Moon Helium Deal is the largest taking of space resources to date

For billions of years, solar winds bombed the moon. Over time, this constant assault of loaded particles has caused an accumulation of helium-3 to the lunar surface. This isotope is rare on earth, and the increase in demand from several industries, including quantum IT – has prompted certain companies to explore the possibility of lunar extraction.

One of these companies is an interlune, a startup based in Seattle which aims to extract natural resources – mainly Helium -3 – from the lunar surface. Interlune finally hopes to sell its helium -3 harvested to government and commercial customers in the national security, medical imagery, fusion and quantum IT industries – and it has just concluded a major trade agreement.

The biggest purchase of lunar resources to date

On Tuesday, Interlune announced a partnership with Bluefors, a main manufacturer of dilution refrigerators and one of the largest global Helium-3 consumers. Its continuous cooling systems use Helium-3 to maintain quantum computers during execution at the ultra-basic temperatures necessary to maintain the stability of the qubit and reliable operation.

As the quantum IT industry is evolving towards marketing – with technological giants such as Google, IBM and Microsoft Progress Progress in scaling – Helium -3 demand should increase. BlueFors agreed to buy up to 10,000 liters of helium-3 per year in Interlune between 2028 and 2037. This substance is negotiated at around $ 2,500 per liter, according to a 2024 estimate of the Edelgas group. The agreement is the largest purchase of lunar resources to date.

“A majority of the quantum technology industry is based on BlueFors systems to operate and accelerate development,” said Rob Meyerson, co-founder and CEO of Interlune, in a company press release. “We are delighted to help Bluefors continue to advance companies to unlock scientific and medical discoveries made possible only by almost absolute-zero temperatures.”

How Interlune plans to exploit the moon by 2028

Meyerson, former president of Blue Origin, founded Interlune in 2020 alongside the former chief architect Gary Lai and Harrison Schmitt, the only living member of Apollo 17. Since this mission, Schmitt – a geologist – has pleaded for humanity to exploit the reserves of Helium -3 of the Moon.

Interlune has spent the last five years working for this goal. The company has raised more than $ 18 million in venture capital funding to develop robotic harvesters and launch a demonstration mission in 2027 as well as a pilot factory by 2029, according to Spacenews.

This clearly arranged financing and roadmap are promising, but it remains to be seen if Interlune will overcome the steep technological, logistical and financial challenges of lunar exploitation by 2028. Although the prospect has aroused a lot of buzz in recent years, very few companies have made real progress towards involvement.

In addition, some experts argue that the value of the Helium-3 of the Moon is exaggerated. The fact is that we do not know with certainty how much there is up there. And although the highest concentrations measured in the Apollo and Luna samples are superior to those of the earth, they are always very low.

For the moment, the Helium -3 of the Moon is more promising than the product, but the interlune agreement with BlueFors signals the growing demand for the quantum IT industry – and could mark a major step towards a new era of space resources.