Interlune, a startup founded by former Blue Origin executives and an Apollo 17 astronaut, has ambitious plans to extract natural resources from the Moon and sell them on Earth. The company’s primary goal is helium-3, an isotope of helium found in large quantities on the Moon that can be used in quantum computing, medical imaging, and potentially as fuel for fusion reactors.
Interlune plans to install a pilot facility on the Moon by 2028 and launch mining operations by 2030. The company recently announced that it has raised $18 million in funding, including $15 million in the latest round led by Seven Seven Six, a venture capital firm founded by Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit.
Interlune aims to become the first private company to extract natural resources on the Moon, using a robotic lander to assess the concentration of helium-3 on the surface and a lunar rover to process regolith and extract gas. Among the company’s founders are prominent personalities from the space industry, including Harrison Schmitt, the only geologist-astronaut to visit the moon.
What is helium-3?
Helium-3, a key element in Interlune’s plans, is a rare helium isotope with potential revolutionary applications in energy and technology. On Earth, helium-3 is extremely rare, but on the Moon it is found in much larger quantities, where its accumulation occurs as a result of the long-term impact of the solar wind on the lunar regolith. One of the most discussed prospects of helium-3 is its use as a fuel for fusion, which could provide highly efficient and relatively safe energy production without radioactive waste, which is a problem for modern nuclear reactors. In addition, helium-3 can be used in quantum computing and medical imaging, offering new opportunities for the development of science and technology. Interlune’s ability to extract helium-3 on the Moon and deliver it to Earth could open the door to a new era in energy and technological progress.
