designed to ingest 100 metric tons of moon dirt in an hour. After the helium-3 is extracted, the machine would drop the rest of the dirt back onto the lunar surface in a continuous motion. Also today, Interlune announced separate agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy and Maybell Quantum Industries to start supplying lunar helium-3 by 2029. Helium-3 is an isotope that's much rarer than the helium-4 that you typically find in lighter-than-air balloons. Helium-3 has a wide range of high-tech applications in fields that include quantum computing, fusion power, medical imaging and weapons detection for national security purposes. The substance is hard to find on Earth, but it's more abundant on the moon due to bombardment by solar-wind particles. Interlune aims to take advantage of the potential market by extracting lunar helium-3 and shipping it back to Earth. The idea isn't exactly new; in fact, helium-3 mining was a key plot point in 'Moon,' a 2009 sci-fi movie. But Interlune is the first venture to try commercializing such an operation. 'The high-rate excavation needed to harvest helium-3 from the moon in large quantities has never been attempted before, let alone with high efficiency,' Gary Lai, Interlune co-founder and chief technology officer, said in a news release. Lai served as chief architect for the New Shepard suborbital rocket ship built by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture, and went to space on New Shepard in 2022. That's not the only connection to Blue Origin: Interlune co-founder and CEO Rob Meyerson served as Blue Origin's president from 2003 to 2018. Meyerson said Vermeer would be a key partner in the development of Interlune's harvesting system. 'When you're operating equipment on the moon, reliability and performance standards are at a new level,' he said. 'Vermeer has a legacy of innovation and excellence that started more than 75 years ago, which makes them the ideal partner for Interlune.' Interlune and Vermeer tested a subscale version of the excavator last summer, setting the stage for the full-scale prototype unveiled today. Interlune said that the excavator is the first product resulting from the partnership, and that the companies will continue to explore other technologies for use in space and on Earth. For example, Interlune is working on methods for sorting, extracting and separating helium-3 from the dirt after it's excavated. Vermeer CEO Jason Andringa will join Interlune's advisory board to deepen the partnership. 'Combining my personal passion for aeronautics and astronautics with Vermeer equipment that bears my grandfather's name, to carefully and responsibly harvest resources to make our world a better place, is something I'm incredibly proud of,' Andringa said. Interlune and Vermeer worked together to test a full-scale prototype of an excavator with auxiliary components. The final version of the excavator hardware will be integrated into a machine known as the Interlune Harvester. (Interlune / Vermeer Photo) An artist's conception shows the Interlune Harvester, which would incorporate excavation hardware that's currently being developed in partnership with Vermeer. (Interlune Illustration) Interlune said Maybell Quantum would be the startup's first commercial customer. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, Interlune would provide thousands of liters of helium-3 for yearly delivery between 2029 and 2035. The helium-3 would be used in Maybell's dilution refrigerators, which cool quantum computing devices to near absolute zero. 'Helium-3 will fuel a fundamental transformation in computing,' Corban Tillemann-Dick, founder and CEO of Maybell Quantum, said in a news release. 'In the coming years, we'll go from a few hundred quantum computers worldwide to thousands, then tens of thousands, and they all need to get cold. To get cold, they need dilution refrigeration running on helium-3.' Interlune also said it planned to deliver three liters of lunar helium-3 to the U.S. Department of Energy by April 2029. Under the terms of that agreement, the helium-3 would be purchased 'at approximately today's commercial market price,' the company said in a news release. Interlune has pegged the commercial price of helium-3 at $20 million per kilogram. The price per liter would be significantly lower, however. Last year, a market report from the Edelgas Group said helium-3 was trading at around $2,500 per liter. The agreement with the Department of Energy marks the first purchase of a non-terrestrial natural resource under the terms of the DOE Isotope Program, Interlune said. 'With this agreement, the DOE IP is signaling to companies and investors that it supports novel approaches to securing critical materials for use on Earth, including space resources,' Meyerson said. Last year, Interlune received a grant from the DOE Isotope Program to study a low-temperature method for separating helium-3 from domestic helium supplies, in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The company plans to leverage findings from that project to support its plans for lunar helium-3 extraction. Interlune, which was founded in 2020, has also received grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation to work on technologies for processing lunar soil. Last year, the company said it raised $18 million in seed funding. And last month, it won a grant of up to $4.84 million from the Texas Space Commission to open a center focusing on the processing of simulated moon dirt. In a video posted to LinkedIn, Nina Hooper, Interlune's director of business development, laid out the company's roadmap for testing its hardware on the moon. The plan calls for executing three missions over the next five years. 'Our first mission, Crescent Moon, is coming up at the end of this year, 2025,' Hooper said. 'We'll be sending a hyperspectral camera as a rideshare to the south pole with another lunar mission.' That mission would be followed by Prospect Moon. 'We'll be taking a lander to an area of our choosing where we believe the helium-3 concentration is highest,' Hooper said. 'We'll be taking an advanced suite of sensors and some technology demonstrations to validate the concentration of helium-3 and prove out our method of extracting it.' Hooper said the third mission, Harvest Moon, would be an end-to-end demonstration of the process for extracting helium-3 and sending it back to Earth. The timing for that mission may have some connection to plans for delivering helium-3 to the Department of Energy.
